out of gas again......

[Hartless]

so I'm cruising on my way to work doing about 65(freeway) when all of the sudden spit sput bluh... so naturally i switch to my reserve but nothing. somehow i got to the shoulder ( heavy traffic time) with no power. i could not get the bike to start. finally i tip the bike over and pump the gas for a couple minutes and it starts. this would be a dumb ass mistake in my part but i had only gone about 80 miles on the tank off gas. had just enough gas in reserve to get to a pump. and now I'm getting bad mpg all the time ..back to the drawing boards.....ugh lol

[Hartless]

good thing is I'm still getting better mpg then my ford bronco hahaha. but what doesn't?lol

[[jh]]

Ya my reserve doesn't seem to work either. I clocked out a tank of gas on my bike but I have still run out twice, I just keep her full all the time now. ;D
Anyone know why a reserve might not work?

[Re-Vision]

I would guess that you have a bad rubber gasket behind the PRI-RES-ON Selector Switch, remove the two screws on the chrome plate, remove the Selector Switch and you will probably see what the problem is. Do it with the tank off and outside so you don't make more problems for yourself.     BDC

[YellowJacket!]

Only 80 miles on a tank would make me think that you may be losing some through the overflows on the carbs while you are riding.  Any puddles under your bike? Stumbles, gas smells?

The other thought is how many galons are you putting in your tank to fill it up?  My  first tank had the sides completely filled with bondo/body filler.  It looked good until I stripped the paint and realized how much was added and how much volume I had lost.  I think my tank was holding only a gallon and a half.

David

[h2olawyer]

David - He's probably got your old tank!   ;D

H₂O

[QBS]

A way to test petcock function.  With the petcock in the "On" position and about 3 gallons of gas in the tank,  detach the petcock control vacuum line from its' engine vacuum source and attach a large syringe to the end that you just removed from the engine.  Do not pull vacuum.  If the petcock output spigot is passing fuel, the petcock is malfunctioning and needs to be rebuilt.

If the petcock didn't leak in the above test, use the syringe as your vacuum source and pull a vacuum on the petcock.  Fuel should begin flowing out of the petcocks' output spigot.  No flow means that the petcock needs to be rebuilt.  Repeat this test with the petcock in the "Reserve" position.  Again, no flow means that the petcock needs to be rebuilt.

Put the petcock in the "Prime" position.  Do not pull a vacuum.  Fuel should flow.  No flow is a malfunction in the "prime" position.

[Hartless]

filled it up with 2.5 gallons last night. was still some in reserve though. i have put 3 gallons in before.probably a buncha Crap in the tank

[Brian Moffet]

Yeah, the tanks hold 4.25 gallons.  So I'd say you have something in there. 

[Hartless]

yea i know lol. still only getting about thirty mpg. supposed to get like forty correct? and also. any ideas on how to get that Crap out. looks like a lot of sealant. but i brazzed all the holes so i should have to worrie about leaks or anything. i was thinking dip it in a hot tank?

[QBS]

Hart, don't know if this applies to your situation.  Several years ago my '83 started to run out of gas at about half full.  Neither Prime or Reserve would come to the rescue.  Refueling to full got me another half tank down the road.  Cogitated and struggled for 6 months trying to figure out what was wrong.  Don't remember how I finally concluded that the fuel pump had worn out.  Rebuilt it cheap and easy and problem solved for another 20 years.  Your bike should be getting 42-45 mpg.

[Hartless]

ill check it out. where is the pump, in the carnage right

[Hartless]

ok that was a dumb question. don't know why i asked. but why would a bad pump cause that to happen

[QBS]

A full tank provides enough hydrostatic pressure that forces fuel out of the tank on its' own, through the pump, and eventually to the carbs.  However, when enough fuel has been consumed, the hydrostatic pressure is not great enough to force the fuel through the pump, and you end up walking.

[Hartless]

well the reserve still works. i just have to pump the throttle about 50 times

[Hartless]

ok yea, the fuel pump is out. just happened to me again! this time i was on reserve and that " ran out " with only 83 miles on the clock. looked in the tank and ,, wow a half a tank still there! lol but this time i was about 2 miles away from a gas station on the freeway...uphill. in the rain

[Lucky]

your going to have to pull the petcock & see what's going on in there...

[Hartless]

haha yea you are probably right. oh well its still raining pretty bad here in Oregon so its probably better . an excuse not to ride it

[Tiger]

 :) You can always remove the fuel pump and run on gravity feed...one or two Visionaries run their Visions this way  8)

           8).......TIGER....... 8)

[Rikugun]

You can always remove the fuel pump and run on gravity feed

Really!? Interesting.... With no ill effects? Does the flow get sluggish as the tank approaches empty?