Belly Tank w/ Two Brothers 6-6 exhaust

[Savage]

Will the standard size R&M Belly Tank work with a Two Brothers 6 into 6 exhaust, or do I need to trade somebody for R&M’s narrow-nosed lower capacity version?

Would appreciate any knowledgeable replies on this subject.

Thanks!

[DarkSideR]

R&M works made two versions of the belly tank. A 3 gallon option, and a 2.5 gallon option to be used with Cobra/Two Bros. exhaust.

I'll be the first in jumping on buying the belly tank if you decide to not go with it.

[Foozle]

I thought he quit making them a couple years back ?

He did.  Like many Valkyrie items, they're only available now (rarely) on the used market.  It sounds like Savage has already acquired one and is contemplating the fit.

Terry

[MarkT]

R&M works made two versions of the belly tank. A 3 gallon option, and a 2.5 gallon option to be used with Cobra/Two Bros. exhaust.

I'll be the first in jumping on buying the belly tank if you decide to not go with it.

I wonder what R&M actually delivered.  It's supposed to be a 3 gallon std belly tank.  But measuring the fuel actually delivered, it's 300 oz, 84oz less than 3gal.  That's 2 gal 1-3/8 Qts. or 2.34gal. - 22miles short of what I paid for at my avg of 34mpg. Total fuel is 9.24gal including the Interstate tank. I NEED lotsa fuel when pulling my Timeout camper; mileage is tanked. I think I got screwed by R&M; guessing they had only a Cobra-compatible tank so "forgot" to tell me what they substituted.  Josh, what's the width measurement of the front of your tank?

But on the other hand - maybe not.  Here's the left side of the tank next to OEM exhaust (actually with my M2W mod - but the headers are the same.)  Some space on this side, over to the headers.  That might be enough space for 2+ more qts.



and the right side.  Less space here - note the heat shield I added to protect the fuel pump.



Maybe their claimed capacity of 3 gallons is exaggerated - A LOT - BY TWO & 5/8 QUARTS.  I don't care if the tank actually HOLDS 3 gallons - it's what it delivers that counts, and what I measured.

[Savage]

Mark,
Let me measure the actual capacity of my belly tank and we can compare some width measurements at the nose?
Perhaps if mine is the larger version and yours the smaller one, we can trade?

[MarkT]

I'm guessing yours isn't installed.  What condition is it?  Corrosion?  History - is it used, installed elsewhere, from a breaker?  Do you know it's OK, doesn't leak?  Let's get the measurements comparison next.

[Savage]

Sent you a PM, MarkT.

[MarkT]

Got the BT measurements and PM'd them to Savage.  Meanwhile I got a precision measurement beaker and defined a procedure that I think provides a measurement accurate to +- 2oz. With that I measured 10.8L or 365.2 oz delivered, that is 2.853gal or about 19oz short of 3 gal.  Much better.  I haven't measured the fuel delivered by a full I/S tank with a pingel petcock so assuming for now it's the claimed 6.9gal then I have 9.75 gal onboard or 332 miles range to the fumes at the avg 34mpg.

[Rams]

Had a belly tank on my 02 Valkyrie Standard with stock exhaust.
Repeatedly had an issue with the pump heating up and vaporizing the fuel in it resulting in Vapor Lock.

I even complained to R&M who warrantied a new fuel pump to me.   It still occurred with the new pump.

Heat from the exhaust was causing this.   I ended up using header wrap on the pipes and the problem was solved.   The chrome exhaust covers covered up the exhaust wrap.   I loved that belly tank but traded it to a friend who needed it more.

Just thought I'd mention the one challenge I had with my belly tank.   Seriously considering building my own version for my Valkyrie trike.   More room back there now.

Rams

[MarkT]

Had a belly tank on my 02 Valkyrie Standard with stock exhaust.
Repeatedly had an issue with the pump heating up and vaporizing the fuel in it resulting in Vapor Lock.

I even complained to R&M who warrantied a new fuel pump to me.   It still occurred with the new pump.

Heat from the exhaust was causing this.   I ended up using header wrap on the pipes and the problem was solved.   The chrome exhaust covers covered up the exhaust wrap.   I loved that belly tank but traded it to a friend who needed it more.

Just thought I'd mention the one challenge I had with my belly tank.   Seriously considering building my own version for my Valkyrie trike.   More room back there now.

Rams

Fuel pump failure is common on the R&M belly tank.  I know several friends who have all had problems with it.  Consensus is it's caused by heat from the exhaust.  In cars, for years now the mechanical pump driven by a camshaft lobe has been replaced with an electric pump inside the fuel tank - cooled by immersion.  The R&M pump sits out in the air very close to the headers.  As you see in my pic above, after we figured heat is the problem, I fabbed a heat shield next to the headers - and have copied it for a few friends. In my case, I modified the install so it retains the OEM gravity feed from the main tank - and the BT is used as a large reserve to replenish the main.  So the pump runs for only 9 1/2 minutes controlled by a timer, not continuously.  And a failure results only in the loss of the BT, not stopping the bike.  See http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,84264.msg829542.html#msg829542

It's also a known issue of sand getting in the pump - admitted by Roger at R&M, propping the pathway open allowing head pressure to push gas through the system thereby preventing the rumored protection against hydrolock.  IOW you still need a Dan-Marc solenoid if you think you can't hydrolock because you have a belly tank.  Meanwhile I had found and bought several identical fuel pumps at a great price, on ebay - and brought a couple with me in my kit on road trips to Inzanes.  I have taken to pulling my Tagalong so I can bring tools including a lift and power tools, and spares of known failure parts, for rescues of such failures for myself and others.

[Rams]

Had a belly tank on my 02 Valkyrie Standard with stock exhaust.
Repeatedly had an issue with the pump heating up and vaporizing the fuel in it resulting in Vapor Lock.

I even complained to R&M who warrantied a new fuel pump to me.   It still occurred with the new pump.

Heat from the exhaust was causing this.   I ended up using header wrap on the pipes and the problem was solved.   The chrome exhaust covers covered up the exhaust wrap.   I loved that belly tank but traded it to a friend who needed it more.

Just thought I'd mention the one challenge I had with my belly tank.   Seriously considering building my own version for my Valkyrie trike.   More room back there now.

Rams

Fuel pump failure is common on the R&M belly tank.  I know several friends who have all had problems with it.  Consensus is it's caused by heat from the exhaust.  In cars, for years now the mechanical pump driven by a camshaft lobe has been replaced with an electric pump inside the fuel tank - cooled by immersion.  The R&M pump sits out in the air very close to the headers.  As you see in my pic above, after we figured heat is the problem, I fabbed a heat shield next to the headers - and have copied it for a few friends. In my case, I modified the install so it retains the OEM gravity feed from the main tank - and the BT is used as a large reserve to replenish the main.  So the pump runs for only 9 1/2 minutes controlled by a timer, not continuously.  And a failure results only in the loss of the BT, not stopping the bike.  See http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,84264.msg829542.html#msg829542

It's also a known issue of sand getting in the pump - admitted by Roger at R&M, propping the pathway open allowing head pressure to push gas through the system thereby preventing the rumored protection against hydrolock.  IOW you still need a Dan-Marc solenoid if you think you can't hydrolock because you have a belly tank.  Meanwhile I had found and bought several identical fuel pumps at a great price, on ebay - and brought a couple with me in my kit on road trips to Inzanes.  I have taken to pulling my Tagalong so I can bring tools including a lift and power tools, and spares of known failure parts, for rescues of such failures for myself and others.

I have no doubt your fix worked.   I thought about putting a heat shield on to deflect the exhaust heat but, had header wrap from a previous hot rod project left over and thought why not try.   Never had another issue after installing that header wrap.

Rams