Fuel smell

[204]

  Hi new member form oz-land. I have just got myself a 2002 valk standard for christmas but have a couple of Questions as i'm just getting back into bikes after 20 years. the valk has only done 14600 miles would you change the timing belts out?. Was thinking of doing it for peace of mind. Also there is a smell of fuel can't see any leaks but haven't had a chance to realy go over it.
I filled the tank up 3 days ago, the last owner had not done to many miles on it and the tank has a bit of surface rust in the tank. Also has anyone done the mod on the standard pipes as i'm a bit strapped for cash now  they are very very quite. Any feedback would be great thanks 

[Michvalk]

Welcome! Just a few thoughts. The search function is your friend. You can find the solution is here somewhere. Your gas smell is likely coming from the gas cap. The seals aren't good on the cap, and there was a recall on the cap years ago for fumes leaking through the keyhole. Your tank can be cleaned, and sealed.
The belts are a matter of discussion here. Probably don't need changing for the miles, but, they are old, not real expensive, and you don't want them to break while the motor is running with these zero clearance engines. There are a few mods to the pipes that many have done. Look up Ragnar cut or pipe mods and you can learn about the mod's that have been done. Good luck with the search and have fun with your new ride

[Garfield]

You can also look up stuff on Shoptalk. That is located right below your profile on top of this page. Theres some good stuff in there, and welcome to the club.

[AussieValk]

G'day 204, where in Oz are you located?

Has the bike been sitting for a while or has the previous owner just been doing latte runs?

I found that some of the rubber lines (vac) go soft or split, and the fuel line does the same. How well does it run? There are a couple of differences with our Valks to the US ones, carb jet sizes are smaller and the piggies (pipes out the back of the exhaust canister) are smaller. I cut them off mine and drilled them out to their normal size. Added truck stacks and the sound is just fine.

Enjoy your ride. 

[Jeff K]

Welcome! Just a few thoughts. The search function is your friend. You can find the solution is here somewhere. Your gas smell is likely coming from the gas cap. The seals aren't good on the cap, and there was a recall on the cap years ago for fumes leaking through the keyhole. Your tank can be cleaned, and sealed.
The belts are a matter of discussion here. Probably don't need changing for the miles, but, they are old, not real expensive, and you don't want them to break while the motor is running with these zero clearance engines. There are a few mods to the pipes that many have done. Look up Ragnar cut or pipe mods and you can learn about the mod's that have been done. Good luck with the search and have fun with your new ride

Has it ever been proven to be coming from the key hole?
I had a gas smell issue and shimmed the cap gasket and everything was fine.

[Pete]

+1 on check the gas cap. Put tape over the key hole to test. Also soak the gas cap gaskets with silicone, to recondition them.

Check around the cylinder head to manifold connections for the gas smell and replace the orings if you detect a smell or see a brownish deposit/leak.

Have fun.

[Spirited-6]

204, Welcome to the VRCC. What a great Christmas present you received.  You will get a lot of help here by just asking. 
Ride safe.
Don in Ky.

[BOZ]

Fuel smells on the Valkyrie can occur for a few different reasons... some of them relatively harmless and some of them not so harmless.

If your petcock is allowing gas to leak past it - AND you have just one of the carburators with a sticking float valve that allows gas to leak into one cylinder... you could be in for a horrendous problem if vapor lock occurs when you try to start the bike with a cylinder full of fuel. If the starter gear breaks due to vapor lock, you're looking at a huge (and expensive) job to remove the engine and split the cases to repair the problem. (Not trying to scare you, just a warning of what "could" happen if two things go wrong at the same time... and it has happened to some on this board.)

At a minimum... shut off the petcock everytime you shut off the ignition. That does not guarantee that the petcock will not leak, but it is better than doing nothing. There are also other, more secure, solutions to this potential problem.

I'd suggest you do a search on this tech board for "vapor lock" or "petcock problems" or "pingel valve" etc.

Good luck. 

[Jeff K]

Fuel smells on the Valkyrie can occur for a few different reasons... some of them relatively harmless and some of them not so harmless.

If your petcock is allowing gas to leak past it - AND you have just one of the carburators with a sticking float valve that allows gas to leak into one cylinder... you could be in for a horrendous problem if vapor lock occurs when you try to start the bike with a cylinder full of fuel. If the starter gear breaks due to vapor lock, you're looking at a huge (and expensive) job to remove the engine and split the cases to repair the problem. (Not trying to scare you, just a warning of what "could" happen if two things go wrong at the same time... and it has happened to some on this board.)

At a minimum... shut off the petcock everytime you shut off the ignition. That does not guarantee that the petcock will not leak, but it is better than doing nothing. There are also other, more secure, solutions to this potential problem.

I'd suggest you do a search on this tech board for "vapor lock" or "petcock problems" or "pingel valve" etc.

Good luck. 

Hydrolock not vapor lock.

[Ricky-D]

Before doing anything it would be wise to insure that the bike is running properly and all the electrical components are working correctly.

it's pretty easy to get in a big mess, and difficulties connected with multiple changes that result in problems, can be insurmountable.

***

[Hoser]

Where at in Kansas, we have some good wrenches here, maybe we can help.  Here are some Kansas pictures. Hoser
http://s617.photobucket.com/albums/tt259/jrlord/kansas/?albumview=slideshow

[gordonv]

Where at in Kansas, we have some good wrenches here, maybe we can help.  Here are some Kansas pictures. Hoser
http://s617.photobucket.com/albums/tt259/jrlord/kansas/?albumview=slideshow

Oz as in Austrialia, not Oz as in Dorothy in Kansas.

[Hoser]

You mean that durn tornado blew Dorothy clear down under?      

[204]

First i like to thank all you guys for your input. I will check out the things you all said and probably piss the petcock off in favour of a pingle. (Aussie ) i live in Forster nsw. She goes great nothing like having something throbbing between your legs LOL Where did you get your stacks from Aussievalk. I'm one happy chappy.  Again folks thanks for the advice.

[AussieValk]

Stacks were purchased from local truck spares shop. 900mm x 100mm dia. I don't know whether the ones from the US might be a slightly larger diameter (4") but mine would not go on like others have mentioned in these threads. I think there's a difference with the inside vs outside dia measurement. Had to split the stack along the exhaust canister, but once fitted you can't tell.

[valkyriemc]

Welcome, the valk is a good bike. The few issues that exist can be handled. I've had my 2000 I/S since 2002 and its been great. As to the possible rust in the tank, you way want to to pull it and flush it and clean the screen located on top of the petcock, inside the tank. The carbs can be easily drained too.

http://www.valkyrieriders.com/shoptalk/Known%20Valkyrie%20Problems.htm


Also be aware that there is a wealth of knowledge in the "old tech archives"; search is your friend...

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/forum/tech_archive.cgi

[BradValk48237]

I had the fuel smell and seemed to go away when I found out that the clamps on the cylinder intakes from the airbox were all loose...I made quite a difference. There are 12 clamps on a side... Cheap check and after discussion on here, alot of people found them to be loose.

Brad

[Ricky-D]

That's a good point!

Remember that the clamps are special in that they are piloted with location knobs molded in the rubber and so can only go on in one way in the exact location.

Equally so are the rubber pieces (hoses) themselves. Piloted that is with locating knobs.
 
To not realize this can lead to problems such as leakage and damage.

***

[Mikey]

I cut the rear baffles out of mine. It sounds great now! No more sewing maching whir! And I've also been told by HARLEY riders that riding behind it, on the gas, it's TOO LOUD... Job done. But start with cutting the pig tails and drilling the tubes out. If that's not enough, cut the rear cap off by cutting around the outside diameter, then cut around the smaller tubes. I used a vise-grip and a hammer to tap them out. About 30 minutes of work.

[John U.]

The rust in your tank can be one of the causes of hydrolock. Rust can get past the petcock screen and cause the float valves to leak. The tank should be cleaned asap. If it's real bad you may want to consider sealing the tank. I've done it to an I/S that sat for a while with the tank partially filled.
The job is a bit of a project but nothing a dedicated "do-it-youself"er can't handle. Tank cleaning and prep is critical. So is wrapping the tank to protect paint. Check out Caswell Plating and follow instructions to the letter: http://www.caswellplating.com/aids/epoxygas.htm
No affiliation, but their product and instructions worked for me. That was 3 years ago, no problems since, though I did install a fuel filter to be sure.
Enjoy your "new" bike, that's a heck of a Christmas present. Santa must like you. 

[204]

Hey John U i'm onto it will be resealing the tank to be on safe side and going to change out all the hoses and oils and belts. Santa has never been so kind
Cheers to you all

[John U.]

Good luck 204, BTW pay particular attention to gunk and loose rust removal; drywall screws work well. It's a ggod idea to count them so you wiil know if one is lodged somewhere. Temperature of the material and the tank is important; I did the job on my dining room table. Cover all surfaces in the vicinity of the work area with plastic.

A cork works well to plug up the opening the petcock screws into, plastic wrap and rubber bands work for the filler opening. On an I/S you need to make a plate and gasket to cover the fuel gauge sending unit opening.

You will need to find some big pipe cleaners (they have them at craft shops), or think of another method to keep the vent tube from getting clogged up with epoxy. The pipe cleaner needs to be removed before it sets up. I used a few of them to be sure it was clear. Be sure that the sealing surface of the filler opening is wiped down while the epoxy will move, once it gets tacky it's too late. Make sure the threads that the petcock screws onto are clean of epoxy.
If I remember correctly, I also removed the blocking plate before the epoxy set so that I didn't glue the plate to the tank.

So there it is, all this might sound like a lot to do in a limited amount of time but if you have everthing you need at hand and think the job through there is no need to rush things. 

Unless of course you forget to put the cork in place and drizzle epoxy all over your feet and have to do the job barefoot so you don't have your shoes and socks permanently bonded to your feet. I wish I was kidding    but in spite of that boneheaded move I still had time to get it done and everything else went smooth.

Luckily the kit contains more than enough to do a tank, you'll need something to pour out the excess into after you're sure the entire interior is coated.
Let us know how it goes.

[Jay]

You mean that durn tornado blew Dorothy clear down under?      

...and Dorothy has been rather fond of tornadoes since then!