Gas Smell In 3rd Gen?

Anybody else smell raw gasoline when sitting on or standing near their 3rd Gen after it's been run at all? Or when sitting at a light while it's running?

I've pulled the airbox and carb insulator tray off to take a look at the carbs and there are no visible signs of leakage, including from the bowl overflow tubes (suggesting no stuck float). No gas seen on ground under overflow tube. Bike runs great and gets 47-50 mpg at 70 mph.

Perhaps what I'm smelling is the tank vent gasses exiting the fitting at the bottom of the tank, the one that sits over that little rubber tray that's designed to carry vent and overflow to ground via the larger tube. This is an unusal arrangement, as most manufacturers place individual tubes over those fittings and run those tubes to the bottom of the bike.

Any input on this issue appreciated. Also, if others have experienced this issue and have "cured" it by putting downtubes on the vent and overflow fittings, I'd like to hear that, as well.

Misspent Youth, Jan 8 2007, 02:35 PMPerhaps what I'm smelling is the tank vent gasses exiting the fitting at the bottom of the tank, the one that sits over that little rubber tray that's designed to carry vent and overflow to ground via the larger tube.

Fill 'er up at the end of the ride reduces the smell of gasoline when you park the bike.

V4 Rosso, Jan 8 2007, 06:35 AMFill 'er up at the end of the ride reduces the smell of gasoline when you park the bike.

That's true - it is reduced, but I've experimented/evaluated the smell with the tank full and close to empty and it's still there to varying degrees. It goes away after the bike has sat for 10 minutes or so. I'm 90% sure it's the tank venting so close to my nose, relative to other bikes' venting arrangements. I'll run overflow and vent tubes to the bike's bottom and see if the smell persists, indicating another problem.

I get this all the time. I've pretty well given up on trying to figure it out. While I'm sure it is present all the time, I only notice it when parking in an enclosed area like my garage. The gas smell will hang out for about an hour. I've tried parking it with a full tank and an empty tank. Noticed very little difference. A couple years ago someone suggested to me the hard fuel lines feeding the carbs have o-ring fitting that were degraded causing a small continuous leak. I've never found evidence of this, but all that plumbing is hidden in the V. Due to the heat present there, it would take an awfully large leak to produce noticeable fluid.

Don't have a 3rd gen, but there is a strong natural gas (not the gas itself but the additive) smell blanketing NYC and NJ right now... Kinda scary.

CrazyInNYC, Jan 8 2007, 11:21 AMDon't have a 3rd gen, but there is a strong natural gas (not the gas itself but the additive) smell blanketing NYC and NJ right now... Kinda scary.

I was just coming to look for this thread to ask the OP if they were in NYC.
If I were in NYC I might be making my way out about now, just in case. Something also going on in Austin, dead birds.

Misspent Youth, Jan 8 2007, 01:46 PMThat's true - it is reduced, but I've experimented/evaluated the smell with the tank full and close to empty and it's still there to varying degrees. It goes away after the bike has sat for 10 minutes or so. I'm 90% sure it's the tank venting so close to my nose, relative to other bikes' venting arrangements. I'll run overflow and vent tubes to the bike's bottom and see if the smell persists, indicating another problem.

I had this problem on my '93 - strong gas smell after riding that disapated after sitting awhile. I found that lubricating the gas cap seal stopped the smell. When the seal get dry, it allows gas to vent out when there is a little pressure in the tank (gas being heated by the engine sitting just below it). I used a silicone gasket lube that I had sitting around. I stopped the smell completely for me. YMMV

I get the same smell with my 3rd gen. The smell goes away after an hour, except for that time when my fuel pump started leaking and it smelled throughout the night. I've replaced all hoses, fuel pump and filter since but I still get the smell for about an hour after a ride. It's more noticeable when it's parked in the garage.

If you park it upright it helps,whats happening is the gas in
one carb gets hot after you shut it off,
fuel will expand but not enough to leak
on the floor,but just enough to stink.

I found in the linkage between the carbs has fuel lines with plastic protection on them and they do wear, when you open and close the throttle.

When I replaced mine, I also needed to replace the o-rings on the "T" connectors between the carbs also. Thats a little difficult since the repair kit for the carburator gives you way too much for a simple repair. I just found a metric o-ring kit that is fuel compatable.

The way I found the leak was removing the airbox and heat sink(plate) and droping the carbs back on and starting the bike up. (With the carbs in the boots and purchasing a fuel line extension). Careful for fire danger and dusty conditions(have an exstiguisher near by). It was like turning the light on, I could see exactly where my problem was.

I would use WD-40 to dry any wet areas before hand and it also removes gasoline smells. The hardest part always is just removing the carbs from the old boots with out breaking somthing.
Good luck,

buddie hackett, Jan 8 2007, 10:59 AMI found in the linkage between the carbs has fuel lines with plastic protection on them and they do wear, when you open and close the throttle.

When I replaced mine, I also needed to replace the o-rings on the "T" connectors between the carbs also. Thats a little difficult since the repair kit for the carburator gives you way too much for a simple repair. I just found a metric o-ring kit that is fuel compatable.

The way I found the leak was removing the airbox and heat sink(plate) and droping the carbs back on and starting the bike up. (With the carbs in the boots and purchasing a fuel line extension). Careful for fire danger and dusty conditions(have an exstiguisher near by). It was like turning the light on, I could see exactly where my problem was.

I would use WD-40 to dry any wet areas before hand and it also removes gasoline smells. The hardest part always is just removing the carbs from the old boots with out breaking somthing.
Good luck,

Good fix! I did run mine with the airbox and plate off using the gas in the carbs, but didn't see any leakage during a 1-2 minute idling. I'll take another look.

A year ago I did replace the fuel line running from the petcock to the fuelfilter as it had deteriorated quite badly. Fuel was seeping through little cracks in the fuel line causing the plastig tube, protecting the fuel line from wear, to partly dissolve.
[image: kousbrandstofslanglostocy9.th.jpg]

Fuel was leaking on the headers of the rear cilinders as the following picture shows:
[image: lekkageopspruitstukpk7.th.jpg]

Maybe yours need replacing too.

V4 Rosso, Jan 8 2007, 04:22 PMA year ago I did replace the fuel line running from the petcock to the fuelfilter as it had deteriorated quite badly. Fuel was seeping through little cracks in the fuel line causing the plastig tube, protecting the fuel line from wear, to partly dissolve.
[image: kousbrandstofslanglostocy9.th.jpg]

Fuel was leaking on the headers of the rear cilinders as the following picture shows:
[image: lekkageopspruitstukpk7.th.jpg]

Maybe yours need replacing too.

That area I have not looked at yet (and bike is en route to home so can't for several days), but that leak is a definite possibility. I understand from the PO that the fuel filter was new and so surmised the line had been inspected at that time, but it's certainly possible a leak was missed. I noticed the fuel line was subject to cracking at the petcock when I pulled the tank for the other checks (I cut it back a bit and reinstalled). Thx.

Misspent Youth, Jan 9 2007, 03:14 PMI noticed the fuel line was subject to cracking at the petcock when I pulled the tank for the other checks (I cut it back a bit and reinstalled). Thx.

Thats exactly where the fuel line had cracked, at the ouput of the petcock. From the outside I noticed few hairline cracks, when I pulled the fuel line of the petcock it just broke.
[image: haarscheurtjesbinnenzijdd4.th.jpg]

jeremy556, Jan 8 2007, 11:34 AMI was just coming to look for this thread to ask the OP if they were in NYC.
If I were in NYC I might be making my way out about now, just in case. Something also going on in Austin, dead birds.

I think Jeremy just made a funny. Someone must have hacked into his account. I suspect aliens...or Richard Dreyfuss.

I just cranked mine up the other day and had a nice puddle of gas under the bike. Haven't gotten the gumption up to figure out what it is.