Condensation / water in gas tank

  • bluej58
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Condensation / water in gas tank

13 Sep 2018 04:05
#790804
It was been a humid summer around here this year and both of our bike had started to pop a bit and became a little hard to start so I figured that we may have got some bad gas.
I added some Heet to a couple of fill ups and the problem went away B) www.goldeagle.com/brands/heet/
I usually add it to the last fill up of the year but with all the rain we have been getting and the humidity way up I decided to give it a try and it worked.
So if you are having unexplained popping and hard start ups in the middle of the season you might want to try some Heet before you start tearing your bike apart.

This has been a public service announcement :)

P.S. Change your air filters and grease those swing arms
78 KZ1000 A2A
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  • KZB2 650
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Re: Condensation / water in gas tank

14 Sep 2018 06:24
#790842
Had a trip to the hospital around mid June so my bike sat from the first of June to the end of July battery was a little low and it ran like crap when I finally got around to starting it.........

Played mad scientist around the first of June and got some mid grade BP with alcohol and added some Regane 360, lead substitute and all in one Gumout carb cleaner. Try'd running it 3 times over a week and a half (after sitting 7 weeks) and it wouldn't clean out. Seemed like 1 and or 2 was mainly the problem so I threw in new plugs and it got a little better but still no cigar....... Should have thought about a little heet but I think I needed more than that as when I finally gave up and drained the carbs and tank I got a little bit of cloudy crap outta 2.... 4 and the very last bit outta of tank.

Won't be well enough to get back in the saddle till spring so I went ahead and put it away....... Am hoping a fresh tank of gas, a good spraying out of the carbs and a new set of plugs will fix things..... am a worrier so will worry about it a hundred times before spring rolls around ..... o yah and back to driving 40 miles for 10 gal of pure gas and staying away from all the snake oil except for maybe a shot of sea foam once in a while. Not sure what it was that settled out if it was moisture or one of the three things I put in or a reaction to one of em to the other or just sitting to long ??
1978 KZ650 b-2
700cc Wiseco kit 10 to 1.
1980 KZ750 cam, ape springs, stock clutch/ Barnett springs.
Vance and Hines Header w/ comp baffle and Ape pods, Dyna S and green coils, copper wires.
29MM smooth bores W/ 17.5 pilots, 0-6s and 117.5 main
16/42 gearing X ring chain and alum rear JT sprocket.

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  • loudhvx
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Re: Condensation / water in gas tank

14 Sep 2018 08:45
#790856
I'll probably try some sea foam for the first time. One of the bikes was put away last year without draining the float bowls like I normally do. The first run, there was some hesitation. The second ride seemed normal, so maybe I just had to run through some water. Routine maintenance starts to pile up with multiple bikes.

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  • z1kzonly
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Re: Condensation / water in gas tank

14 Sep 2018 09:08 - 14 Sep 2018 09:14
#790858
Try and buy ethanol free gas for the old time bikes & cars with carburetors, if your area allows it!
And, Marvels Mystery Oil! Every combustible engine I have had since 1975 has had it added.
Livin in "CheektaVegas, NY
Went thru 25 of these in 40 yrs.
I SOLD OUT! THE KAW BARN IS EMPTY.
More room for The Old Girl, Harley 75 FLH Electra Glide,
Old faithful! Points ign. Bendix Orig. carb.
Starts everytime!

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Last edit: 14 Sep 2018 09:14 by z1kzonly.

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  • Scirocco
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Re: Condensation / water in gas tank

14 Sep 2018 12:21 - 14 Sep 2018 12:23
#790867
.......and this belongs into every men cave!!!:whistle:

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Last edit: 14 Sep 2018 12:23 by Scirocco.

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  • KZB2 650
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Re: Condensation / water in gas tank

15 Sep 2018 07:06
#790906
KZB2 650 wrote: Had a trip to the hospital around mid June so my bike sat from the first of June to the end of July battery was a little low and it ran like crap when I finally got around to starting it.........

Played mad scientist around the first of June and got some mid grade BP with alcohol and added some Regane 360, lead substitute and all in one Gumout carb cleaner. Try'd running it 3 times over a week and a half (after sitting 7 weeks) and it wouldn't clean out. Seemed like 1 and or 2 was mainly the problem so I threw in new plugs and it got a little better but still no cigar....... Should have thought about a little heet but I think I needed more than that as when I finally gave up and drained the carbs and tank I got a little bit of cloudy crap outta 2.... 4 and the very last bit outta of tank.

Won't be well enough to get back in the saddle till spring so I went ahead and put it away....... Am hoping a fresh tank of gas, a good spraying out of the carbs and a new set of plugs will fix things..... am a worrier so will worry about it a hundred times before spring rolls around ..... o yah and back to driving 40 miles for 10 gal of pure gas and staying away from all the snake oil except for maybe a shot of sea foam once in a while. Not sure what it was that settled out if it was moisture or one of the three things I put in or a reaction to one of em to the other or just sitting to long ??

Forgot that I did pick up a can of Marvels too so make that 4 additives at once.
1978 KZ650 b-2
700cc Wiseco kit 10 to 1.
1980 KZ750 cam, ape springs, stock clutch/ Barnett springs.
Vance and Hines Header w/ comp baffle and Ape pods, Dyna S and green coils, copper wires.
29MM smooth bores W/ 17.5 pilots, 0-6s and 117.5 main
16/42 gearing X ring chain and alum rear JT sprocket.

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  • hardrockminer
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Re: Condensation / water in gas tank

15 Sep 2018 09:37
#790913
I try to stay away from gas with ethanol in it but if you have a moisture problem in your tank then ethanol is good for removing it because the ethanol molecules bind with the water molecules.
I have several restored bikes along with a 2006 Goldwing with a sidecar. My wife has a 2019 Suzuki DR 650 for on and off road.

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  • bluej58
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Re: Condensation / water in gas tank

15 Sep 2018 18:09 - 15 Sep 2018 18:12
#790947
We don't really have a choice around here, they do sell 89 oct at a couple places but we burn 87
It doesn't bother me to use 10 percent ethanol, the bikes run fine on it and we don't let them sit long.
On a normal weekend we will go through at least 3 tanks and we have had around 60 percent humidity all summer so I figure that we are pulling that into the tanks hence the Heet.
I use Marvels for a few things, as a gas additive to help clean the carb (maybe twice a season) , as a solvent mix with motor oil to clean transmissions and I dump some in with my oil for the last ride before an oil change. I like it!

Never tried that Mystery beer before but I think I should :P
78 KZ1000 A2A
Last edit: 15 Sep 2018 18:12 by bluej58.

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