fuel tank overflow drain plug

[Dusty]

So there i am at the fuel pumps, flipped up the filler cap and there was a swoosh of water in there ...... luckily the bike was on the side stand so only a trickle of water got into the fuel tank....

So on returning from picking up a pint of milk some 4hrs 110 miles later i set about looking for the drain hole.

Found it but was blocked... managed to clean out the first 1cm but its still blocked. Have thought about some compressed air in there but am unsure where it leads to....

Any tips to blow this through or clean it out....

Cheers andb

Dusty

 

[david a hall]

there is a couple of black pipes by the foot rest on the right, Get a good friend to suck each pipe in turn and the blockage will soon be freed. When he gags on the contents reassure him that never happens when you do it.

 

[Dusty]

He thats fookin funny....

I have no friends

 

[Captain Black]

So there i am at the fuel pumps, flipped up the filler cap and there was a swoosh of water in there ...... luckily the bike was on the side stand so only a trickle of water got into the fuel tank....

So on returning from picking up a pint of milk some 4hrs 110 miles later i set about looking for the drain hole.

Found it but was blocked... managed to clean out the first 1cm but its still blocked. Have thought about some compressed air in there but am unsure where it leads to....

Any tips to blow this through or clean it out....

Cheers andb



Dusty

try a bicycle pump down the hole in the tank, this should clear it without blowing any drain tubes off. I wouldn't use high pressure airlines that's for sure. Pop some wd40 down with the straw adapter fitted to help things along.

 

[Neil W]

Be careful if you have a full tank, if you use compressed air and manage to blow the pipe off in the tank it will drain the contents out of the over flow, so only use a foot pump. .
Happened to me in the Alps so I blagged a length of bicycle inner bowden (brake ) cable and used it like a drain rod which worked.
Once home I removed the tank and did it properly.

 

[katanamangler]

I had this same problem and I used a a guitar wire and some plus gas and just wriggled jabbed my way through the blockage until I had plus gas dripping from the overflow pipe on the right hand side onto the garage floor.

 

[Packer]

I had this same problem and I used a a guitar wire and some plus gas and just wriggled jabbed my way through the blockage until I had plus gas dripping from the overflow pipe on the right hand side onto the garage floor.

How sloppy, you should have had a clean drip tray in place before you messed up the garage floor

P.S. Good tip though

 

[katanamangler]

Continuous improvement has led to me fitting small drip trays to each of my garage shoes. This allows me instant response to unexpected leakage events. I have also learned to moon walk in order to empty them into the main waste oil container. I'm on the look out for a white sparkling nitrile glove to complete the procedure, although it not essential and just finishing touch.

 

[Dusty]

Update

After a collation of all the method adised here I finally got the debris out of the drain plug. Wasn't an easy task.

I ended up unplugging the drain pipe just below the tank and attaching a float tube pump into the end. It took about 20 decent pums for what can only be described a "tree" to spurt out the top which was about a 1cm in length... Shocking. I suppose it's better than getting water in the fuel tank though

thanks for all the advice

Dusty

 

[unibar]

Small syringe without the needle!!
I do mine routinely, have a 10mm one in the tool kit as the thing typically fills with water whilst touring..also handy to take out a little fluid from clutch reservoir if needed.