Clean out your Fuel Filters and Tank - and other tips!

[KiwiCol]

G'day mates, just a quick one.. fuel tank is clean etc inside.. 0 rust and crud, EXCEPT for the tank cap, it's covered in a weird milky film (dried) I'm wondering.. is it best to remove and clean it up.. or just get a new keyless after market one?

It cleans up good.  Carefully disassemble the filler cap, clean the components & reassemble.  Pay special atten to the catch, I cleaned that bit good & polished up the mating / sliding surfaces then gave them a quick spray with PTFE Dry Lube.  Works smooth as now.

[Uncle-P]

G'day mates, just a quick one.. fuel tank is clean etc inside.. 0 rust and crud, EXCEPT for the tank cap, it's covered in a weird milky film (dried) I'm wondering.. is it best to remove and clean it up.. or just get a new keyless after market one?

It cleans up good.  Carefully disassemble the filler cap, clean the components & reassemble.  Pay special atten to the catch, I cleaned that bit good & polished up the mating / sliding surfaces then gave them a quick spray with PTFE Dry Lube.  Works smooth as now.

Good shout mate, appreciate it. Yea mine can get a bit sticky with the key.. I was thinking about something different but knowing it cleans up well, I'll just do that and save a few shekels.

[grog]

What Col said.Every so often a spray of Lanox, Inox in and around.Makes it work nicely.Ive never been able to stop the slightest surface rust mark where seal sits,never seems to get any worse🤷🏼Just a thought, if I rub that seal area back to shiny, rubber grease on seal. Good idea or just don't worry about it??

[KiwiCol]

If you were real fussy, you could polish up that opening to real shiny, (with the filler cap off of course) then put some clear lacquer over it with an artist / kids paint brush.  That would keep it nice looking for ages.

[MickyJB]

G'day mates, just a quick one.. fuel tank is clean etc inside.. 0 rust and crud, EXCEPT for the tank cap, it's covered in a weird milky film (dried) I'm wondering.. is it best to remove and clean it up.. or just get a new keyless after market one?

The 1st Zephyr my son rebuilt required the tank to be cleaned, it was filthy internally, I used white Vinegar, filled the tank and let it sit for a day, then tipped it out and pressure cleaned inside the tank as best I could, I then used a mix of bi carb Soda and water to neutralise the vinegar. Then a high pressure air hose to dry inside the tank. Tank came up looking great.

[Uncle-P]

G'day mates, just a quick one.. fuel tank is clean etc inside.. 0 rust and crud, EXCEPT for the tank cap, it's covered in a weird milky film (dried) I'm wondering.. is it best to remove and clean it up.. or just get a new keyless after market one?

The 1st Zephyr my son rebuilt required the tank to be cleaned, it was filthy internally, I used white Vinegar, filled the tank and let it sit for a day, then tipped it out and pressure cleaned inside the tank as best I could, I then used a mix of bi carb Soda and water to neutralise the vinegar. Then a high pressure air hose to dry inside the tank. Tank came up looking great.

The tank is actually really clean inside, it's the filler cap is covered in like a weird milky film and seems to be gumming up the lock mechanism. I haven't taken it apart yet, I'll wait for some bad weather and some days off in a row and get it apart.

[MickyJB]

G'day mates, just a quick one.. fuel tank is clean etc inside.. 0 rust and crud, EXCEPT for the tank cap, it's covered in a weird milky film (dried) I'm wondering.. is it best to remove and clean it up.. or just get a new keyless after market one?

The 1st Zephyr my son rebuilt required the tank to be cleaned, it was filthy internally, I used white Vinegar, filled the tank and let it sit for a day, then tipped it out and pressure cleaned inside the tank as best I could, I then used a mix of bi carb Soda and water to neutralise the vinegar. Then a high pressure air hose to dry inside the tank. Tank came up looking great.

The tank is actually really clean inside, it's the filler cap is covered in like a weird milky film and seems to be gumming up the lock mechanism. I haven't taken it apart yet, I'll wait for some bad weather and some days off in a row and get it apart.

I should read more carefully    ... .. perhaps give it a brush coating with F10  it's compatible fuel additive

[grog]

Uncle P, pull it apart, clean the crap off. Spray with Lanox or Inox. The lock part, Wurth spray grease, will work perfectly 👍

[Uncle-P]

Uncle P, pull it apart, clean the crap off. Spray with Lanox or Inox. The lock part, Wurth spray grease, will work perfectly 👍

Yep, I was just replying to Micky to clarify. I'm just being lazy with it until I've got parts that I ordered in.

[Rynglieder]

Hello boys and girls,

I'm just bracing myself to tackle the replacement of my teabag, so I've spent a bit of time reading through this thread – thanks to all that have contributed.

As I understand it, I don't need to worry about draining the fuel from the tank, it will hold tight at the filler cap once upside down? I suppose I should go for a short ride until the fuel gauge start shouting at me so as to minimise what's in there.

Is it something I should not embark upon until I have the two new O rings to hand?

Pete.

[KiwiCol]

Hi Pete, while I've done this a couple of times and the tank didn't leak, last time it did, there was fuel everywhere, so, I'd get the tank as low as possible before doing this again.   What O rings?   Not the big one that seals up the tank?  I've always reused mine and never a leak. Just clean it up and it's seat, but or red rubber grease on it & she'll be a good 'un.

[Hooli]

I try to only do it under half a tank or so, obviously the lower it is the harder it is spill fuel accidentally.

As per Barmy's idea years ago, a cheap small inline fuel filter in the pipe from the back of the tank to the swirl pot where the teabag sits is a good idea. Put the direction of flow towards the front of the bike. Have a look as you lift the tank to decide where to cut the hose as there's not a lot of room for it to fit. A filter there will catch a lot of crap in the tank before it gets to the teabag.

[grog]

Pete, had mine out several times.Same as Col, had never leaked but did once. I run fuel level down really low. I use large  wheelbarrow to hold tank. Couple of old towells and stand it on its nose at front of barrow, sits at nice angle and full access.

[grog]

Found an old photo, must've used sheets that time.

[Eric GSX1400K3]

I've had mine upside down with a full tank, no leaks but a pita to lift off and invert, so better to do this with low fuel.  A quick and dirty way to empty (if its too hot/cold/wet to ride, or no time) is to either siphon out the top with a dedicated transfer pump into a jerry can, or disconnect the efi line, run this into a jerry, then with main power connector hooked up, you can bridge two pins at the ecu connector and the fuel pump will run, its stated in the manual which pins, I think its 32 and 34 from memory.  Pump flows more than 30l/minute, so it should only take 40-50sec to empty a full tank.  Risk is getting fuel everywhere I suppose. 

Also,  if tackling this for the first time, note the pump outer housing can be a tight fit over the pump itself and the teabag at the bottom.  Needs a bit of a pull and wiggle to get apart.  Don't forget to do the tie wire around the pump and regulator clip, mines more of a belt and braces, but that clip has been known to fail and cause all sorts of issues, #1 being you can't get the pump assembly out of the tank easily.