i was just wondering... due to the ethanol issues... is it better to store the bike for the winter with a fully topped up tank (like how they suggest with steel tanks to prevent rust) or better to store it with as little gas as possible so there will be less ethanol in there?
i already use sta-bil, but i was wondering which is the better choice....
My 2 cents...
Since the volume of air left in the tank dictates the amount of moisture that can be available to do the swelling I'd fill it and treat it.
Most of the damage occurs from water absorption if I'm not mistaken.
thanks for the reply, but i thought the water was from the imperfect ethanol refining process... which allows water to be within the ethanol itself and is then absorbed by the tank as it separates...
i could see how filling it with gas would alleviate moisture issues if water was being absorbed from the ambient air, but does that still apply when the moisture is already present in the gas? or does more gas present = more ethanol = more moisture = more chance of tank swelling?
Quote from: thought on February 09, 2011, 12:17:15 PM
thanks for the reply, but i thought the water was from the imperfect ethanol refining process... which allows water to be within the ethanol itself and is then absorbed by the tank as it separates...
i could see how filling it with gas would alleviate moisture issues if water was being absorbed from the ambient air, but does that still apply when the moisture is already present in the gas? or does more gas present = more ethanol = more moisture = more chance of tank swelling?
Shows you where 'thought' will get you... :P
The moisture is not in/from the ethanol. There are some pretty good descriptions of what occurs in the plastic tank thread in the general forum
If there is already water in the fuel from a dirty storage tank, condensation from temp variations, or intrusion through the filler that is a different issue.
If you decide to drain your tank keep in mind that just running it out of fuel will not empty it completely. The tank will need to be removed from the bike, the fuel pump removed and any left over fuel sopped up.
If you're worried about water already in the tank I'd add an ounce or two of dry gas, run the tank close to empty, and then fill with fresh fuel and treat it.
The best solution would be to coat your tank.
haha, thanks for the reply again... yeah, after posting that last comment, i read up on the phazer thread...
guess i'll be filling up the tank from now on. haha
Personally, I'd remove it from the bike, drain it, wipe it clean, and air it out.
Quote from: chris on February 10, 2011, 12:44:01 AM
Personally, I'd remove it from the bike, drain it, wipe it clean, and air it out.
+1 - This is best practice if your tank hasn't been coated. I'd pull the tank & drain it, remove the fuel pump, and air it out. A cheap hair dryer on low/no heat, dessicant packs, in a heated garage. After a couple of weeks I'd then clean it and coat it with Caswell's so I didn't have to deal with it anymore, because the tank will swell if not coated regardless of the amount of fuel kept in it. Not if but when. My first tank apparently was stored with little fuel in it for most of its life before I got it. The lowest point inside the tank- the fuel pump mating area - swelled & warped and caused a fuel leak as a result. My current tank was stored full mostly. It's expanding at the frame and ignition areas. So you really can't win unless you coat it, as draining it after every ride is unrealistic.
I tried to get the fuel out with matches. It actually didn't work. So we'll try more harder next time. And have the camera filming it... [evil] [bacon] [laugh]