Re-fueling takes a long time

[soraoka]

I have a 1990 Yamaha Venture Royale. It runs fine, but whenever I fill it up, the tank looks like it's full after about 2 gallons, then the level of fuel slowly goes down. I end up having to spoon feed it another gallon. I don't see any fuel leaking anywhere. Is this normal?

[Peder_y2k]

No. The fuel tank has an air vent in the form of a rubber hose leading to a check valve called a roll-over valve that minimizes fuel spill if the bike is way over on its side. This valve is not present on MK1 bikes. The valve has a very small passage through it for air to pass, and is the cause of the slow filling. On my '88, I bypassed the valve entirely. The valve can become contaminated/dirty internaly and cause sticking of the check ball, resulting in the slow escape of air that needs to get out to make space for the incomming fuel.

Hope this is clear....

-Pete, in Tacoma WA USA

'83,88

Edited May 16, 2013 by Peder_y2k
spelling.....bad computer

[Condor]

That vent that Pete is talking about is actually a breather with a check valve for keeping the fuel in the tank when layed on it side. It shouldn't interfer with filling the tank. If you're talking about filling the tank up to the neck and then it receeds after a bit, that's fairly normal as it 'burps' down. The top of your tank is fairly narrow at the top due to design. When tanking up my 1stGens, I just stuff the nozzle into the neck and when it clicks off I'm through. Trying to stuff an extra pint in the tank will take more time than it's worth...

[GolfVenture]

I have a 1990 Yamaha Venture Royale. It runs fine, but whenever I fill it up, the tank looks like it's full after about 2 gallons, then the level of fuel slowly goes down. I end up having to spoon feed it another gallon. I don't see any fuel leaking anywhere. Is this normal?

 

Do you really spoon an Extra Gallon or is it a bit over a pint. The neck will take about a pint really slow but not an entire gallon.

[soraoka]

I guess I tend to exaggerate. Yes, that's exactly what happens, I fill it to the neck and the gas recedes. I was in a hurry this morning, and saw it took 3.5 gallons. I didn't try to top it off this time. Assuming I still had 1 gallon left in the tank and it holds about 5 gallons. I assume I would have been able to top it off another half a gallon. So, I guess this is normal. Thanks for the info.

[Snaggletooth]

You kind of have to figure several things into play. The tank is 5.3 gallons. What is your average MPG and how far have you traveled since the last fill up?

 

Hard fast numbers for ya? Not carved in stone no matter how you look at it.

 

If you're stopping for fuel by the gauge it even gets more cloudy. Too many variables from the accuracy of the gauge.

 

I usually stop around the time the red fuel warning light stops flashing and goes steady. That is roughly between 136 and 160 depending on how I've been riding. That's at the end of the last bar. Most the time between 3.5 and 4 gallons at that point.

 

I have run up to 236 miles on the odo and stopped when my nerves ran out. It took exactly 5 gallons that time. Still had .3 gallons by the book, but how much of that would have drawn from the tank.

 

So I'm pretty much one of the guys that sticks it in and lets it shut off. Maybe give it a squirt or two but I'm not going to fuss over it.

 

Once you get used to the fuel rate being used you'll feel better about how much you jsut put in and how far you can go with it.

 

Mike