Rather strange problem on the 11 300 six days

[bukwheat]

I just got home from a week of golf, fine dining and seeing the kids and grandkids in Tucson. When I went down stairs to the "man cave" I smelt gas, when my wife came down she smelt gas...so I go out to the garage in the basement to see what was leaking. I checked all the cans and bikes, everything seemed sealed and no obvious leakage from the bikes, mowers, weed wackers or generators.

Today, after work I went down to the garage and didn't really smell gas but my plan was to pull the GG outside, start it up and check for a voltage that I could hook the Trail Tech GPS up to. I pull the bike out and put it on the side stand. I went back in the garage to get the lift stand. When I came back out I noticed gas dripping. It looked like it was dripping off the petcock. Just had a little bit of gas in the tank and I put it on the lift stand. It quit leaking....
I started it made my checks and killed the motor. I took it off the stand and put it on the side stand and it started leaking again and that is when I saw it!
The tank is cracked, its about a 2.5 inch crack that starts about 2 to 3 inches above the petcock. Called my dealer, Bill at Dirt Bike Supply and he said he'd get one moving this way. He offered to take it off a new bike but I told him I could wait as I have house painting duties this weekend.

Anybody else see anything like this? It seems like I read somewhere that some one had a cracked tank....

 

[Bailey28]

Yeah, my tank mount on top where it bolts to the frame is cracked. It was cracked from day one, I just didn't catch it at the dealership.

Mine does not leak gas however I am not sure how long the tank is going to last before the tank tab snaps off. I posted a month ago about this and thankfully the cracks have not gotten any worse. The problem now is keeping a bolt in there. They tend to fall out if they are not safety wired.

 

['11EC300]

No cracks but my gas cap leaks a lot. The rubber looks deformed.

 

[Jakobi]

No cracks but my gas cap leaks a lot. The rubber looks deformed.

My rubber shrunk to the point that it would fall out under its own weight! New one thrown in there.. Lets see how long this one lasts!

 

[Bailey28]

Come to think of it, yeah, the rubber gasket in my gas cap itself did shrink. It fell out just as a buddy of mine was watching me fill the bike up. I was also running my mouth about how great the GG is, and how I've had really no problems with it.

 

[GMP]

Its a fuel/rubber material compatability issue. I just checked my '07 and the new gasket from last year is as hard as the plasic cap. This never used to happen a few years back. The answwer is to make up a gasket from better material. A BunaN (Nitrle or NBR) rubber sheet, 3" wide x 36" long x .062" thk is $5 from Mcmaster. This material meets the compatability specs and is a cheap test, you can make 13 gaskets for $5. This comes in different Durometers (hardness), and the medium soft would be my choice. If this stuff gets attacked then there is something in the fuel they are not telling us about. Silicone would work too but its pricey, and while more inert its not listed as a fuel compatability material. Funny though as I have silicone o-rings in my Ducati EFI system disconnects and they are like new after three years.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#buna-n-rubber-sheets/=bvwrhm

You do not need the center section, just a ring to seal on the lip of the tank. In fact, enlarge the three vent holes in the plastic center piece, be sure the check ball is free, and bond it into place. I cut the centers out of the OEM gaskets after a tank venting problem cost me a race.

 

[Clay]

This is what I love about off road guys! They don't complain.....they just fix it!
BTW....we will be glad to warranty cracked tanks on new bikes. Sorry this happened!
Clay

 

[bukwheat]

This is what I love about off road guys! They don't complain.....they just fix it!
BTW....we will be glad to warranty cracked tanks on new bikes. Sorry this happened!
Clay

...and thats what I love about having the distributor on the forum with us!
Thanks, Clay!