My Attempt at the Fixing the Horrid Fuel Smell

[PMK]

90 degrees today. About a four hour ride. Stinks like gas.

I'm about out of options.

You are truly an open minded guy. I have a suggestion, but it is not one of those easy to remove kind of mods that everyone seems to insist upon. I know you are budget minded, but have a look and go from there.

If a single or pair of these were mounted to the underpan, with movement it would bring air into the underside of the bodywork. I realize a lot has to do with the machine absorbing heat in traffic, so maybe this would help bring temps down more quickly.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo.../nacainlet.php

If you do try this, realize the dimensions of the flat panel opening are important for the scoop to operate efficiently.

Just an idea.

PK

[AZCowboy]

It is because your two (2 inch) manifold pipes are a half inch from the front of the gas tank with only limited shielding which doesn't protect the gas tank FROM the heat. In turn it makes your gas boil in the tank sending a lot of gas fumes into the canister overloading it and now you have a lot of gas fumes in a hot confined area coming out of your canister. One of my friends had the same problem you have on a RS and I told him what I did on my RT. He used a sensor to read the temperature at the gas tank and it was 181 degrees. After he wrapped his pipes it was 115 degrees at the gas tank. Problem gone. During our nice summer days it goes from 100 (low) to 120+. RJ

[Craniac]

PMK: I was thinking of something that would stick out into the airflow a little more than a NACA duct.

AZCowboy: I have wrapped the pipes. I also installed more heat shielding on the tank. I added a small air scoop under the belly to force more air ocer the Cat Converter.

Still stinks.

[PMK]

PMK: I was thinking of something that would stick out into the airflow a little more than a NACA duct.

AZCowboy: I have wrapped the pipes. I also installed more heat shielding on the tank. I added a small air scoop under the belly to force more air ocer the Cat Converter.

Still stinks.

Your setup is aft, I was considering a location more forward to bring in cooler air for around engine and pipe

I agree too with the pipes being so close, the radiant heat is absorbed by the fuel tank. Even wrapped, the pipes generate a lot of heat.

FWIW, my schooling on wrapped pipes was never one to reduce underhood temps, that was a second function that the wrap does just ok with.

The primary function was to keep the exhaust gases inside the tubes hotter, this heat keeps the exhaust flow from cooling, which slows it down and creates back pressure.

If the Arizona Cowboys numbers are true, and I do not doubt them, 186 is a lot of heat to remove, pretty much as he mentioned, it will need a heat shield to protect the fuel tank and fuel.

PK

[Craniac]

I was looking for a way to bring more cool air to the exhaust pipe/tank area. Then I noticed the large air vents at the front of the piece that covers the oil tank. I figured I could use this cooler air.
I realized the black plastic piece behind the oil tank was designed to force the cooler air out of the side vent and NOT allow it to enter the tank area.

So...I spaced the bottom of the piece out about an inch, the top came with it. Now some of the cooler air will flow over the exhaust pipe. The oil tank should still get all the cooler air it needs.

rideoil cooler 004.jpg You can see the Mickey Mouse/Temporary spaced at the bottom of the upper right black plastic shield. This normally has an expanding plastic keeper in it.

rideoil cooler 005.jpg Oil tank bottom center. The plastic shield normally clips to the seam in the tank. It is about an inch farther out now. Ypu can see my wrapped exhaust pipe behind the new opening.

I have not tested the mod yet.

[SNOOPY]

[DrewNJ]

I was looking for a way to bring more cool air to the exhaust pipe/tank area. Then I noticed the large air vents at the front of the piece that covers the oil tank. I figured I could use this cooler air.
I realized the black plastic piece behind the oil tank was designed to force the cooler air out of the side vent and NOT allow it to enter the tank area.

So...I spaced the bottom of the piece out about an inch, the top came with it. Now some of the cooler air will flow over the exhaust pipe. The oil tank should still get all the cooler air it needs.

rideoil cooler 004.jpg You can see the Mickey Mouse/Temporary spaced at the bottom of the upper right black plastic shield. This normally has an expanding plastic keeper in it.

rideoil cooler 005.jpg Oil tank bottom center. The plastic shield normally clips to the seam in the tank. It is about an inch farther out now. Ypu can see my wrapped exhaust pipe behind the new opening.

I have not tested the mod yet.

Have you tried yanking that plastic piece behind the oil tank out completely? That piece is not on my 12' RS and I have no issues with heat....don't know if its a solution...just thinking out loud...

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[Craniac]

Removing it leaves a gap between the side panel and oil tank cover.


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[DrewNJ]

Mine has a gap to, by design. About an inch or so?

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[Craniac]

Yes. Looks like it might make the leg hot.


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[nhoj]

Have you tried yanking that plastic piece behind the oil tank out completely? That piece is not on my 12' RS and I have no issues with heat....don't know if its a solution...just thinking out loud...

Removing it leaves a gap between the side panel and oil tank cover.

Mine has a gap to, by design. About an inch or so?

On the ST-S I removed that "deflector panel" on the left side and cut out the section on the right side to leave that gap. There is some heat 'wafting' out of the left side but the side panels remain luke-cold. No heat emerging on the right side.

It seems comparable to the pre-13 RS's.

[Craniac]

Went ahead and removed the panel. Took the bike for a 30 miles test ride. Some heat comes out near my leg. No heat comes out from the grill. I remember heat coming from the grill in the oil tank cover.
I'm guessing that more air is now flowing past the gas tank and exhaust pipes. It was only 75 today so there is no way to tell if the "mod" helped.

Looked at the right side and I don't think it would make as big a difference.

[nhoj]

I'm guessing that more air is now flowing past the gas tank and exhaust pipes. It was only 75 today so there is no way to tell if the "mod" helped.

Looked at the right side and I don't think it would make as big a difference.

Yes now there is a unrestricted air flow past the pipe and the gas tank.
I agree the right side makes no difference. I did it for cosmetic reasons only.

John

[Magdave]

You do realize the oil cooler is running at 210+deg temp so you are just letting more heat in?

[Craniac]

Went for a 160 mile ride today. Returned with an empty tank. Had 20 miles before I started.
iris align 043.jpg
About 90 degrees today. Figured the little gas I had left would boil and pollute the garage.

To my surprise, NO gas smell!

I think removing the plastic oil tank shield helped a LOT. Perhaps more than anything else. And it can be put back in a couple minutes.

More air passing the oil tank and more on the exhaust and fuel tank. Hot air does come out the open space made by removing the shield. While the air is passing a 220 degree oil tank, it is not 100 percent efficient in transferring the heat to the air. The air does not heat to 220 when it passes the hot oil tank. And the air is still cooler then the exhaust.

For now, I am happy.

[nhoj]

Went for a 160 mile ride today. Returned with an empty tank. Had 20 miles before I started.
iris align 043.jpg
About 90 degrees today. Figured the little gas I had left would boil and pollute the garage.

To my surprise, NO gas smell!

I think removing the plastic oil tank shield helped a LOT. Perhaps more than anything else. And it can be put back in a couple minutes.

More air passing the oil tank and more on the exhaust and fuel tank. Hot air does come out the open space made by removing the shield. While the air is passing a 220 degree oil tank, it is not 100 percent efficient in transferring the heat to the air. The air does not heat to 220 when it passes the hot oil tank. And the air is still cooler then the exhaust.

For now, I am happy.

The air always passed that tank but with the deflector in place most of the air if not all of it was deflected into the engine compartment. Now it has a chance to escape just like the pre-13 RS's.

Glad it helped for you. I feel removing the deflector and the ECM update had the greatest effect.

[Craniac]

Hour fifteen minute ride today at 100 degrees. I can smell a hint of gas. Not worried about the house blowing up.

The inside panel near the oil tank seems to have the greatest effect.

Edit: Went out to the garage an hour later and there is a noticeable smell of gas. Still no where near what I had when I started. but disappointing.

[Craniac]

Tried taki9ng off the bottom panels for more air flow. I actually think it made things worse. The cooler air can escape in front of the engine. With the panels in place the air has to go further back to escape.

So... I decided to add an intake scoop under the bike. Found a Shop Vac attachment for sucking up water that I thought I could repurpose.
vent 004.jpg
Played around with location until I found a place the new "intake" would fit without hitting anything. Cut an oval shaped hole in the bottom panel. Pop riveted the "intake" to the panel and then back on the bike.

I then found an old VW bug heater box hose that I have had laying around since the 80's (still in the wrapper) and connected it to the "intake". Tghen back to near the gas tank.
vent 005.jpg
Silver hose above the wrapped header pipe.

Put another "intake" on the right side quite a bit farther back and did not add a hose.

Took it for a ride today and no gas smell. Of course it was only 75 degrees so it proves nothing.

Cooler today because we got about four and half inches of rain last night. So our total for rain this year is now about four and half inches.

[Craniac]

I decided to replace the plastic piece near the oil reservoir with an aluminim block off panel. My idea was to force the air that would go out the huge opening in the left panel past the fuel tank.
air guide 002.jpg
air guide 004.jpg
The yellow piece was part of my pattern.

Results of all the mods to date: 100 mile ride at 100 degrees resulted in a faint gas odor.
40 mile ride starting at 95 degrees but ending at 90 resulted in NO gas odor.

[Bob Denman]

It sounds as if you're getting a handle on this problem...
I almost HATE to ask this...
When you've finally reached the final version of your modifications; would it be possible for you to give us a final detail of what they were?
Thanks!