My Attempt at the Fixing the Horrid Fuel Smell

[nhoj]

Went for a 160 mile ride today. Returned with an empty tank. Had 20 miles before I started.
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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.

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.

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.


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... :congrats: :clap: :firstplace: :2thumbs:
I almost HATE to ask this... :shocked:
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!