Fuel leak....HELP!!

[greatbuffalo]

My 2001 Triumph Tiger has developed a leak where the wires emerge from the fuel sensor (sending unit) Has anyone fixed this sort of leak before and how did you go about it.

Not sure if I cleaned it up good and put on some gas fast sealer if it would hold.

Any ideas would be great.

Thanks
GB

[Hank]

That sounds like a good plan, clean it, and use a gas resistant sealant or epoxy.
Good luck!

[greatbuffalo]

Thanks for the validation, I think that will be the plan for Monday. I am away from home working for the weekend so will probably have to through a gallon and a half to get it home, then pull the tank and have at it.

[Lonesome Dave]

Not sure if I understand this correctly, but here's my 2-cents.  They make an epoxy to seal tanks, big or small. I've seen the results on an old XS650.  You pour in the mix and roll the tank all around to coat the inside and let it dry.  It looked like hard glass when it was dry.  Just google "motorcycle epoxy tank sealer."  You can buy it locally.  Good luck.  Lonesome Dave

[Hank]

I think the sealants that Lonesome Dave is referring to are for doing a total tank seal, like if its got a big rusty patch.
I've used POR-15 to do this to my TDM.  Another well known name is Kreme (Creme?) which does the same thing, but I don't think its as good as POR-15.

But to use a sealant like that you'd first remove the sending unit and the petcock and anything else that comes out of the tank.  If I understand GB correctly just the sending unit is leaking, I imagine right where the wires exit.    I think and epoxy or spot sealer is the trick there.

[Hank]

This stuff:

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/reviews/SealAllGlueReview.htm

Would do the trick I'm sure.  I used it to coat a brake master cylinder site glass that was about to fall to pieces and it's held up for a year.

Pretty sure I found it at a local orielly's or napa.

[greatbuffalo]

Thanks for the ideas guys.

The rubber "plug" that seals around the sending unit wires is leaking. I inspected a little closer this morning and found that this plug was protruding some. The leaking slowed as I pressed it back in but did not stop. I tried to dry it up enough so that some JB Weld putty would stick but with the tank on the bike, this wasn't gonna happen.

When I get home Monday the tank is getting pulled, the sending unit removed and cleaned, and the whole thing will receive a thick coat of gas fast sealant. I will look closer at the suggestions given and come up with what looks like would be best for the job.

I'll keep you posted on the progress and success or failure.

GB

[Lonesome Dave]

Duh.  Sorry, now I get it. My wife's Jeep has the same thing wrong with the oil pressure sending unit.  I need to replace it one of these days.

[greatbuffalo]

Well I tore into the sending unit today. Wished I had taken some pics. The rubber plug around the wires was in a state of active disintegration. I cleaned the rubber out till I got to some more solid. The base plate had a flange that was embedded in the rubber so it fell apart as well. Things were cleaned up and roughed up. The float tube end was filled with JB Weld. The base plate was then set with the flange in the epoxy. The rest of the void was overfilled with JBW and is now being left to setup. The one issue was that the wires were in poor shape and one broke. The only result of this will a nonfunctioning fuel gauge. I'll just have to keep track of mileage.

I have decided this is only a temperary fix to keep me riding. Ordered a replacement from BikeBandit just now.

I'll put the bike back together tommorrow and hope it doesn't leak. I lost nearly a whole tank of fuel as it sat at work over the weekend 

I'll let you know if this fix works. I think this is more of an exercise in practical knowledge. Just to see if it works

[greatbuffalo]

SUCCESS!!!  Th repair worked like a charm. Probably better than new. 

[loingrader]

nice work gb.