raw gas fumes

And for a different kind of question ........ (mine is a 2005 with about 22,000kms)

Wondering if any of you might have noticed strong gas fumes in your storage locations for your winterized Silverwings?

It has been a week or two since I filled mine, added stabilizer, and locked the shed door. Now I notice quite strong raw gas fumes in the shed. For complete disclosure, there is s snowblower and a 5 gal gas can in the same shed. Very certain the fumes are not from the gas can ... (I left that outside over night and the fumes are just as strong in the shed). Quite certain the fumes are not from the snow blower but will rule that out with leaving it outside overnight as well. I have checked the gas tank on the Silverwing and it doesn't seem to be overfilled and there is no sign of leakage beneath the bike. More checking will be done but wondered if this fume thing has been noticed by anyone else. Thanks

Mike

Mike from NS wrote:

And for a different kind of question ........ (mine is a 2005 with about 22,000kms)

Wondering if any of you might have noticed strong gas fumes in your storage locations for your winterized Silverwings?

It has been a week or two since I filled mine, added stabilizer, and locked the shed door.  Now I notice quite strong raw gas fumes in the shed.  For complete disclosure, there is s snowblower and a 5 gal gas can in the same shed.  Very certain the fumes are not from the gas can ... (I left that outside over night and the fumes are just as strong in the shed).  Quite certain the fumes are not from the snow blower but will rule that out with leaving it outside overnight as well.   I have checked the gas tank on the Silverwing and it doesn't seem to be overfilled and there is no sign of leakage beneath the bike.   More checking will be done but wondered if this fume thing has been noticed by anyone else.   Thanks

Mike

Mike, I suggest you not smoke in the shed.

Happy motoring Lloyd 193.

Wise suggestion Lloyd, thanks.

Actually even lighting a match may not be a wise move until I find the source of fumes and clear the air.

I never smelled gas in garage from SW. Remove snow blower first and leave door open for awhile to vent it.

Any mice in shed? they like to eat things. Maybe chewed a line to vapor canister. I've had problems before on other bikes. Bed in air box chewed wires under seat etc....

Hmm... ? Atmospheric pressure causing fuel to evaporate and saturate the evap canister.  And that the scoot hasn't been started or run enough recently the evap canister would not purge into the intake system as it would under "normal" circumstances and fumes to emanate into the closed shed. 

The most practical solution would be to trailer it down to Lloyd's shop in Florida. If it still smells when you get to those sunny climes then Lloyd can take a look at it while you are off getting your mouse ears or at the beach.

Tim

YMMV

Mech 1 twa wrote:

I never smelled gas in garage from SW.  Remove snow blower first and leave door open for awhile to vent it.

Any mice in shed? they like to eat things. Maybe chewed a line to vapor canister. I've had problems before on other bikes. Bed in air box chewed wires under seat etc....

Thanks for your reply Mech 1 twa.
Don't suspect any mice but will take a closer look. They can be hungry critters. I had the blower out yesterday and the doors open for quite a while but the fumes were strong again today.
Mike

Cosmic_Jumper wrote:

Hmm... ? Atmospheric pressure causing fuel to evaporate and saturate the evap canister.  And that the scoot hasn't been started or run enough recently the evap canister would not purge into the intake system as it would under "normal" circumstances and fumes to emanate into the closed shed. 

The most practical solution would be to trailer it down to Lloyd's shop in Florida. If it still smells when you get to those sunny climes then Lloyd can take a look at it while you are off getting your mouse ears or at the beach.

Tim

YMMV

Thanks Tim.
We had spring for a couple of days a couple of weeks ago; and with the streets washed with spring-like heavy rain, I took the bike for a short ride to the gas station and a longer ride back home with an added diversion for the joy of a short ride. Maybe that was the problem. Too short a ride and thus a saturated canister? Could this be what happened? Maybe I should roll her out and let it run for a while to purge the canister. Do you think this may help?

I think the beach would beat out a search for mouse ears if I happened down that way. (One friend and his wife started their drive to visit summer today. Another friend & wife head that way on Monday.) But if I did that I'd miss winter and the ski season ... such as it is this year.

Mike

Mike,
Try leaving the bike, gas can, and blower out with the doors to your storage open and see if there may be something else causing the fumes. My 2¢.

No fumes noticed with mine
I store 20 to 30 gallons of gasoline in 5 gal. cans in my shop and spilling just a bit causes the odor to linger quite a while. Have you looked at the bottom of your containers to see if there is the smallest of leaks? If the caps are not tight on a container the change in atmospheric pressures can cause small amounts of fumes to be released.

Thanks for the comments/suggestions Easyrider and oldwingguy. They are appreciated.

Today was a busy day and too wet to move things out. I checked the gas can cap and it is tight. Fairly new and no signs of fine cracks.
Tomorrow or Sunday I'll take at this and find the problem and report back here.

Mike

By the process of elimination ... the fumes are coming from the snow blower. Not sure from where but with the only the bike in the shed (with doors open) for many hours yesterday, there were no fumes after having the doors shut for many more hours. The blower was returned to the shed for over-night and now the fumes have returned as well. Thanks to those of you who replied to my question. Now I must check for leaks on the snow blower. None visible .... but .....

Mike

Aw jeez, Mike... and here I hurt my brain trying to come up with the right answer.

Cosmic_Jumper wrote:

Aw jeez, Mike... and here I hurt my brain trying to come up with the right answer.

And knowing this, Tim, I appreciate your input all the more!

Hope your brain recovers quickly ! Think of Lloyd's sunny climate !! That may help. Watch for Tuesday's launch of the Space-X Falcon Heavy. Maybe on NASA.gov. If the orange crop fails ,,, Florida at least has NASA !

Thanks,
Mike

Coming soon...Silverwing Snowblower Forum!

Good idea. Mount it up front ride in any weather.....