Topic: Aux. Fuel Tank

[Bob Wessner]

I looked around for a commercial aux. fuel tank, but it only had one outlet and was about $40. I thought about inserting a "T", but wasn't sure the one outlet would supply enough fuel flow for both carb banks. I seem to recall a posting back on Greenspun where a member made an aux. fuel tank using either a windshield washer bottle or radiator overflow bottle from a car.

I gave that a try and used a spade bit to bore two holes and epoxy two 1/4" fittings in the bottom. It seemed OK after the epoxy cured for 24 hrs. The epoxy was Plastic Weld I believe. I hung it over a pan with a couple of inches of fuel in the tank. I used it to start the bike yesterday and when I was done, let it hang over a pan again overnight. This morning I noticed the expoxy was separating and no longer bonding. Any suggestions? Is there a better epoxy that is compatible with gas and this kind of plastic?

[SteveD CB500F]

Assume this is used to run the engine with the main tank off - ie when balancing carbs ?

[Bob Wessner]

Yup.

[Ibsen]

Can you use JB Weld on plastic?

I used the bike's fuel tank when I balanced the carbs. I put a small barrel I had, on a table, and then placed the tank on the barrel. I bought a long fuel hose for the fuel feed,  and used an online fuel filter to connect the hose from the tank with the hose to the carb bank.

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?PHPSESSID=d1680eaf1aa190b5e90115a7e87f6923&topic=534.0

[Gordon]

Bob,
I just use a 1 gallon plastic gas can.  The vent nipple is the perfect size for the 1/4" fuel line.  Just set it on end and loosen the main cap eough to let some air in.  One fuel supply line is plenty to keep the carbs full, especially for sychronizing purposes.

Gordon

[Bob Wessner]

Thanks all, guess instead of making work for myself, I think I'll just go with the bike tank and some long fuel lines.

[kghost]

Bob,
Posted these pictures elsewere but can't remember where. Aux tank made from 1 gallon metal can and old petcock.

[mcpuffett]

hi bob,another trick is to use an old 2 stroke oil tank off a bike but you will have to use a splitter to get your 2 fuel lines the benefit of a plastic tank is it's light and easy to hang above your bike while working on it and you can get one with a screw on top for added safety  mick.

[frostypuck]

The washer fluid bottle idea was mine, but I split the fuel line. Think about it, if you let the aux tank drain out on it's own, it'll be empty in maybe what, 1-2 minutes. Few bikes will use 1-1.5 gallons of fuel in 1-2 minutes. There should have been plenty of flow out of the aux tank without running 2 separate lines. I used an inline on/off valve, then a T with no problems.
Chris in Boston

[Bob Wessner]

Good point about the fuel flow, if a bike went through it at that rate you wouldn't get far, eh?

[eldar]

well I will throw my hat in. Use a empty (duh) liter bottle for pop. Drill a hole in the lid and up in a nipple.Tape some makeshift handle onto the bottom. Fill with gas and put the lid on. then use a long hose to go from the bottle to the carbs. You can just use a spring clamp to act as the petcock. Then poke a hole into the bottom after hanging it. There you go a "very" cheap aux tank. I plan on doing it like this. And it seems to work just fine.

[frostypuck]

I would just be careful of the gasoline disolving the plastic "soda" bottle. I thought the last time I filled a 2 liter bottle with gas, it got soft.
Just being cautious.
Chris in Boston (where "pop" is "soda")

[Bob Wessner]

Thanks Chris, I've been sensitive to the issue even with my home made attempts, that's why I hung if over a pan for two days. I originally came from N.Y. It took me a while to get use to "pop" as soda in the midwest here.

[kghost]

Thats why I used a metal can. If you have an old petcock you can replicate in about 15 minutes

[Bob Wessner]

How did you attach the petcock? As I recall, mine (I have an old one) attaches to the fuel tank via two machine threaded screws directly into a thickened area at the base of the tank. 

[kghost]

Heres what you do......

First use an old petcock, the one I used had the brass standpipe that was corroded all to hell. Cut off said standpipe with dremel tool.
 
Remove fuel bowl from petcock. Put petcock on bottom of metal can directly below the can opening and scribe the two holes for the mounting screws in the bottom of the can.

Drill the two holes for the mounting screws. Then drill a hole directly between them for fuel feed.

Mount the petcock with two nuts on the inside of the can. The trick to getting the nuts on the screws in the bottom of the can is to use a socket and extension. Put a little piece of masking tape on the nut to hold it in the socket. Tighten them up and you've got a dual outlet Aux tank with an on off. Make sure to use the o-ring that seals the petcock to the bottom of the tank.

[Bob Wessner]

I get it, you fitted it to the end of the can with the cap (picture light going on). I was wondering how you would reach everything to work on it. Thanks.

[kghost]

Yep, the ol' KISS principal. Cheap too. Works better than any commercial model I've seen and you can hang it on the handle bars

[eldar]

I still say to use a spring clamp! You can put it anywhere on the line you want! and if you have a carb that is too high, you can clamp the line to make it look better

[BarryKelly]

Heh heh heh...

Soda?  Isn't that the stuff you bake with??

[Bob Wessner]

I know, soda for pop sounds pretty alien to anyone not from the northeast.

[Bob Wessner]

Before embarking on one of the alternative suggestions offered for an aux. fuel tank, out of stubborness, I guess, I wanted to give the radiator overflow bottle one more try. This time I used JB Weld. It did the trick, now I have a right sized jug with two outlets and I can see how much gas is in it.

[andy750]

Seems you are all making a lot of work for yourselves....just get some extra long fuel lines and use them with your regular gas tank -cheap fix! My fuel tank has slightly longer fuel lines due to my large fuel filters and with the seat off the tank sits on the seat and hey I can balance the carbs easy! No need for a aux. fuel tank :-) Good luck in any case.
Andy in Boston

[Bob Wessner]

That was one of the many suggestions. My reasoning was that I doubt I will get the carbs sorted out in on session (sometimes I wonder if ever) since I just took them off for the 4th time because the #3 carb is leaking intermitantly from the overflow, need to check the float valve seat and/or float height. There isn't much room around the bike and the bike fuel tank on some sort of support like saw horses, would be in the way and with my luck, knock it over or something. Some here at my house think I made a lot of extra work for myself the minute I pulled the bike out of the corner in the garage and took the cover off. 

[Gordon]

I used to use the method of setting the tank on the seat or on a perch next to the bike.  That is until it fell off and landed upside down.  After dealing with that repair and repainting, the only place I ever set my tank when it isn't mounted on the bike, is on the ground.  Nowhere to fall from there.