Author Topic: Fuel tank ..and hoses!  (Read 19442 times)

Offline jrcruisin

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Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« on: September 17, 2013, 01:36:07 AM »
Hello!
   I have a 86 Connie 1000 that I recently bought off Craigslist.    I have a Clymer's manual and I'm going through it before I take it out on a road trip.  I've taken off all the fairings, seat, and gas tank.  I had to replace 2 hoses just because they were old.
      I can't find this in my manual.  there are 2 hoses between the 1&2 Carb. and the 3&4 ...conjoined by a" T" that  is open,  does it need a hose .. (where does that one go?)   Am I missing a hose?  ..because it backfired on me a time or two.
       My fuel tank has 3 nipples ..The 2 on the on the right are going to the liquid/vapor separator.  What's the left nip for?   I've read the diagram and it has 2 different pics.   It's been running w/ the way it is..  just not right and I need it right!
   So I do have 2 questions ..I know I'm a Newbie but, I'm looking for a little love ... I will give it right back!  Any thought's?
   

Offline RFH87_Connie

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2013, 05:58:20 AM »
I think the two hoses at the carbs are vent lines.  They should point upwards and would each connect to a clear hose that is held by a clip on the frame near where the big rubber block that the gas tank rests on.  If this is what your are talking about, it would not cause your backfire.  Look for a vacuum leak (which you might have according to the next paragraph).  Also check that the carb boots are on securely.

Your tank sounds like the CA version.  I do know that one of the nipples sticking out is to drain the fill neck incase of an overflow or water coming in around outside of the gas cap.  All of the bikes have this one.  The other two nipples are related to emissions for the CA bikes.

If you had the plug wires off, did you reinstall them on correctly?  Firing order is 1-2-4-3, not 1-2-3-4.  One coil connects 1 & 4, the other connects 2 & 3.  This could cause a backfire if it even starts.
“I can truly say I had rather be at home at Mount Vernon with a friend or two about me, than to be attended at the seat of government by the officers of State and the representatives of every power of Europe.” - George Washington

Offline T Cro ®

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2013, 07:54:29 PM »
If you had the plug wires off, did you reinstall them on correctly?  Firing order is 1-2-4-3, not 1-2-3-4.  One coil connects 1 & 4, the other connects 2 & 3.  This could cause a backfire if it even starts.

Coil on the left side of the frame goes to # 1 on the left and # 4 on the right and the coil wire is black....
Coil on the right side of the frame goes to # 2 and # 3 in the middle and the coil wire is green...
Each coil share a red wire this provides the constant switched (+) power and the black and green wires are the (-) trigger...
Tony P. Crochet
(SOLD) 01 Concours Winner of COG Most Modified in 2010

Offline jrcruisin

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2013, 09:46:40 PM »
    Thanks for the advice! ..I really appreciate every input I receive.  I really hope they aren't vent lines ..I stuck a screw in a
piece of hose and capped it! 
     If you have the clymer's manual I'm referring to page 252 fig. 32.  I usually don't mess w/ firing order
when I'm talking about carbs. 
   I haven't put it back together yet!  I have a friend that's an "Old School" mechanic ..he usually has good advice.  I'm going
to sleep on it! ..any thoughts?

Offline T Cro ®

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2013, 04:15:04 AM »
From the looks of your picture I'm guessing that your talking about the tee'ed line with the bolt stuck in it? Where do the lines hook up to? It looks as though they both connect to the "front" side of the carbs on the vacuum ports and surely should not have been left open and could have been a cause for some backfire issues. I'm not up to speed on a CA Smog equipped bike and its extra items. But lets break it down to this on the front side of the carbs there could be 4 small brass nipples these are all vacuum ports and are used to operate the vacuum operated petcock as well as the devise that allows air to enter the exhaust thus leaning it out; follow the large hose that leaves the front side of the air box and follow it to the round devise that has 2 hoses coming from the valve cover this is the system that emits air to the exhaust. It should be plugged into one of the carb vacuum ports. Make sure that any and all of your vacuum lines are in good shape and not sucking air as this can cause idle and back fire issues. Myself I do not like to see unused capped tee's and such as they are not needed and clutter up the cramped engine compt.

Two connections on the back side of the tank closest to the seat are for your carbon can and the other 3rd nipple if you were to blow in it you would find that it is simply a drain for the gas cap area in case of fuel spillage while fueling or water run off when washing etc so you want a hose routed under the bike for that.

There should also be two hoses one on the side of # 1 & # 4 that are simply routed in a graceful U upward back and down closest to the outboard frame member and left open these as vent tubes for equalizing the carbs to atmosphere.   
Tony P. Crochet
(SOLD) 01 Concours Winner of COG Most Modified in 2010

Offline T Cro ®

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2013, 04:31:53 AM »
You know what looking at the picture again it does appear that the line that you plugged up is in fact the carb vent lines that someone has muddled around with and if so it NEEDS to be open and properly routed up and over that air box and running gently toward the back of the bike and down toward the swingarm area.

Sorry for the small pic its all I have at hand but if you look closely you can see the yellow/clear line this is the carb vent lines.

CA bikes may have run these carb vents to the carbon can as nothing was allowed to vent to atmosphere.
Tony P. Crochet
(SOLD) 01 Concours Winner of COG Most Modified in 2010

Offline RFH87_Connie

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2013, 05:36:17 AM »
Here's some images from the factory shop manual that may help...
“I can truly say I had rather be at home at Mount Vernon with a friend or two about me, than to be attended at the seat of government by the officers of State and the representatives of every power of Europe.” - George Washington

Offline RFH87_Connie

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2013, 05:42:59 AM »
One more pic...

The vent tube is the orangish one in the center.  There is a twin one on the otherside of the bike.
“I can truly say I had rather be at home at Mount Vernon with a friend or two about me, than to be attended at the seat of government by the officers of State and the representatives of every power of Europe.” - George Washington

Offline Steve in Sunny Fla

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2013, 06:43:03 AM »
The black hose he capped is the cali version of the carb vent. Capping it will cause the carbs to be unable to fill or draw fuel. Backfire? Maybe while cranking , but it will not run at all with the vents capped .  HTH, Steve

Offline jrcruisin

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2013, 11:55:55 AM »
Thank's guys for all the help!
      I'm taking that cap off!  ..I posted a better pic. of it. I still don't know about the 3 nips on my tank?  It's been routed as N goes to the
top of the Liquid/separator and M goes to the bottom where it say's tank. 
      So what's up w/ "O" it had no hose!  ..nothing.  It was covered up by a cover.   I saw 2 different diagrams in the manual.  Should it be open? ..leave it be? 
   I hate asking for free advice ..I will have to buy some beers or something if we were to meet up!

Offline Steve in Sunny Fla

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #10 on: September 19, 2013, 05:49:13 AM »
 OK, here's some more advice. After you read it, send me money so you feel better!

 On the tank vents, the cali bikes have all those vents, and they're not needed. Here's what I suggest. Open the gas cap and then blow into the hoses / tank nipples you showed. One will blow air up out the hole in the overflow area under the gas cap. leave that one open to drain if you overfill. block the other 2.

PM me for my paypal address. Everyone who read this and learned something, it's free for you  ;D  Steve

Offline T Cro ®

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2013, 04:58:47 PM »
Man every time you post another picture under the hood of that bike ya see more hoses going here and there...

First of get rid of those dam twisted pieces of copper wire being used as hose clamps as all those are good for is blood letting; if the hoses don't fit good then get rid of them all for some that do fit good.

You need one 5/16" fuel line that comes out from the center of the carb bank and goes to the fuel tank.

You need the two small loopy hoses that join the air cut valves together between 1 & 2 and 3 & 4.

You need two carb vent lines that gently drape over the air box and down slightly; they are easy to find as one T joins carb 1 and 2 together and the other T joins carb 3 and 4 together.

You need one vacuum line coming from one of the brass nipples on the outlet side of the carb going to the vac port on the petcock.

Cap the 3 remaining vac port nipples remaining on the carbs.

You need one line coming from the gas cap drain nipple on the back of the tank going down to the swing arm area.

Plug the remaining two nipples on the back of the fuel tank.

Remove all remaining traces and tangles of the carbon vent can.

Remove and cap off all remaining traces of the air injection system; you will need two 1/2" rubber caps to go on the valve cover and something to plug the hole in the front of the air box, I used a 1/2" pipe plug.

Your bike will thank you for it........ Simple and clean.....
Tony P. Crochet
(SOLD) 01 Concours Winner of COG Most Modified in 2010

Offline Gitbox

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #12 on: September 20, 2013, 06:37:13 AM »
Now there's a fastener elitist. You even use SS to cap your fuel line. :-)
2008 Yamaha FJR1300A
2004 Yamaha FJR1300 (sold)
2000 Kawasaki Concours ZG-1000 (sold)

Offline T Cro ®

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #13 on: September 20, 2013, 06:52:14 AM »
Now there's a fastener elitist. You even use SS to cap your fuel line. :-)

Ha.... You picked up on that; but it's not my bike!

But I have used 6 mm button head SS and nibs of hose to make short vacuum caps.

I'll freely admit that I'm sic and that I've replaced just about every fastener I can on my bike with SS or some billet milled alum....
Tony P. Crochet
(SOLD) 01 Concours Winner of COG Most Modified in 2010

Offline Jim __

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2014, 05:27:16 AM »
I know this is an old post, but I've got a Cal bike so I thought I'd throw in a suggestion.  You can plug the far right and far left nipples.  However, the far right nipple (facing the rear of the tank) is the tank vent, and if the tank has the original fuel cap it probably has the little o-ring installed which seals the fuel cap tank vent to that far right nipple.  Check the exploded view of the tank cap assembly (See attached doc) and you'll find a CAL designation for the o-ring located in the tank cap ring which is attached to the fuel tank.  The cap has a small pointy vent nipple which seals into that o-ring when the cap is closed.  If you want to cap the nipple at the end of the tank, you have to remove the o-ring.  The far left nipple is a fuel return line from the emission fuel return pump.  It theoretically could also be used for a tank vent but if you drop your bike, I'd bet you would see fuel freely flowing out of it.

Offline Jet86

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #15 on: March 28, 2014, 10:33:09 PM »
I don't think capping the far right nibble on the end of the gas tank is a good idea, Today i removed the Canister Separator and if i was to cap the far right nipple then while refueling gas could overflow over the top of the tank instead of out overflow line.

am i correct on this? chime in

 :feedback:


1986 California Connie 87k and counting

Offline T Cro ®

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #16 on: March 29, 2014, 03:37:16 AM »
Jet, you are correct and I wouldn't...
Tony P. Crochet
(SOLD) 01 Concours Winner of COG Most Modified in 2010

Offline Jet86

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #17 on: March 29, 2014, 10:30:38 AM »
Now since i have done away with ALL emission stuff could this solve the problem i have with the bike not wanting to run when i fill my tank, the last time i filled my tank the bike did not want to run til i opened the gas cap but then i seen gas erupting/pulsing like a volcano from that overflow line, i'm thinking the caninster got flooded and with all the stupid lines and pressure it was doing something silly with the carbs making the bike not want to run.

That was very dangerous because when i was riding the bike i had the gas cap down but not locked and the first time i hit my brakes a little to much gas went flying out of the tank right over the top and onto the engine and every where, i'm lucky me and my bike did not turn into a fireball.
 :doh:


1986 California Connie 87k and counting

Offline Mettler1

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #18 on: March 29, 2014, 02:07:25 PM »
 Run a hose from the nipple down the frame past the foot peg. None Ca bikes have the hose this way.
'94 Concours 112,000 miles-- 7th gear,2MM,KB fork brace,Over flowtubes,Stick coils,Tcro shifter,GPS,Torque cams,SPOOKFAK,block off plates, SS brake & clutch lines,KB risers, FENDA EXTENDA, emulators,etc

Offline Jet86

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Re: Fuel tank ..and hoses!
« Reply #19 on: March 29, 2014, 07:28:48 PM »
it still has the stock hose that went to the canister but its to short now without the canister there so i will get a longer one, i want to run it behind the rear tire.


1986 California Connie 87k and counting