WATER-N-GAS: Only Use good, clean Fuel

WATER-IN-THE-FUEL:

Recently I rebuilt a set of XS850 Hitachi Carbs. When I got into the fuel bowls I discovered water had rusted the steel retainer plates and was present in the residual fuel (each carb bowl had a few drops in it). Bike had never been power washed and never rode in the wet. Strangely this bike had 54,000+ miles on the original engine and didn't suffer any internal damage. Yamahas are hard to kill.

Now some of the H20 could have come from condensation but it was 100+F in the desert and the on-board tank was rust-free so one suspects the dreaded Watery Bargain Fuel syndrome.

Discovered through local auto techs quite a few El Cheapo fuel outlets have water in their tanks. This condition is especially dangerous when a supply tank is getting down to its lowest level. Chevron and Shell Oil take positive steps to ensure their gasoline supplies are water-free.

So make sure you purchase clean fuel from a known, branded supplier. Check your fuel, your bike's fuel tank and use in-line filters. If needed call the Govt. Weights & Measures guys and ask; Who's got the cleanest fuel?

 

Here's a very valuable bit of advice which also applies if you have a modern fuel-injected cage:

If you pull into a gas station to buy gas and the truck is there filling the in-ground tanks, drive back out. ALL gas stations' tanks have at least some nasty crud in the bottom; when they get filled it all gets stirred up and you can end up putting it in your tank.

You're right though, MOST "el-cheapo" stations never waste the gas to "blow out" their tanks. In some cases they'll dump in a large quantity of "dry gas" (methanol and or alcohol) but most do nothing.