Update, melted rubber in gas tank

[Shadetreesuregon]

So after posting a thread about hard starting and poor performance I eventually traced it back to a fuel supply issue. Namely a horrendously clogged fuel filter, the problem is with what the filter was clogged with. Every rubber part inside the fuel tank is turning into black goo. It's totally trashed the fuel pump and fuel regulator and I'm also worried that it may ruined the injectors. I've literally only put one tank of gas in this bike since I got it and put less than 200 miles on it. It only had 10k to start with and ran like a champ till this. Has anyone ever heard of this happening? The triumph techs I talked said they'd never seen anything like it in their careers.

 

[budman]

that is very strange indeed..sounds like somebody may have sabotaged it purposely with some kind of dastardly chemical..maybe done to the previous owner? and just now taking effect?..or maybe the previous owner mistakenly put something wrong in the tank..

 

[Dennsell]

So after posting a thread about hard starting and poor performance I eventually traced it back to a fuel supply issue. Namely a horrendously clogged fuel filter, the problem is with what the filter was clogged with. Every rubber part inside the fuel tank is turning into black goo. It's totally trashed the fuel pump and fuel regulator and I'm also worried that it may ruined the injectors. I've literally only put one tank of gas in this bike since I got it and put less than 200 miles on it. It only had 10k to start with and ran like a champ till this. Has anyone ever heard of this happening? The triumph techs I talked said they'd never seen anything like it in their careers.

Just a thought, do you think the previous owner had mistakenly filled the tank from a container thinking it was gas maybe but it was some other liquid or maybe filled the tank with Diesel at the gas station? unless your gas station pump hoses are seperate.

He could have then sold the bike because of the outcome you unfortunately now have.

 

[mport]

Ethanol eats away at rubber and plastic parts, dissolving them over time. If your bike sat for awhile before you bought it with high levels of ethanol in the fuel, this coud have caused the problem.
My brothers Bonneville had the same problem from 10% ethanol[or so the pump said] stored in his bike over the winter. It ate every rubber part it touched. The inside of the fuel lines dissolved. I would hate to see what E85 fuel would do!

 

[Rocket Scientist]

It's an all to common practice for gas stations to allow carriers to dump toxic chemicals into gas storage tanks for a little under the table cash. It happened to my father. He bought gas to put in his mower. When he started it he said it barley ran and made the octane rattle sound really bad. He drained it back into the gas can, got a different can, went to a different gas station and everything was fine. He said he noticed the next day the can with the contaminated gas had formed a skin over the pour spout, like what forms on paint when you leave the lid off to long. Another possibility is someone put something like E10 or higher alcohol doped gasoline. Here is some info on E10. They have up to E25

List: E10 Engine Damage & Performance Issues.

 

[peter k]

It could possibly be what they called growth , from memory it is a bacteria that actually grows in petroleum products .i had it happen quite afew years ago .its an expensive fix .if it is growth there is a possible situation if you meet the criteria I went through and was compensated in full by bp in my case . I never fuel any of my vechiles if the fuel tanker is topping the particular fuel that I want to purchase.

 

[TheMadScientist]

I doubt it is the ethanol. Ethanol has been around for a long time. Brazil has been using it for over 30 years. The problem with ethanol is that it attracts water which leads to rust. Newer cars and vehicles are suppose to use components in the fuel system that won't rust. Cork gaskets doesn't play well with ethanol either. Over time it dries out the rubber in some gaskets. This bacteria growth is interesting.

 

[peter k]

I had to strip the whole fuel system the tank ,fuel lines ,fuel pump was fully rebuilt, thoroughly cleaned everything ,added adatives and hoped all the bacteria had been removed . I was told that this bacteria could grow back from one cell

 

[barbagris]

I have seen something similar on an old classic car. I was told that it has something to do with stabilising and aromatic agents in unleaded fuel.

If left standing - some can start to react with synthetic rubber (and it's all synthetic in there) forming long polymer chains. Smelt foul too. Oddly leaded fuel stopped this. Oh well. If the fuel is not allowed to sit still - no problems.

The bacterial thing - could be. My niece is a petrochemical engineer and researched something along those lines for her thesis - bacterial degradation of old tyres.

 

[peter k]

I have seen something similar on an old classic car. I was told that it has something to do with stabilising and aromatic agents in unleaded fuel.

If left standing - some can start to react with synthetic rubber (and it's all synthetic in there) forming long polymer chains. Smelt foul too. Oddly leaded fuel stopped this. Oh well. If the fuel is not allowed to sit still - no problems.

The bacterial thing - could be. My niece is a petrochemical engineer and researched something along those lines for her thesis - bacterial degradation of old tyres.

Sounds like your neice might be the person to ask