Repair And Fix it

Water and fuel dont mix, so its never a good idea to put water into a cars gas tank. However, when water does get into a gas tank, either accidentally, or as the result of a malicious prank, the result is engine trouble.

Condensation

Water can get into a gas tank even if you didnt put it there. Sometimes water gets in through a badly sealed cap on the tank, or by natural condensation on the inside of the gas tank

Problems

Water in the gas tank may lead to the car bucking, stalling or not starting at all, or starting the car could be difficult. This is because the water and fuel separate, especially when the car has been sitting for a while, and the water sinks to the bottom with the fuel on top. Water can also get into other parts of the engine causing rust and corrosion.

Removal

The method you use to get rid of water in your cars gas tank depends on how much got in there in the first place. In the case of only a little water, an additive that dries up water could be used. The additive combines with the water as it goes through the running engine. If there is a lot of water, a mechanic will have to remove the gas. This may include removing the fuel tank from the car and putting in new filters. The tank is then put back and is filled with clean gas.

Cutting a gas tank in half isnt an overly difficult task if youre equipped with the right tools. Although you could use a grinder or oxyacetylene torch to accomplish the job, the safest and perhaps most efficient tool to use is a reciprocating saw. In order to cut the tank effectively, the saw will need to be fixed with a metal-cutting blade. A metal-cutting blade will utilize multiple teeth, usually numbering somewhere between 14 and 20 per inch. This is much more than a wood-cutting blade, which has only 6 to 8 teeth per inch.

Instructions

1

Rinse the gas tank out several times with water and let it drain. If you have time, you should also allow the tank to air out for roughly 3 to 5 days. Obviously, the gas should be removed from the vehicle.

2

Use marking chalk to draw a line around the middle of the gas tank. By following this line, youll be better equipped to make a clean, straight cut around the entire gas tank.

3

Attach a bit to your drill specifically designed for drilling in metal. Put on your safety glasses and drill a hole at some point along the line you drew with the marking chalk. The hole you drill will make it easier to insert the blade and start the cut with your reciprocating saw.

4

Grip the reciprocating saw firmly and pull the trigger to start the saw. Start the blade into the hole you drilled and begin sawing the gas tank in half. Follow your line and work slowly. If you rush or push too hard, you may dull or damage the saw blade. Continue cutting until youve successfully separated the gas tank into halves.

When a vehicles fuel delivery system is not working properly, one of the likely suspects is a faulty fuel pump. Issues, such as a higher than normal level of resistance in the ground connection of the fuel pump, could be causing the problems. In any event, a faulty fuel pump can certainly cause other issues within an automobile.

Fuel Consumption

A low fuel pressure reading often indicates that you have a faulty fuel pump. The voltage being supplied to the pump may not be high enough to spin the pump fast enough to build up the proper amount of pressure. This, in turn, leads to a vehicle burning more gas.

Hard Starting

When a fuel pump is not in operation, a vehicles fuel system should still maintain residual pressure for at least a few minutes. When this is not the case, its often because the check valve on the fuel pump is leaking. This can lead to hard starting in a vehicle.

Tips

If an in-tank fuel pump is faulty and needs replacing, the battery always should be disconnected first. This will keep sparks from occurring during the replacement procedure.

Fluid dynamics is a complex subject; every time you think you understand one aspect of it, it seems as though youve missed some tiny, all-too-pertinent detail that will make or break the entire construct. Such is the case with spoilers, splitters, wings, ramps, canards and air dams. While the layman might use these terms interchangeably, the fact is that they all act in different ways in terms of their effects on a cars high-speed stability, handling balance and fuel economy.

What Spoiler?

Technically speaking, theres no such thing as a front spoiler; and to the extent that there is, its called an "air dam." By definition, a spoiler "spoils" existing airflow patterns on a cars body to smooth airflow and reduce drag. Theyre not intended to block airflow, create downforce (the opposite of lift) or establish new airflow patterns, all of which a front "spoiler" does. While it may seem a bit semantic, this concept is key to understanding how different types of front aerodynamics -- often collectively and incorrectly erred to as spoilers -- affect performance and fuel economy.

Air Dams

The simplest and most common type of front spoiler is called an air dam, and it does just what it sounds like it does. An air dam is just a piece of bodywork that extends downward from the front bumper and reduces the amount of air flowing under the car. This does two things; first, it keeps high-speed air from "catching" on protuberances under the car and creating drag, and it reduces lift by decreasing the amount of potential energy going under the car. An air dam would ideally scrape the ground as you drive, and will generally improve the cars fuel efficiency and high speed stability.

Splitters

Though often used in conjunction with an air dam, a splitter is an entirely different animal. A splitter is a thin, flat, horizontal "shelf" extending frontward from the bottom of the air dam. Normally, air encountering the bottom of the air dam would have to pressurize and become turbulent before it splits and goes either under the car, over the hood or around the sides. A splitter acts like a knife, cleanly cleaving the airflow in two so that it remains laminar, or straight and turbulence-free. A splitter -- often erred to as the "front wing" -- creates a powerful pocket of pressurized air in front of the bumper, which shoves the front of the car down and creates downforce.

Downforce and Fuel Economy

Downforce and lift will always hurt a cars fuel economy because they force the car to expend energy doing something it doesnt need to do -- namely, to either compress the springs or try to fly. The longer a front splitter is, the larger the air pocket it can contain and the more downforce it will produce; good for grip at high speeds, but bad for fuel economy. Additionally, any angled surface on the front bumper that directs airflow upward -- an angled splitter, a ramp or the wing-like canard -- will generally hurt fuel economy by increasing frontal pressure and downforce.

Exceptions

There are a few exceptions to the "air dam helps economy, downforce hurts it" rule. Canards are one of them. A small canard strategically mounted on the corner of an air dam helps to control airflow over the sides of the car, which keeps it out of the wheel-wells and impacts where it will end up behind the car. This can reduce the cars total drag, which may offset the frontal pressure increase caused by the canard. A splitter extending well under the car will act as a partial "belly pan," increasing air velocity under the engine and reducing total drag.

Removing the fuel tank from your 1989 Jeep for replacement of the tank, sender or other parts takes a few minutes and a little pre-planning. The tank should be as close to empty as possible to make removal safer and easier. The tank does not have a drain plug, so you will need to siphon the fuel from the tank into an approved storage container before you start or drive it until it is nearly empty. Replacement tanks, sending units and related parts are available at most major auto-parts stores.

Instructions

1

Remove the filler cap from the Jeep and set it aside. Position a jack under the Jeep and raise the rear off the ground, then place a set of jack stands under the rear axle to support the vehicle. Remove the jack for now.

2

Disconnect the fuel filler hose and vent line from the drivers side of the tank, using a flat screwdriver to loosen the hose clamps. Pull the hoses off the tank fitting and let them hang to one side.

3

Position a jack under the skid plate on the fuel tank, then remove the nuts around the edges of the skid plate, using a socket and ratchet. Lower the jack slowly, allowing the fuel tank and skid to drop down from the Jeep until you can reach the hoses and wiring harness connections on top of the tank.

4

Disconnect the wiring harness connector from the fuel sending unit and set it aside. Remove the clamps from the hoses on top of the fuel tank with a flat screwdriver, then disconnect the hoses and set them aside.

5

Lower the jack, dropping the fuel tank and skid plate out of the Jeep as a complete unit. Slide the tank out from under the truck so you can access any part of it required for the repair you are performing.

Engines incorporate a basic but complex dance of physics, harnessing and converting energy in a multi-stage process to turn dead dinosaurs into forward velocity. The fuel molecules journey through an engine may not qualify as epic to us, but it is fairly Odyssean by subatomic standards.

Into the Engine

Fuel starts out as a liquid stored in the fuel tank. A pump shoves fuel through a line and into a filter, which gets rid of any debris that may clog the injectors. After going through the filter, fuel travels upstream to the fuel injectors. Fuel injectors work just like the spray nozzle on your garden hose, and spray out in much the same way as a garden hose nozzle on "fine mist." When you just crack the hose aperture open, pressure in the line forces water to spray out in a fine, cone-shaped mist. With an injector, this mist goes into the engine just ahead of the intake valve in multi-point fuel injected engines; on direct-injection engines, it sprays directly into the combustion chamber.

Into the Cylinder

Next, the intake valve opens and low pressures in the cylinder -- caused by a piston dropping down in the cylinder on its "intake stroke" -- suck air and fuel mist (atomized fuel) into the combustion chamber. Modern engines generally use a high-swirl cylinder-head design, which allows the air to maintain velocity and swirl like a tornado around the cylinder instead of just rushing in and slamming into a wall. This tornado effect increases power by allowing more air and fuel to fill the cylinder, and it enhances efficiency by keeping fuel suspended as a fine mist instead of allowing it to coalesce into fat droplets. This more even distribution allows more of the fuel to burn and produce power.

Boom

The intake valve closes just as the piston rises on its "compressions stroke," which (as you might guess) compresses the air and fuel into a small pocket above the piston called the combustion chamber. A spark goes off in the top of the chamber just before the piston reaches the very apex of its travel. The compressed air and fuel around the spark ignite, starting out as a tiny "flame kernel" and quickly expanding out into a bubble known as the "flame front." This bubble travels at or near the speed of sound, quickly expanding to fill the cylinder and shoving the piston back down with the force of its expanding gases and the power of its own sonic shockwave. This is the "power stroke."

The Combustion Event

Combustion is any event wherein fuel combines with oxygen to produce heat and some sort of chemical conversion. Gasoline is a hydrocarbon, meaning that its made of hydrogen and carbon atoms (commonly one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms). When this CH4 molecule combines with O2 (oxygen gas), it produces CO2 (carbon dioxide), H20 (water) and heat. So, a pure hydrocarbon in a pure oxygen atmosphere would hypothetically produce only carbon dioxide and water. However, air is about 78 percent nitrogen by volume, and under extreme heat and pressure that nitrogen also combines with oxygen to produce dangerous nitrogen oxide emissions. Additionally, oxygen is almost always the limiting reactant in this chemical reaction, so a certain amount of fuel will leave the engine unburned during the exhaust stroke.

Combustion Malfunctions

Fuel doesnt always expand in a neat flame kernel, or front, away from the spark plug. The compressed air-fuel mixture is extremely volatile, and almost anything will set it off. This is especially true of low-octane fuels, which ignite easier than high-octane fuels. Too much heat and pressure inside the cylinder or combustion chamber will cause the fuel to auto-ignite, or "detonate." Detonation -- aka "knock or "ping" -- is extremely bad because its an explosion rather than a controlled burn, effectively identical to grilling a chicken with dynamite. These explosions happen in multiple places around the cylinder, and each one produces its own sonic shockwave. When those shockwaves collide, they instantly spike cylinder pressure and pre-ignite any remaining fuel caught between them. This kind of uncontrolled chaos is death for any engine, particularly forced-induction powerplants using a supercharger, turbo or nitrous.

Freon is a liquid/gaseous chemical compound commonly used in refrigerators, air conditioners, and freezers. Known by the chemical name chlorodifloromethane, it is a nontoxic and nonflammable material. Although freon does not burn at room temperature, it may combust when mixed with air (65 percent) at low pressure. Concentrations of chlorine may also induce combustion in chlorodifloromethane.

Thermal Decomposition

Freon poses a negligible fire hazard when it is directly exposed to heat or flames, but chlorides, fluorides, and phosgene are released as a result of the thermal decomposition of the gas. Notably, phosgene is a poisonous gas and poses a serious threat to health.

Car Fires

Freon is used as a refrigerant in car air conditioning systems, and older models have the R-12 variety of the gas. If such a car catches fire, it is important not to inhale the fumes because the R-12 will turn into phosgene (nerve gas), a lethal chemical.

Cylinder Explosion

Freon is compressed into self-pressure-releasing cylinders that may rupture because of extended exposure to fires over 900 degrees Celsius. Freon itself does not catch fire, but the cylinders containing the gas may explode if the fire is not controlled. This happens because of pressure buildup within the cylinders caused by the rise in surrounding temperature. The shards of a bursting cylinder pose a serious hazard.

Warning

Freon cylinders should be stored at room temperature to avoid accidental overheating of contents. If water is used for extinguishing a fire, it should be contained and neutralized before it is disposed. Use a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) if the containers have leaked or have been damaged within an enclosed space. Inhaling freon poses a serious hazard to health, and exposure to higher concentrations of the gas can be fatal.

Knowing how to install a motor on a 48CC gas bike -- also known as a pocket bike or mini bike -- is a very important skill if you are assembling your own pocket bike or selling them. Due to the nature of such bikes, many of them are shipped in parts, with assembly instructions. No skills beyond a basic proficiency with a wrench and experience with assembling items is necessary. Approximately 1 hour of your time is necessary.

Instructions

1

Lift up your bike and put it on its kickstand. If it is the two-sided kickstand, leave the back wheel touching the floor and the front wheel suspended in the air.

2

Unpack your motor, if necessary. Lift your motor up and locate the hole for the exhaust pipe. That will be the front end. Locate the holes in the back and match them up with the poles sticking forward on the bike frame, directly behind the front wheel. Gently push the motor in.

3

Locate the bolts that came with the motor. They should be wrapped in a plastic bag if the motor is new. If you are rebuilding your bike, simply find the bolts that you removed previously. Bolt them on with the socket wrenches.

Changing the fuel tank on a recent Dyna Super Glide is much more difficult now that it was as recently as 2005. Since 2006, all Harley Dyna Models have been equipped with the closed loop, Delphi electronic fuel injection. This electronic black box system often confuses the diagnosis of engine problems and complicates what were once routine maintenance and repair chores. The good news is that you will not need a laptop to remove and replace your gas tank. The bad news is that the job is now considerably less intuitive than it used to be.

Instructions

Remove the Old Tank

1

Pull the electrical caddy cover off -- on the right side of the bike near the battery compartment -- with your hands. Put the blades of two, small flat-head screwdrivers on either side of the fuel pump fuse and pry out the fuse.

2

Shift the bike into neutral, start the engine and wait for the engine to die. Try to start the bike for another five seconds.

3

Remove the seat fender tab screw and washer with an Allen wrench. Pull the seat back and up to expose the battery. Disconnect the cable from the negative battery post with an open end wrench.

4

Reach under the tank and pull up on the fuel tank fitting and simultaneously pull down on the fuel line.

5

Unscrew the acorn nut in the middle of the instrument panel with an Allen wrench. Pull the panel up and pull apart the plug and socket ends of the fuel pump module connector.

6

Plug one end of a short section of 5/16-inch diameter hose with a 5/16-inch diameter bolt. Constrict a worm-style hose clamp around the bolt by turning the adjusting screw with a screwdriver.

7

Position a large gas can next to the left side of the motorcycle near the fuel tank. Cut off one of the two clamps from the ends of the crossover hose with tin snips.

8

Hold the open end of the short section of 5/16 hose next the crossover hose fitting that you just unclamped. In as close to one motion as possible, replace the unclamped end of the crossover hose with the short section of 5/16-inch hose and insert the free end of the crossover hose into the fill hole of the pre-positioned gas can.

9

Drain the gasoline into the gas can. Clean up any spillage with rags and immediately carry the rags to a well-ventilated location.

10

Loosen the remaining hose clamp on the crossover line and the clamp on the continuous vent line with a screwdriver. Pull both lines off their fittings.

11

Loosen and remove both the front and rear mounting bolts, washers and nuts under the tank with an open end wrench. Pull the male and female halves of the fuel gauge connector apart.

12

Remove the tank by lifting straight up. Carry the tank to a well-ventilated location and allow the tank to air out.

13

Remove the 10 top plate screws from the top plate of the old tank with a Torx socket and socket wrench. Remove the top plate and top plate gasket. Discard the gasket and the screws.

14

Reach into the tank and push down on the fuel pump to remove it from the fuel pump housing so it will fit through the hole. Remove the complete fuel pump assembly including the fuel pump, fuel pump housing, fuel filter screen, hose, fuel level sender and float from the old fuel tank.

Install the New Tank

15

Loosely attach the new fuel tank to the mounting brackets with the front and rear tank mounting bolts, washers and nuts using an open-end wrench. Install the old crossover line and vent line to the new tank using new hose clamps and a screwdriver. Tighten the front and rear mounting bolts with an open-end wrench.

16

Install the old fuel pump hose and a new fuel line hose clamp on the fuel filter fitting. Install the complete old fuel pump assembly in the new tank until the rubber spacer on the bottom of the assembly rests on the bottom of the new fuel tank.

17

Reconnect the fuel line. Reconnect the fuel pump module connector.

18

Replace the instrument panel and tighten the acorn nut with an Allen wrench.

19

Re-install the fuel pump fuse in the electrical caddy. Replace the electrical caddy cover.

20

Reconnect the loose cable to the negative battery post with an open-end wrench. Replace the seat. Refasten the seat mounting tab to the rear fender with an Allen wrench.

21

Refuel the motorcycle.