What's that brown goo?

[donaldb]

There are 4 drain hoses under the FJR. Three are clamped together and then the forth is up closer to the front of the bike. Today, parked in parkinglot at Barbers-----what an absolutely awsome superbike race this afternoon, you guys are gonna flip when you see it on TV. Ayway, I always park my bike at home in a shop bldg, level concrete floor, on the center stand. I park at work again in a covered garage, level, on the center stand. Today, I parked on a bit of a slope and used the side stand. Parked in the sun all day. After the race was over I went to get back on the bike and there was a small amount (several drops-area about the size of a quarter or a little less) of brown oily residue that had drained out of one of the three drain tubes that are clamped together. I am not sure what it is, or if I should be concerned. My trip back home is tomorrow. This has not happened before. I'm wondering if the residue is because I parked bike on down slop w/side stand, combined w/heat today---what on earth could this be? I know one has to be the battery drain, another the radiator. What are the other 2? This stuff did not look like radiator fluid nor battery acid, it was brown and had an oily texture. Some help on this would be appreciated. Thanx-BD

 

[Derek]

when my 04 was young it did the same thing. it was a seal. no big. warranty fix. i would make sure it's exiting the hose and not just dripping on or near it, then look closely for the highest point you can see the oil.

derek

 

[radman]

No battery drain, doesn't need it-it's sealed. The hoses are for fuel. One emptys the area around the gas cap well, the other is a tank vent/overflow vent. The tank vent one is the most important of the bunch, it is the one thats connects where you see the little orange doughnut at the rear of the cap well. Part of oil change procedure should be to spray brake clean down that vent tube-flush it well and look for free flow through and down, as it tends to collect road funk at the opening and plug. If not-remove cap assembly and investigate why, for the pump is powerful enough to collapse the tank should this vent not work-as has happened to more bikes than one cares to think about. Another tip is to clip the end at an angle using a side cutters or razor blade so that the opening faces toward the rear of the bike, this helps prevent clogging.

 

[donaldb]

Radman, my tank is full, combined w/down slope and side stand and full day of full sunshine and a high temp today of upper 80's, you think maybe it was fuel expansion vent tube? if so why brown and oily?

Edit: Derek, it's coming from a hose, I could tell by the ring of residue around the bottom of the hose.

 

[twowheelnut]

Radman, my tank is full, combined w/down slope and side stand and full day of full sunshine and a high temp today of upper 80's, you think maybe it was fuel expansion vent tube? if so why brown and oily?
Edit: Derek, it's coming from a hose, I could tell by the ring of residue around the bottom of the hose.

Road, um, funk. Rad's tip about the brake cleaner spray yields a tremdous amount of gunk for such a small diameter hose.

 

[Geezer]

Sounds to me like your fuel warmed up, expanded, and vented down the hose as it is designed to do. The brown goo was probably road spooge that collected in the tube over time and got washed out with the overflow.

The same thing happened to me last week. I don't normally buy fuel on my way to work but that day I filled the tank at a station just outside my office and parked with a full tank. The sun was hot that day and I got a call that afternoon from a workmate telling me that my bike was leaking.

 

[donaldb]

I just went outside and checked and isolated the two tubes that run to the tank and it is one of those two tobes that leaked the goo. One of the rubber tubes has a red stripe, it was not that tube, it was the other one (solid black). So what do I do again when I get home? spray some break clean down the hose to clean it out?

 

[radman]

Can't hurt, but it did what it's supposed to do. You saw evidence of a successful tank venting, not evidence of a problem .

 

[blueman]

I agree on the fuel venting. One of my first rides on my 05 about a year ago I parked it in the sun for an hour or so. I walked out to my bike and freaked when I saw a oily looking spot below the vent tubes on the asphalt. I saw that one of the vent tubes looked slightly wet at the end it was fuel. Fuel picking up road mung mixing with aspalt made the oil spot. It was a hot day 90 plus. I noticed it never do's it in the qarage. It still do's it if its warm and in the sun. Gas expanding vent I was told. It seems to do it less now though under the same conditions with alittle over 2000 mile on it. God I need to ride more this year.

 

[donaldb]

I agree on the fuel venting. One of my first rides on my 05 about a year ago......with alittle over 2000 mile on it. God I need to ride more this year.

hhhhmmmmmmm, yea, I'd say so!!!

 

[TheAxeman]

The tank vent one is the most important of the bunch, it is the one thats connects where you see the little orange doughnut at the rear of the cap well. Part of oil change procedure should be to spray brake clean down that vent tube-flush it well and look for free flow through and down, as it tends to collect road funk at the opening and plug. If not-remove cap assembly and investigate why, for the pump is powerful enough to collapse the tank should this vent not work-as has happened to more bikes than one cares to think about.

I can bear witness to Radmans testimony here....The vent clogged on my '00 VFR and collapsed the sidewall of the tank.

 

[Geezer]

One thing you should check is the way the bottom end of the hose is cut. It should be cut at an angle and the opening in the hose should be facing back and down. In other words, the angle should be facing the back of the bike. This help keep stuff from being drawn up into the hose while riding. Mine was directed to the side, which is probably OK, but I cut a fresh angle on it towards the rear. Only took off about a half inch. The problem occurs if the opening is facing forward.