Acerbis 3.7 Gal. Tank

[luckylarry]

I recent bought a green Acerbis 3.7 gal. tank for my KLX300.  Today I ran out of fuel (on reserve) on the way to the gas station at 129 miles.  I had tipped my KLX300 over on both sides trying to get all of the fuel that I could out of it.  I was shocked when I could only get 2.88 gal. in a 3.7 gal tank at the gas station.  Has anyone else experienced this or has an answer as to how to actually use all of the gas in that 3.7 gal Acerbis tank? 

Lucky Larry

[Hurricane]

Make sure your shorter reserve petcock straw is level with the bottom of the petcock and not standing an inch or two higher.

[luckylarry]

That does not appear to be the answer.

[Guido]

Here's a couple links for starters. I think they both feature the same guy's solution. I googled "acerbis fuel wings" to find them.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6856102#post6856102

http://www.kawasakiforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21063

So tipping it over didn't slosh the gas over to the petcock side? I would have thought it would.

[luckylarry]

Thanks for the response.  Tiping the bike over to get the fuel from the other side doesn't work because the petcock is in the center in a small dip about the size of a cup.  When you tip the bike over on the side, after you fill the "cup" the rest of the fuel runs to the other side.  The cup (1/4 of a quart) is only good for about a mile.  The fuel pump idea is a good one for 250's, but the 300 does not have a vacum source on the carb.  Any other ideas?

[Guido]

A turkey baster with a long hose on it?

[luckylarry]

The answer to the acerbis tank fuel issue for KLX300's is a modification of the info on your suggested web sites.  You set it up the same way with the two hoses running out to the wings, but since you have no fuel pump, you have to rely on the principle of the "siphon effect".  So you set it up so that you have no reserve, (otherwise when you run out and switched to reserve you would break the siphon effect) in which case it will siphon all most all of the fuel in the tank.  After I installed the system I tested it and it siphoned 3.75 gal. out of the tank (my tank actually holds 3.95 gal. instead of the 3.7 advertised), leaving .2 gal in the wings.  This will give me a range of 198 miles to bone dry which I can live with.

Lucky Larry

[SLO-KLR]

The answer to the acerbis tank fuel issue for KLX300's is a modification of the info on your suggested web sites.  You set it up the same way with the two hoses running out to the wings, but since you have no fuel pump, you have to rely on the principle of the "siphon effect".  So you set it up so that you have no reserve, (otherwise when you run out and switched to reserve you would break the siphon effect) in which case it will siphon all most all of the fuel in the tank.  After I installed the system I tested it and it siphoned 3.75 gal. out of the tank (my tank actually holds 3.95 gal. instead of the 3.7 advertised), leaving .2 gal in the wings.  This will give me a range of 198 miles to bone dry which I can live with.

Lucky Larry

That makes sense. 

[Guido]

So Larry you've installed your system already? Could you give a few more details of the how you did it, specifically the fixturing (is that a word?) around the outlet from the tank. It sounds like its basically the same as the set up on those links, minus the pump, which is fine with me. I'm considering getting this tank and it's encouraging that you getting all the fuel out of it.

[luckylarry]

I used a 3/16" X 20" clear fuel line hose with a 1/8" brass nipple fitting in the end (drilled out to 9/64) to hold it down for the long side and an 18" on the short side.  You remove the metric petcock fuel filter and plastic tube (you will not have a reserve).  The fuel filter is the same thread and diameter as 1/8 pipe, except that it is straight and the pipe is tapered so you can only get 2 or 3 threads engagement with the 1/8 pipe nipple (use some fuel resistant sealer on it).  I used a 1/8" pipe X 1/4" nipple and screwed it in the fuel filter hole.  I used 1/4" fuel line about 3+  inches long to go into the tank(above the tank fuel bowl), there it connected to a brass 1/4" by 1/8" T.  (This is kind of tricky, initially to get the parts into place the 1/4" fuel line needs to be 12"+ long, you cut it off when you are ready to hook it to the petcock). 
I used a stiff wire with a hook bent in the end of it, ran it up through the petcock hole and out through the top fuel fill hole and hooked on to the 1/4" fuel line (pin hole in the end) to pull everything into the tank.  The 1/8" fuel lines going up to the wings connect to the 1/4' 1/8" T.  I used a claw on a flex shaft to maneuver the lines into place.  The 1/8" lines have to go through the middle opening in the side of the tank(the bottom is to small and the top is to high). The 1/8" lines and the T go through the fuel fill hole in the top of the tank.  After they are in the tank, stick the 1/4" line through the petcock hole, cut it to the right length and install the petcock.  Use these directions in combination with the ones on the other sites and you will be able to figure it out.  I hope this helps.  Read everything at least 3 times.

[Guido]

Thanks much Larry. I think it will help when I have the tank in hand.