gas smell but no leak??

i had my girlfriend helping me clean out the garage the other day, and she said the garage smelled really strongly of gas. i'm out there every day so maybe i don't notice it. there's nothing leaking that i can tell - no drops on the ground and nothing on the bike.

the other day i kind of noticed the smell myself. i don't keep any full gas cans or anything in the garage the only possible source is the gas in the bike's tank.

any ideas whats going on?

 

Check the tank alnog the botttom and see if you have a leak in one of your seams.

These tanks like to rust where the seam is along the bottom.

MN

 

take a flashlight and inspect tank carbs very carefully and look for any gas leaks. rub your finger around float bowl of carbs, carb overflow, intake manifolds, and anything else involved with fuel.

also what petcock setting are you leaving it on? test your vaccum line if you have one (put petcock on ON and unplug fuel line, unplug vacuum line and suck on it and see if gas flows)

if you dont see any gas. feel any gas on your finger. and your petcock is running fine might just be something else besides your bike.

use all your senses. stick your nose close to the bike and try to determine where it smells strongest.

when was last time bike was run?

 

Do you have a petcock/float issue and the bike is sitting there filling its motor up with gas?

Also; it's been brutally hot up until just recently; it could just be the tank "beathing" and all the fumes got bottled up.

 

gas caps are vented. maybe she has a stronger smeller then you.

you have gas cans that aren't full. but they once had gas.

if you can't find anything obvious. the next time you ride it. maybe drop by an emissions shop and see if they'll run the tail pipe sniffer around your bike. unburned gas vapors escaping into the atmosphere will tip the scale on the machine in the form of hydrocarbons.

the machine tests for hydrocarbons. carbon monoxide. carbon dioxide. and oxygen. hydrocarbons is unburned gas. carbon monoxide is partially burned gas.

your signature says you live in las vegas. i think las vegas does emissions???

 

i'm going to lean with fitz's answer on this one. i've had the tank off many many times with gas in it in the on position it doesn't leak, and its not leaking anywhere else on the tank.

i had a gas leak issue with my carbs about 8 months ago and they were gone over with a fine tooth comb to find any possible other leaks. my bike is my daily rider and up until about 3 days ago we've been in the 100s+ for weeks.

 

lopezfr2 - Your quote:
‘…i've had the tank off many many times…’


Open the oil fill plug and smell for gas in the crank case.
If it smells of gas, you may have found your source.

I have been doing work on my bike and repeatedly removing gas tank.
I authored a topic: Fuel line empties when disconnect
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=27667.html

I still have not sorted out in my mind precisely why this happens.
Maybe you are experiencing the same.

 

With that new added info I would definitely check your float levels using the "clear tube" method. And give the oil filler a whiff.