Gas tank leaking

[gsxr hoe getter]

So i come home to the strong smell of gas in my garage and upon inspection find a large puddle of gas under the bike. After removing the tank i see that it is leaking out of the plate where the line hooks up. Although i've never taken this plate off, i have taken others off other fuel tanks and know how all that works and have a feeling that replacing the gasket will fix it all up. But can i flip the tank upside down without fuel leaking out all over the place, or do i have to drain the tank first? And if draining the tank is the answer then what is the proper way to do it without making a mess? It's a full tank, and i don't feel like loosing half of it at 15-20 dollars a tank. '98 Suzuki GSXR 600 just in case that matters.

[eklew]

I always have the same problem when I switch fuel pumps between my stock and race tanks. You can take the tank off and just flip it over on a piece of carpet or cardboard and let it rest with the cap still intact. Some gas may leak out of the overflow lines but that is it. Take the fuel pump off with the gasket and put some silicone that is resistant to gas around the gasket and tank. Then reattach the fuel pump making sure you don't strip the bolts and you should be good to go. Good luck with everything and if you need any other help with the 98 600, let me know!

[TT5.0]

Don't flip the tank upside down, drain it!!! I did the same thing with my 96 SRAD 750 and the leaking gas ate a big chunk out of the paint overnight. Really pissed me off because I had just gotten the bike. The tank gasket is a very common thing to start leaking on those bikes. Trust me and drain the tank or you might be sorry. Maybe it was just my gas cap that was leaky, but I wouldn't risk it. Also, I wouldn't bother with silicone, a new gasket is pretty cheap.

You can drain the tank by putting a little vacuum on the vacuum line that goes to the petcock thingy. It should make fuel flow out through the fuel line. I did this with a spare vacuum line and suck on it a little and pinch the hose at the same time. Of course my tank wasn't completely full, so it might take a while that way.

[TT5.0]

You can just see the damage in this picture. Took the clear coat right off and left most of the base coat.

[Mel]

the 97 and 98 SRAD GSXR's did have a recall on the fuel pump gasket a couple years ago. You might find out whether or not it was done already...if not, you *might* still be able to get it warrentied. If not, it isn't an overly expensive part, and not hard to replace. I have a full factory manual for that bike and would have happy to lend assistance if needed.

[gsxr hoe getter]

Thanks for all the help. Already have the tank off. I think i'm going the route of draining the gas, not sure if it's worth stripping the paint off the tank just to save some time.

[Mel]

umm, stripping paint? You shouldn't need to do anything to the paint....the gas will start to eat through the paint if you set the tank in a pool of it, but aside from that, removing, draining, replacing a gasket will not mar paint at all.

[gsxr hoe getter]

Don't flip the tank upside down, drain it!!! I did the same thing with my 96 SRAD 750 and the leaking gas ate a big chunk out of the paint overnight.

That's what i meant by stripping paint, from having the tank upside down. I would rather take the time to drain it than flip it over while full and risk having the gas leak out and strip it.

[jeremygixxer]

found this in a search, which hose do i pull on the tank to drain? besides everything that is on the fuel pump, there are 2 lines

[gsxr hoe getter]

I actually propped the tank up above a drain pan and just loosened the bolts to the plate and let it drain out that way until it was empty. Replaced the gasket with a new one, and never had another problem with it.

[jeremygixxer]

sweet, gonna do it right now

[jeremygixxer]

actually, i dont have anything small enough to fit under there

anyone know? my manual isnt clear

[gsxr hoe getter]

I took the tank all the way off, only a couple extra bolts if i remember right, also a good time to check/change plugs, clean/replace air filter etc while the fuel drains out.