fan problems?

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Timbo
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 2:46 pm
I ride: Vulcan 500

fan problems?

Postby Timbo » Tue May 26, 2015 2:50 am

I was cruising interstate yesterday at around 75 mph and my bike just quit running. After letting it sit for 10-15 minutes I finally was able to start the bike again. One thing I noticed was if it did get hot I did not have any lights come on nor was the fan running. I rode the rest of the way home (about 25 miles) with no more problems. Any suggestions?

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Triangles
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Joined: Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:35 pm
I ride: '94 Black Cherry Vulcan 500, '06 Candyfire Red Vulcan 500 LTD
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Re: fan problems?

Postby Triangles » Wed May 27, 2015 1:45 pm

Sounds like your gas tank vent stuck shut and you literally ran out of gas when a partial vacuum wouldn't let any more gasoline out of the tank.
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Timbo
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 2:46 pm
I ride: Vulcan 500

Re: fan problems?

Postby Timbo » Thu May 28, 2015 6:56 am

What can be done to check this problem and resolve the issue?

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Triangles
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Posts: 819
Joined: Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:35 pm
I ride: '94 Black Cherry Vulcan 500, '06 Candyfire Red Vulcan 500 LTD
Location: Toledo Ohio
Contact:

Re: fan problems?

Postby Triangles » Thu May 28, 2015 8:26 am

If/when it happens again, pull over and pop open the gas cap. If it starts back up again then there's the problem. In 6 years of ownership this has only happened twice to me. One of those times it was the vent hose pinched by the seat. The other I just flipped the cap back and forth several times. Others have had to disassemble the gas cap.
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Timbo
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 2:46 pm
I ride: Vulcan 500

Re: fan problems?

Postby Timbo » Thu May 28, 2015 11:53 am

When it stalled on me I did open to the cap to see how much fuel was in the tank. I took an air compressor and aired out the vent. Also followed the blue tagged hose that connects to gas tank and goes down to the seperater ( I think) was worn where it goes through the bike frame towards the rear tire area so I plan on replacing the hose also. Thanks for all the valuable information.

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Triangles
Site Admin
Posts: 819
Joined: Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:35 pm
I ride: '94 Black Cherry Vulcan 500, '06 Candyfire Red Vulcan 500 LTD
Location: Toledo Ohio
Contact:

Re: fan problems?

Postby Triangles » Thu May 28, 2015 10:26 pm

The vent valve or whatever it's called is actually in the gas cap. I don't think you can simply "blow it out." It has some diaphragms or plastic bits that act as a pseudo one way valve to let air in the tank but not out. I say "pseudo" because if pressure builds in the tank it does let it out. This is the squealing noise typically heard when you park the bike with a hot engine and the engine heats the gas in the gas tank. The problem arises when when a tank is pressurized like when the bike has been baking in the sun on a hot day and then you go for a ride and release the pressure by burning the fuel. Sometimes the valve gets "sticky" and won't let air go the other way. I don't really know what causes one to go bad and be "sticky" all the time but I've read about people who have successfully taken the cap apart and done something with the bits that make up the valve and/or swapping bits from a salvage gas cap. The one time it happened to me after stalling the 3rd time I realized it was the vent. I opened the gas cap and used something hard to tap on both sides of the cap. That rattled free whatever was sticking. The second time it the vent hose that was pinched by the seat which had the same effect as the valve sticking; no air could get in to make up for the used fuel.
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