After putting a newer style sending unit in my tank I have discovered a possible issue that others have described. It appears the float may be hitting the vent line inside the tank preventing it from displaying the entire range of gas. If you happen to put the float above the vent line you will get the upper range and if you put it below it like I did you will get the lower range so you can see when you are running out.

Is this confirmed that the gas tank are different in the 98-00 years as opposed to the 01-05? I may have also put the float in incorrectly but I put it in the way it seemed it should be placed.

If you loook at this pic of the two units you can see they are oriented differently. I just looked at Ron Ayers and it appears the wire oreientation will be different and the float direction is the same, pointing backwards. It also looks like Ron Ayers pic shows two types of floats, one has a float and a reserve sensor on it?

Any tip on what direction to bend the float and where the vent lines run inside the tank.

 

How much can you see through the tank cap? We should see if we can look down in there and figure out what's going on, maybe even grab a big wrench and bend the vent tube out of the way if the interference is small enough.

 

Time to make a flexible camera that will fit inside the tank.

 

I have always thought one of those would be handy for all kinds of things. I wanted one back when I had that Q45 since it too had a CCT issue that you had to remove 1/2 the engine to fix or even find out if the fix had been applied to the car, but a fexi camera would have been enough to check it. I ended up selling the car rather than trying to do that.

Edit: you can just buy them at home depo now.. lol http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...5X-_-100608589

bit pricey though.

 

I thought the 01up tanks held more fuel?

 

Only in Europe.. They started with a smaller tank and it got increased to the same size as the USA tank in 01.

 

I think I have a board mounted camera that will fit in the tank. I'll look into it tonight after I burn off some more gas.

 

So you are saying you have a 5 gallon tank then? If so you are better at filling it than me...

As far as I know all US bikes regardless of year has a 4.2 gallon tank, just as the older bikes in Europe have... The newer however in Europe does have a 5 gallon tank...

As for the reason for this stupidity... Dunno... Honda US at it's prime, going about things asswards as usual... They can join hands with the Swedish/Northern European spare parts department... It's cheaper and faster getting parts from the US and paying shipping and tax + duty on them...

 

DON'T MEAN TO JUMP THIS THREAD, BUT DO HAVE SIMULAR QUESTION. OFTENED WONDERED IF THE FUEL LEVEL SENDER COULD BE ADJUSTED. WHEN I TOP OFF MY TANK IN LESS THAN 10 MILES IT DROPS 1 INCREMENT. WHEN I GET TO THE LAST INCREMENT & FILL IT BACK UP, IT NORMALLY ONLY TAKES 2.7 GALS. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?

 

@Tweety
youre right, european models from 2001 up have a 5 gallon tank and a different fuel level sending unit, due to the new cluster with a real fuel level indicator. Until 01 the VTRs had a 4.2 gallon tank and just a fuel reserve light.

 

Yes... Just bend the arm on the float a bit for adjustment... BTW I'm pretty sure you're supposed to run it till the last segment is blinking, that's the "reserve"...

I'm using a VFR float/arm so I had to "calibrate" it myself...

 

The adjustment should be just bending the arm of the float. Just like a toilet float if it's not filling high enough. Sounds like the arm just needs to be bent upwards. Are the components stock or did you put the sending unit in the tank.

 

Got some video

I had an old cheap web cam I got off craigslist for 8 bucks a few years ago, I guess it came in handy. Rigged the bulb off my flashlight onto it and shoved it into the tank.

You can see the float is resting on top of the vent line on the left side of the tank(right side of video). I think I see where a bend would resolve the issue. I just want to make sure I get a left/right bend and not an up down to prevent false readings.

 

Here is a screenshot I took of the video that pretty much shows the problem area. Any ideas of where the bends should go?

 

Hmm, I am just remembering this discussion from when it came up once before someone in the USA had posted a "wanted" for the newer firestorm tank, and the response he got was that the bigger one there was the same as ours here.

 

Yep... And If you look later in that thread I corrected that very person in that very thread as well...

I've been here a while... And if it's one thing I have learned it is the subtle and stupid differences between US Superhawks and European/Aussie Firestorm...

If the US had the bigger tanks the market would be flooded with them... Now as it is a 5 gallon tank from a newer Firestorm is almost as expensive as buying a new one... I have been looking for a good one for almost 2 years now, but all either have big dings in them or go for unreasonable amounts...

One of these days I'll crack and get me a VFR tank... But that's a long way down on my list of things that needs to be done... First is getting the new swing on so I can enjoy the good weather...

 

Well we got the fuel sensor to show the entire range. We shortened the float arm by half an inch. Drops a little dramatically for the first three dots as I have heard from others as well. Mine may be a little more extreme as the arm is shorter

first mark .6 miles
second mark 9 miles
third mark 23 miles

I wish someone here had a newer tank so I could get my camera into it and take video of it to compare the vent lines and the float location.

 

Next time you are low on fuel, swing by and we can adjust it some.. If we lessen the initial bend some it will swing up further into the full range, then if we add a bend back down further along the wire, it will prevent the float from hitting the top of the tank. (kind of how you first suggested)

 

i just got a 99 superhawk and the first thing the crossed my mind was to swap the gauge , i think its great the work you did and i will start my project soon and follow in you foot steps , againg thank you

 

Just bought a '01+ sensor off the info posted in this thread, thanks guys!

 

I must have really got lucky, I did some trading around.. And got a later Firestorm Black Fuel tank with a finger print size dent in the side.. The fuel tank was complete(sending unit, petcock and clean) Just the wrong color... Which is being stripped /dent pulled/ and painted the correct fast color(RED)

 

It might take some fiddling to get the larger Firestorm tank to work on a U.S.-market bike. I have not tried it myself, but I was told by Honda people in California that the airbox is different on the bikes with the larger tank. This causes a loss of a few horsepower, which is why the American company chose not to take the larger tank.

Again, this is what I was told by Honda employees. I don't have personal experience.

Also, I vaguely recall there being another difference, too -- maybe the petcock. It seems that one piece was mounted remotely on the larger tanks.

I'll be interested to see what it takes to make it work.

 

The airbox is unchanged... Since it's complete, it's just a matter of bolting and connecting it up, filling it and riding... But what do I know... I never done that swap, oh no... And it wasn't discussed a few posts earlier in this thread...

 

I bought my bike New Years day and the guy I bought it from gave me an extra gas tank that apprently he got from the fellow he bought it from that did all of the upgrades.

I was reading this thread and started looking at the tank. It is a little more angular and possibly a bit wider. How would I know if it's a euro tank? No it's not for sale!

 

Actually, you just gave a good description... A bit more angular, the "wings" over the legs are a bit larger, and a bit wider... And it doesn't have a hole for the petcock, instead the petcock is separate on a short hose, and mounts to the frame...

 

Thanks Tweety just checked and there is a hole in the rear of the tank I presume for the petcock, still it looks different and exactly as you describe at the "wing" area. Must be my old eyes!

 

www.vtr1000.org • View topic - Fuel Tank removal

 

Thanks Wicky..that confirms it my tank is not the Firestorm tank, oh well!

 

Could it be a VFR tank?

Like this: https://www.superhawkforum.com/forum...mage041-sm-jpg

https://www.superhawkforum.com/forum...ge2/#post74375

 

Well buggers.. All the information is informative.