myzeneye Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 (edited) ok, so im not a complete tool... but..... i picked up a new bike the other week, a 2003 model sherco 250, and this weekend is the first chance ive had to take a closer look at it, in preperation to my first ride out on sunday.... i wanted to change the spark plug and have a closer look, so i removed the rear mud guard and the tank.... done the work i wanted and came to replace the tank and rear muddy........ i tried over and over and over again but could not get the tank and the muddy to fit/sit right.... i checked and double checked under the tank for throttle cable obstruction and wires etc... but it just didnt wanna fit ? whats the score ? is there a knack to getting it in right.....? if i sat the rear of the tank in first, when i sent it home, the hole at the top was slightly out and just would not line up with the hole.... it also seemed to sit slighlty proud on the fram in the seat area... but i could see no obstruction at all... ? i managed to get it on and moved on to the rear mud gaurd...i spotted the little lip on the under side of the muddy where it meets the airbox, and yes, i had that sat right, but because the tank probably wasny sat right, the screws at the rear of the muddy just wouldnt line up..... i know this sounds so stupid, i promise you, im not a complete idiout, but i just cant get it back right...?# is there a knack to it ? one other thing, the fuel cap lid ..... thats as stiff as anything... cant get that to go on right either ? never had any probs like this with my old battered gaggas, it just seems the sherco has got all its parts fitting very snuggly indeed ! is it just me, or are shercos like this ? any advice welcome.... Edited March 18, 2011 by myzeneye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasntme Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 (edited) Every time I put my tank back on I have the same problem. Think I have sussed it now though. To get the tank on, take the 12mm bolt out that the little hex bolt goes into. (Into the cdi unit?) Screw it in so it starts on the thread, but only turn it a tiny bit so its quite loose. From there put your tank on, stick an allen key / screwdriver into the 12mm tank bolt and line it up. Once lined up you can press down on the tank with one hand and then you can stick your normal hex bolt in and as it tightens, it tightens the 12mm tank bolt. Now stand and admire the work you have just done and realise you forgot to put the spark plug cap back on Then on the fuel cap, I find if i screw it on gently it leaks when I fall off / throw the bike on the floor / do a step. Yet if I press it down very firmly and straight it will then turn quite tightly and is leak free. The first time I did it I thought I was going to break it. I think there is 3 grooves, and I'm guessing its got to be screwed past all three to work effectively. Both issues are probably connected to the tank expanding over the years. Try not to leave it stood with fuel in for too long is what I was told. Out of interest do bolt on the rear guard? Try cable ties, as they are much cheaper than replacing the mudguard when it snaps every time you fall off! I only use a bolt at the front of the seat. Let us know if this works! I'm curious now and awaiting a real fix for the tank issue. Cheers, Rich Edited March 18, 2011 by wasntme Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myzeneye Posted March 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 (edited) cheers for the info... yep, i had intended to put cable ties on the rear mudguard instead of the bolts, but the fact that the where out of line just got me focused on tryna get the dam thing back where it should be.... the bolt your saying to loosen...are you talking about the nut you screw the bolt into at the top of the petrol tank ? i did way that one up but it seemed very tight, i wondered if it was tacked into the frame as it didnt seem to want to budge... ill give it a go in the morning.... ill let you know how i get on.... the petrol cap..... it doesnt seem to want to catch the thread at all.... ive examined it closely and theres no signs of cross threading or any deformitys ....its just so bloody tight and doesnt wanna catch the thread ? also, because i cant get it screwed on right im not sure if it should sit flat (you know,parralel with the floor) or slightly angled back with the angled fall of the tank.. ? friggin bike.... Edited March 19, 2011 by myzeneye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markieboi Posted March 19, 2011 Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 cheers for the info... yep, i had intended to put cable ties on the rear mudguard instead of the bolts, but the fact that the where out of line just got me focused on tryna get the dam thing back where it should be.... the bolt your saying to loosen...are you talking about the nut you screw the bolt into at the top of the petrol tank ? i did way that one up but it seemed very tight, i wondered if it was tacked into the frame as it didnt seem to want to budge... ill give it a go in the morning.... ill let you know how i get on.... the petrol cap..... it doesnt seem to want to catch the thread at all.... ive examined it closely and theres no signs of cross threading or any deformitys ....its just so bloody tight and doesnt wanna catch the thread ? also, because i cant get it screwed on right im not sure if it should sit flat (you know,parralel with the floor) or slightly angled back with the angled fall of the tank.. ? friggin bike.... Yeah mate the cap should fit level to the tank, my mate's old 03 used to do the same thing with the fuel leaking and the cap not fitting properly. Turned out to be the rubber valve/seal inside the cap wasnt allowing the cap to seat properly on the threads on the tank and had slipped down a bit onto the treads on the cap. Worth a look if nowt else mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcman56 Posted March 19, 2011 Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 (edited) I had a 2002 2.9 and the tank grew over time. I used a file to slot the front mounting hole further back towards the cap for a better fit. That made mounting OK and I could push the tank down in place but it still did not fit real well to the frame. I don't know if it was tank expansion or I bent something but eventually, the rear fender started to overlap the tank. I used a band saw to shorten the front of the fender to get an acceptable but not great fit. On a Sherco, the rear fender does not do the best job at keeping water out of the air box. I think this is more of a problem when washing the bike rather than riding the bike but I live in a pretty dry climate. If you do a search, you can find some old postings by Ishy detailing how to seal things up with weather stripping/ tape. It is pretty simple to do and is cheap insurance to keep water out of the air box. When I got the gas cap on straight to the neck of the tank, it turned fairly easy and sealed well. When it was not 100% straight, it was tight and leaked. Edited March 19, 2011 by mcman56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasntme Posted March 19, 2011 Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 Yes the 12mm bolt just screw into the bracket on the cdi box so should undo no probs. I too have issues with water when washing the bike off. A bit of gaffa tape over the join does the trick for me. Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myzeneye Posted March 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 god dang sherco,.... i had another do at it today..... removed the tank and slackened off the front bolt hole... it seemed to move up a good amount and i thought it would deffo help, but it never...hahaha... as i tried to tighten it back up it seems to pull back flat and slide back in to it position... i even tried doing it with the cdi (?) pulled out of the bracket but no joy.... i eventually got the front bolt hole to move up a little but it did little in the way of helping the tank sit back down snug on the fram near the seat area.... all i can say is it was fitted ok before i took it off, all i did was change the spark plug and put the cap back on the same...no it just dont fit, it just dont look right...?it looks like the engine mount is what is obstructing it, im guessing due to the tank swelling....im gonna remove the mount tomorrow and fit the tank just to see if that is what is causing it ? (dont panic, ill put the engine mount back in before i ride it!) ive seen the price of new tanks for this bike........... and there frickin out rageous........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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