Another OEM petcock question

[JetDriver]

Tonight riding home, the bike began to sputter and I switched the tank to reserve.  Well beyond the time it should have taken to recover, it was still sputtering.  I limped to a gas station and put 5.2 gal in my 5.3 gal tank!  After leaving the gas station, I checked the "off" position and it worked fine.  I'm assuming the petcock needs replacing, but other than not having reserve, it's running fine.  Do I have an imminent problem, or can I leave it until after PDC?

[MP]

1.  Have a spare cover set in your saddlebag, and the necessary wrenches to take the tank off and change the cover set on the shoulder of the road.

It MAY make it.

2.  MUCH easier to change at home, in your own garage!

MP

[JetDriver]

I'm believing it's the cover-set, but I don't understand what's going on with it.  There has to be vacuum, and it has to be opening and closing the diaphragm.  The selector is working, at least partially, because the "off" position works.  So, everything seems to be operating normally, except it continued to feed fuel after the fuel level in the tank reached the bottom of the "on" portion.  My understanding is that all the cover-set is doing is using vacuum to open and close the diaphragm.  How's does a bad cover-set affect the "on" and "res" positions?

I'm not challenging- I'm trying to understand.

[NITRO]

It sounds like it might be on its way out. My was acting in a similar manner on my way to PDC last year. I could go 60 miles or so, but then the cycle would sputter and die, like it needed to be on reserve. As long as I topped the tank off every 50 miles I was fine.

The diaphragm holds vacuum to keep fuel flowing and when it fails, there will be a small tear in the diaphragm that allows the vacuum to escape. You can end up with something like I had on my way to PDC where you're able to limp along, or you can have a complete failure and the cycle won't even start like I had in Maggie Valley. It makes no difference if you're on "on" or "reserve."

I second MP's comments to get it fixed before you leave, but as you saw in Maggie Valley (and PDC last year) it's a relatively easy fix if you have the tools needed.

[JetDriver]

I hope I'm not talking in circles, but I think I've got just the opposite situation from what you describe, Nitro.  My bike ran fine, with the selector set to "on," right down to empty.  When it began to sputter like it was out of gas, I turned the selector from "on" to "res," and it WAS out of gas.  The reserve fuel had been used up with the selector in the "on" position.  It's a 5.3 gal tank, and I put 5.2 gal in it.  When I switched to "res," the tank was already dry.

[NITRO]

Thanks for clarifying. It's not the diaphragm then, I don't think. I've not experienced anything like that...

[MP]

Still is the petcock. There are two sides to it.  The usual failure is the diaphram side, like Nitro had in Maggie Valley.  However, it can fail on the selector side.  As you turn positions, there is a hole that matches up to either the main tank, or the reserve, or nothing, for OFF.

There is an O-ring around that, that provides sealing.  When the O-ring fails, the gas leaks between them, thus using up reserve fuel while on "ON".

That side is "non-repairable".  It is held on with rivets.  You can drill them out, replace the o-ring, then put it back together. Use screws to replace the rivets.

Otherwise, you need a new petcock, not just the coverset, as it has no part for the o-ring side.

If you do not change it out before you come, just put it on reserve, and leave it there.  Just be sure to fill before you run out.  Do not be changing back and forth, as there is a little risk of the o-ring binding up, or possibly plugging the port, thus starving the bike.  Unlikely, but possible.  You still will be using the reserve fuel anyway, so you might as well set it to reserve.  Do NOT turn it to OFF.  It should be good for the trip with no problems.  Just replace the whole petcock, or go ahead and drill out the rivets, and replace the oring.

See you in PDC Jeff.

MP

[don07tncav]

Valk Deux just had a petcock failure on the switch side. (My standard) I had been bush-hogging our hayfield, drove the tractor back into the barn and smelled gas. Looked at both the Valks and gas was coming out the drain hole on the right exhaust. Pulled the tank, tested the petcock and gas flowed at all settings. Ordered a Pingle instead of drilling it out. Pulled the plugs and gas had backed up in one cylinder too....

[JetDriver]

Thanks for the help.  I understand what I've got now!   I think I'm going to take your advice, MP, and leave the selector alone and do the trip.  Probably a pingle for my winter projects list.

[Weslox]

You might find this other forum's topic of interest as well. I think I have the same issue...switching to "res" and there was nothing left. Good thing my daughter had the day off work and could deliver me a gallon. I know she won't be letting me forget that for awhile 

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php?topic=3857.0

[JetDriver]

Thanks for the link, Weslox.  Yeah, I've pretty much figured that if I'm going to have to replace the petcock anyway, I'll probably put a pingle in.  I'm still mulling over MP's idea on how to fix my old one, though.

[Mulepick]

I don't mean to hijack but this is related...
First, the recommended Pingle (1311CH @ $95) seems to be a "normal" petcock in that it has two nipples for "in" and "out".  Doesn't it need vacuum to work?

Second, I'm riding along and have to switch to reserve at 84 mi.  I refuel shortly thereafter and the bike only takes 3.3 gal (2.0 left).  Usually I don't have to go on reserve until around 125.  Does this sound like a petcock disorder?  If so, where do I get the repair kit if I don't want to spend the $ for the Pingle?

tks,

bob

[hoser]

The pingel you describe is a manual model, they make a vacumn model also.  I prefer the manual, since I turn my fuel off each time I ride, and back on when I start.  Back in the day, all bikes had manual  petcocks.  Since I was around back in the day, that is what I use.  It does have a reserve position on the lever, along with on and off. The repair kit is called a cover set, available on line from many vendors, or from a dealer at twice the price as online.   Hoser   

[Mulepick]

I do seem to remember vacuum and non-vacuum Pingle options from checking some years ago but now I see Pingle's site only lists the non-vacuum as the valve for Valks.  I, too, always turn the valve off.  This then is the difference between the two options?  That is, whether or not you shut the fuel off when not in use?

[MP]

Second, I'm riding along and have to switch to reserve at 84 mi.  I refuel shortly thereafter and the bike only takes 3.3 gal (2.0 left).  Usually I don't have to go on reserve until around 125.  Does this sound like a petcock disorder?  If so, where do I get the repair kit if I don't want to spend the $ for the Pingle?

Yes.  Change the cover set.  hdlparts.com has the cover set for the rebuild.

MP