1983 gs1100e how to turn petcock to off

[ddeboer]

Can somebody tell me how to turn the petcock on my 1983 gs1100e off? I can only see the following on the petcock: PRI(prime), RUN(obvious)RES (reserve) and FUEL pointing up towards the tank. I which to run the carbs dry for storage and don't know how to starve the carbs of fuel to do so.
Thankyou in advance!

[tkent02]

There is no off position, but On or RES will shut off the fuel when the engine is not running, provided the ancient petcock is still working correctly. Leave it in one of them.

PRI flows fuel whether the engine is running or not.

[ddeboer]

How to turn petcock off

Thanks Tkent, So how do I run the carbs dry so there is no fuel remaining in them when I store the bike?

[tom203]

"I (want) to run the carbs dry for storage "
Already ? it's just getting warm!

Remove vacuum line from petcock and plug line with golf tee, pencil, etc.- go for really short ride and head home before it starts sputtering. But this won't empty all carbs completely, so open up fuel bowl drains.

[sedelen]

Drain, or run the bike out of fuel in the on position, use reserve to get home, then switch to on, The bike will eventually quit from lack of fuel.
Guess how I know?
Or.................... you could loosen the bolt on the bottom of each carb and let the fuel drain from it. Might want to get something to catch the fuel in, and mostly likely you'll need to replace that gasket. If your bike's petcock is in pri when you do this you'll be catching fuel until your tank is empty.

[Steve]

All good suggestions for running the carbs dry, but I feel it is better to treat the gas with Sta-Bil or Seafoam and store the carbs wet.

Unless you open up the carbs and blow all the passages with compressed air, there will still be enough gas to evaporate and leave deposits that will clog the passages.
I believe that is what you are trying to avoid in the first place.

.

[sedelen]

All good suggestions for running the carbs dry, but I feel it is better to treat the gas with Sta-Bil or Seafoam and store the carbs wet.

Unless you open up the carbs and blow all the passages with compressed air, there will still be enough gas to evaporate and leave deposits that will clog the passages.
I believe that is what you are trying to avoid in the first place.

.

That has always been my fear is not getting all the residue out of the carb once it's drained. I didn't have this fear before ethanol, but now I think it would just leave a slimy film which will harden and when wet again will break down into dust like garbage that could cause potential problems.

[tom203]

That has always been my fear is not getting all the residue out of the carb once it's drained. I didn't have this fear before ethanol, but now I think it would just leave a slimy film which will harden and when wet again will break down into dust like garbage that could cause potential problems.

Yes, before ethanol, I'd run the bowls dry- but now I use a hearty dose of stabil at sleep time and then fresh gas at wake up - seems to work.

[sedelen]

One of the things people seem to forget is that when using stabil or whatever fuel stabilizer it is, some just put it in the tank and forget it.
Sure that will condition the fuel in the tank, but you got to run the bike long enough afterwards to insure that the stabil/fuel mix has actually made it to the carbs, otherwise it's worthless.
So, if I'm not going to ride for awhile, I'll put it in the tank, slosh it around some and go for a ride, for at least 30 minutes.

[5150/gs]

Drain, or run the bike out of fuel in the on position, use reserve to get home, then switch to on, The bike will eventually quit from lack of fuel.
Guess how I know?
Or.................... you could loosen the bolt on the bottom of each carb and let the fuel drain from it. Might want to get something to catch the fuel in, and mostly likely you'll need to replace that gasket. If your bike's petcock is in pri when you do this you'll be catching fuel until your tank is empty.

Last night going up I-87 my fuel line came loose at 80mph,it seemed to drain my carbs very well,and some of the fuel tank to boot.it worked really well, my prime on my petcock not functioning for me didn't help matters.
Battery died,twice. finally started my last push at the bottom of the hill.10pm at night to boot.
I do not suggest this method.
It took 2 hrs to get from Wireless guys house to exit 9 then 1.5 hrs to get home for what should have taken 20 minutes .
Always something with me lol

[sedelen]

Last night going up I-87 my fuel line came loose at 80mph,it seemed to drain my carbs very well,and some of the fuel tank to boot.it worked really well, my prime on my petcock not functioning for me didn't help matters.
Battery died,twice. finally started my last push at the bottom of the hill.10pm at night to boot.
I do not suggest this method.
It took 2 hrs to get from Wireless guys house to exit 9 then 1.5 hrs to get home for what should have taken 20 minutes .
Always something with me lol

Sounds like you went through quite and ordeal.
I don't know why your fuel line came loose or why your Pri doesn't work.
Pri is nothing more than a gravity flow, as long as there's fuel in the tank,
whether engine is running or not fuel should flow..


Perhaps I need to spell it out more clearly.
As far as prime not working, was the engine running or not? If not you may have had switched to reserve, it's easy for someone not too familiar with these bikes to have what they think is reserve and pri, mixed up.
If you drain your tank somewhat, and you don't have the bike running, and in pri the fuel should flow as long as there's gas in the tank. In reserve it should only flow when the engine is running.
My suggestion was to run it until it runs out of gas in the "On" position then switch to reserve to get home, then switch back to on and it should run out of gas, but there still may and probably be gas in the bowls.


But instead of that and take the chance on having anymore wild adventures with loose fuel lines and such at 80mph at night on Interstates, perhaps you should just leave it on "ON" and drain the carbs by loosening the bolts on the bottom of each bowl of the carb. (Without the bike running!) and let the gas drain from each carb. That would be the sure way to get all the gas out of the carbs.

[5150/gs]

had the tank off and didn't put the hose on all the way must be,second,the prime doesn't work cause i messed up the petcock when i put the new diaphraghm in, bent up the stainless ring pretty bad and did not reinstall it., i have an extra,just been too lazy wanting to ride lol,Appologise for the hijacking,should be in stories.
Afar as draining carbies i would go the rought of a full tank stabiliser added,run for a while.Drain with the screws in the float bowl. then unhook and plug all lines in case anything funny happens in storage,like filling engine with gas,stranger things have happened.