petcock rebuild? or just buy another ?

[exdirtbiker]

I have a 79 GS1000L.
The "no lever" vacuum petcock has died, 3 years old, about 3 miles on the it.

The petcock has 50mm bolt spacing.
last time I tried to buy a new one, I got one that didn't fit, twice, before I specified "50mm spacing".
Could it be that I don't have an original tank? ( it fits "nice" ) ( check the pic )

The petcock never closes.
Shouldn't the vacuum side of the petcock hold a vacuum ? I put a mighty vac pump on the carb hose fitting, and it doesn't hold any vac at all.
Should I try to rebuild? or just buy another new one ?

[Steve]

If you have a "no lever" petcock, you have an '80, not a '79.

Check your production date. If it is August, '79 or later, it's an '80 bike.

What kind of carbs do you have on the bike? VM or BS series?

Oh, yeah, your question.

The success rate with a rebuild kit seems to be hovering around 10-15%, and is still a good portion (about 1/3) of the price of a new one, so you might be better off just getting the new one.

.

[gsgeezer]

A new stock one, or Pingel (or similar non-vac fuel valve.)

[mrbill5491]

Looks like he has VM series carbs according to the bike pic, and from the looks of it he has tons of room for a manual petcock. I have never had any good luck rebuilding a suck...um vacuum petcock. I always went with new and even those can be questionable.

[Dogma]

Everything about that bike looks '79, except the leverless petcock. I just looked at the fiche, and the '79 should have a lever. Any chance that's an '80 tank? I seem to recall that the bolt spacing for the leverless petcock is different, so that might be one way to tell.

[sedelen]

Everything about that bike looks '79, except the leverless petcock. I just looked at the fiche, and the '79 should have a lever. Any chance that's an '80 tank? I seem to recall that the bolt spacing for the leverless petcock is different, so that might be one way to tell.

Probably an '80/'81 tank which has the leverless petcock.
$75 and change at Boulevard Suzuki, item 15. The bolt spacing is different between the levered and leverless petcock.

http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/fiche_section_detail.asp?section=95758&category=Motorcycles&make=SUZUKI&year=1980&fveh=2152

[exdirtbiker]

Thanks guys.
I think this is where I got my last one. : http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-1980-GS5...282b3d&vxp=mtr
I'll gonna take the old one apart before I replace it, I have nothing to lose.

And yes, rebuild kit $25, whole thing $50.

[mrbill5491]

Everything about that bike looks '79, except the leverless petcock. I just looked at the fiche, and the '79 should have a lever. Any chance that's an '80 tank? I seem to recall that the bolt spacing for the leverless petcock is different, so that might be one way to tell.

The leverless (suckie) vacuum petcock has a bolt spacing of 50mms.