Cheap manual fuel tap - 44.26mm hole centers

[Grimly]

http://www.amazon.com/FUEL-VALVE-PETCOCK-HONDA-250cc/dp/B00DDY5YMY/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1401051259&sr=1-1&keywords=petcock+fuel+valve+44mm

Ok, who wants to be the guinea pig for this? I can't get one, they won't ship overseas.

Following up on the Honda XR80 lead, I found this...
http://www.partsnmore.com/parts/honda/xr80/?filters (filter on 1989, then carb)
Look at the Universal Fuel Petcock Adapter Plate, 44mm. $7! Seven Dollars! Big difference from Pingel.
And the adapter nuts - dirt cheap also, which raises the possibility of fitting a nice universal petcock from a Harley (forget it's a Harley, it just looks good, ok?) at 22mm.

<edit>
Partsnmore are obviously insane or totally out of touch with reality, given they insist on shipping DefEx Priority, which adds a stupidly high cost to the parts.

[Steve]

Why would you want to experiment with a manual petcock with no reserve, when a stock vacuum unit works so well?

.

[Grimly]

Why would you want to experiment with a manual petcock with no reserve, when a stock vacuum unit works so well?

.

It has reserve, and no, it doesn't.
Faced with the cost of rebuilding two petcocks, which are unlikely to work properly, going by user experience, here and elsewhere, and being really reluctant to get ripped off for the price of two OEM ones and also just as reluctant to gamble my money on cheap crappy aftermarket parts, I see a real possibility here of arriving at a decent solution for not a lot of money. Petcocks shouldn't cost an arm and leg and I really object to paying through the nose for them. I used manual petcocks for years before, and it's no great hassle to use them again. Cheap, simple, reliable, and no prospect of a holed piston either.

[hampshirehog]

The fuel outlet might be a bit small if it's only designed for a tiny engine.

[Grimly]

The fuel outlet might be a bit small if it's only designed for a tiny engine.

Yeah, it might be - I find some passing references to other, larger, XR models and there might be a spread of applications for this. If the same part is used on the largest engines, it will likely flow enough, but the tiddlers could have a small size all of their own. If that's the case, then I'll pursue the cheap adapter plate. I found another adapter plate too, at Just Gas Tanks http://justgastanks.com/product_info.php?products_id=1365
and have enquired about hole spacings for both versions.

[850 Combat]

I've had OEM petcocks go out on a six year old GS850G and it hydraulic locked the motor. This was in 1987. Onmy current fleet of 1000 and 850Gs, I've replaced one of them twice in the last decade, and all of them once at least. They are expensive, and not all that great in my opinion. In my personal experience, a new OEM petcock is a temporary fix, unfortunately.

[Triam]

I just ordered one of these from z1enterprises: http://www.z1enterprises.com/ItemDet...item=KL18-4359
I'll let you know how it goes in my 850. If it works it could be a cheaper alternative to an OEM petcock but would still have all the hookups for a vacuum petcock.

[tkent02]

I'd certainly rather have a manual petcock if I could find on that fits. Interested if this one flows enough fuel for a big engine.

[JTGS850GL]

Why on earth would you want a manual petcock over a properly operating vacuum petcock?

[tkent02]

I can shut it off a block or two before I get home. Leaves the carbs nearly empty for when the bike is going to sit a while, or I'm going to work on it. When it's off it's off, no leaking, no wondering. When I go to ride it a while later, just turn the gas on and go, no messing around with priming it. Using different carbs without a vacuum port is a lot easier. Have turned several of the vacuum carbs into manual ones, it's easy to do, but it would be easier to just buy one. Cheaply.

The OEM vacuum petcocks are ridiculously overpriced, and not all that reliable.

[JTGS850GL]

I can shut it off a block or two before I get home. Leaves the carbs nearly empty for when the bike is going to sit a while, or I'm going to work on it.

You could do the same thing by simply disconnecting the vacuum line. Running with the valve off for a block or two will leave you running lean by the time you get home. If you forget to turn it off you could likely end up worse by the next morning.

When it's off it's off, no leaking, no wondering. When I go to ride it a while later, just turn the gas on and go, no messing around with priming it.

With a good working stock petcock you have all of the above but no need to remember to turn it on. Thirty plus years later a cheap manual petcock would very likely be leaking as well. We hear so much about bad petcocks because they're OLD. Replace them and you don't have a problem for another 30+ years. Oh, and the prime position is the same as turning your manual petcock to ON.

Using different carbs without a vacuum port is a lot easier. Have turned several of the vacuum carbs into manual ones, it's easy to do, but it would be easier to just buy one. Cheaply.

Ya, right everyone is out there changing to carbs without vacuum ports. Maybe for the odd change over, but I'm talking about the majority that would need to block off the vacuum port that's already there.

The OEM vacuum petcocks are ridiculously overpriced, and not all that reliable.

Yep, they sure didn't do so good over the last 30 years. Lets see.. $60 divided by 30 years = 2$ a year. Yep they sure are expensive.

I understand how some could get the opinion that vacuum petcocks are not reliable. Most of the posts here are related to petcock problems. It's very understandable why. Almost any GS posted about on these forums is from a owner that either is new to the bike or has no history on the bike. These are OLD bikes. In most cases, with very poor service history. In almost all cases the petcocks are original and badly abused. The fact that the rebuild kits don't have a good history adds to the misconception that the stock vacuum petcock is unreliable. Never had an OEM new petcock fail.

IMHO I feel that the benefits of a good working vacuum operated petcock far out way the possibility of a flooded engine just because of a laps of mind, and at my age lapses are MUCH more frequent.

[tkent02]

I don't have lapses of mind, I have too many bikes with manual petcocks, its not like I'm going to forget it. I'm not saying everyone should go manual, or even that I would on every bike, but there are many valid reasons to for some motorcycles and some riders.
Have had too many problems over the years, even with fairly new vacuum petcocks to trust them completely.

If there's one that fits a GS and flows enough fuel I'd like to know about it.

[JTGS850GL]

I understand that there might be a "special need" situation. I just didn't want someone to think that the OEM petcocks must be thrown out in favor of a manual petcock in most cases.

[tkent02]

No, not generally needed on GSes. If you know how to detect a failing petcock before it fails there's no need. Some of the other bikes it's standard practice when you buy even a newer one. Street model DR 350s and DR 200s it's a great idea to do it even when the bike is new, a lot of people get stuck out with no fuel flow or with fuel flooded crankcases. I'm sure there are others.

[850 Combat]

Pingle makes quality goods. Considering that their products were originally designed for dragsters, flow shouldn't be a problem.

The"cheaply" part may be an issue. By the time you have the valve and the adapter plate, you have spent some money. I'm not sure about reserve with these.

http://www.pingelonline.com/prodcat/fuel-valve-adapters.asp