Petcock hard to turn

[ccs]

Hi All;

I have an 82 GS850G. I need to use a pair of pliers to turn the petcock form normal to reserver and back (it was this way when I bought the bike in late May).

I searched the forum for related posts and found that there are repair kits available. Do I need one, or is there something else I can do?

Any other adivce on what to look for or do?

TIA.

Charles...

[rustybronco]

I had the same problem on mine when i got it, you probably whould be better taking it apart and looking at it to see if it can be repaired, Thought i'd wait till winter if it works ok in both positions.

there will be other options such as a pingel if you choose...

[orgis]

yeah there is repair kits available for the petrol tap\petcock

[jonr]

Hi All;

I have an 82 GS850G. I need to use a pair of pliers to turn the petcock form normal to reserver and back (it was this way when I bought the bike in late May).

I searched the forum for related posts and found that there are repair kits available. Do I need one, or is there something else I can do?

Any other adivce on what to look for or do?

TIA.

Charles...

Charles,

You should not need a rebuild kit unless it's leaking or not giving gas. Pull the retaining bracket off of the petcock (the U-shaped clip that surrounds the selector knob) and put a thin layer of oil on the o-ring that's on the knob's inner shaft. If that doesn't do it, you may need to disassemble the whole thing and clean it up well.

If you want a rebuild kit, go with one of these sellers on eBay.

Ebay ID georgefix.

Ebay ID siriusconinc

I've bought from both of these vendors and the service/shipping is great/fast.

If you don't use eBay, then goto your dealer or local MC shop and order the rebuild kit. It's made by K&L and the part number is 18-4344. Suzuki does not sell a factory rebuild kit, nor can you order the seals individually.

-Jon

[bwringer]

Personally, I'd just replace the whole petcock so I can forget about it for another 20 years... $45 - $65 and you're done.

It's a thought if you can't find the proper rebuild kit or you don't want to mess with it. There is no rebuild kit available for my '83 GS850 petcock, so I didn't have a choice.

[Steve]

I have had a similar problem on a couple of Kawasakis, as well as my 650 and 850. I disassembled the petcock and burnished the part that turns with a ScotchBrite pad. It only takes a few turns to get all the crud off. You might wad up a small piece of the pad and take a couple of swipes through the body, then re-assemble. Use a touch of silicone grease on the o-ring, and it will feel brand new.


.

[tfb]

Yep, I've had similar probs with fuel taps on my bikes over the years. I think it gets down to crud from the tank, eg. residues of rust sediment, ending up getting into the interface between the tap and the tap body.

As per Steve, cleaning the surfaces back has usually fixed things. Although the tap on my GSX1100SZ was so tired, that I did what bwringer says, and just replaced it. Cost me a bit of dosh but it's far better than having to pull over and dig out the pliers everytime you need to switch to reserve!

So give it a clean and see how you go.