Dumb Question, but.........................

[terry]

I've had my GS1000ST for about four years now, but can't get either an original owners manual or workshop manual for it. I've bought about 3 workshop manuals for it, but they're all for the pre-1980 models and don't cover many of the aspects of my particular model.

Anyway, my fuel tap is one of those weany little vacuum operated jiggers with no actual lever, just a screwdriver slot. There is a "pri" position marked on the body of the tap, but it is that vague I really can't tell what is the "on" position and what is the "pri" position.

Does anyone know where "pri" and "on" actually are on the fuel tap? Thanks again guys, and don't forget, I WELCOME your opinions! :twisted:

[cbxchris]

I guess first of all is the petcock giving trouble? If it is I would get a pingel and be done with it. Slightly more expensive and it is a manual unit with no vacum line to worry with. I never replace a stock petcock with another stocker...the pingel is that much better. Good Luck...

[terry]

I guess first of all is the petcock giving trouble? If it is I would get a pingel and be done with it. Slightly more expensive and it is a manual unit with no vacum line to worry with. I never replace a stock petcock with another stocker...the pingel is that much better. Good Luck...

Thanks for your reply Chris, no it's not giving trouble (well, no more than any vacuum tap does) and I would prefer a pingel tap, my main concern is that when I had the 33mm slide carbs on it, they had drains on the fuel bowls, so if one of the "needle and seat" fuel valves sticks open, the fuel would just drain all over my crankcases.

But now I've put the Cv carbs on, they don't have the drains and I've seen several posts about crankcases filling up with gas and engines blowing up etc. I believe that this is more likely to happen if the tap is permanently set to "pri" as that position isn't reliant on vacuum to allow fuel to flow through, hence my original question about the "pri" and "on" positions.

Where can I buy a pingel tap?

[Anonymous]

on mine prime is the slot vertical on is horizonal
ozman

[cbxchris]

Lots of places carry the pingel. You can buy direct from pingel if you want. You have to get in the habit of turning it on and off. If you`re not having a problem I`d just leave the stocker on. Easy way to see where prime is ...pull the line off and see when the fuel starts running.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

I'm looking at a picture of your petcock. ON=horizontal, PRIME=vertical. I don't see a reserve. Why not?

[terry]

I'm looking at a picture of your petcock. ON=horizontal, PRIME=vertical. I don't see a reserve. Why not?

Hey Keith, I've had a few pets over the years, but I don't remember one of them!

Ha ha, thanks mate, when I bought the bike I looked at the gas tap and thought it was broken, actually went to my local wrecking yard to see if they had a replacement, then I saw another one like mine, then another one...........

No idea why there's no reserve, maybe they think that the fuel guage is sufficient to tell me when it's time to gas it up again.

I checked my tap to see which way was prime as suggested by an earlier post, the prime position doesn't work at all, so I'll pull it apart today and see if I can't fix it. Geez, that pingel is looking good!

[frosty5011]

Terry,

From your description, it seems like I have the exact same petcock on my '80 GS850. I've had the tank off of the bike, and with a screwdriver turned the little screwdriver slot on the petcock every which way. No matter what I do, it will not let any fuel flow. In other words, I do not seem to have a PRIME function, even though there is a little PRI stamped on the petcock.

Of course, as soon as I suck on the vacuum tube, fuel will flow out right away. But again, I cannot get it to flow, regardless of where I have the little slot turned to, if there is no vacuum.

Since it's not leaking a drop (without vacuum), I just decided to leave it be. I know my float valves are sealing 100%, and I keep a close eye on my oil level. I also test my petcock every few weeks (by pulling the fuel line to the carbs) to make sure that there is no change. I've been doing this for over 3 years now and am starting to have confidence in the petcock, even though so many others curse theirs to death.

The only time it is a hassle is when the bike has been sitting for a few weeks without running. I prime the bowls by pulling the vacuum tube from the carb and suck on it for about 10 seconds. Otherwise, it might take 20-30 seconds of the starter turning the engine over before the bowls have filled with enough fuel to start the bike.

[terry]

Terry,From your description, it seems like I have the exact same petcock on my '80 GS850.

Hey Frosty, you're dead right mate, I got pee'd off with it on the weekend and pulled the tap ("petcock" sounds so English Keith) apart and there's no way as long as my arse points to the ground that there's a real prime position on the tap, Bloody Suzuki have ripped us off!

On the earlier and later versions, there is a bigger tap with a lever that will mechanically select "on, pri and res". The screw slot thingy on ours is actually below the rubber diaphram and there is no mechanical connection that could redirect the fuel flow.

Just like you, no matter which way I turn that screw (not that it matters) nothing will come out unless I suck on the vac hose, then it flows so fast it wouldn't need a pingel tap if it was running a 500 cubic inch Keith Black hemi, ha ha!

I'm gonna go to my favourite wrecking yard this Saturday and see if they haven't got a later GSX1100 tap, they look like my old 1979 GS750 tap which has all three positions, but sadly the GS750 one won't fit because of the spacing of the mounting screws. (Same for the earlier GS1000's with "proper" taps) I'm hoping the GSX1100 tap will fit, otherwise I'll keep scrounging through their junk until I find one off another bike that will fit.

Thanks for the priming tip mate, I might try putting a "T" piece in the vac hose and run another piece with a cap on it so I can do some manual priming without fiddling around under the tank so that I can fire it up when the bike's been sitting for awhile. I'm not sure if it will work, but I'll let you know either way.

[KGB]

My S has the same petcock.
Yes, if it sits it has to crank 20-30 seconds before fuel flows.
Try opening the fuel cap, it will release any vacuum that has built up.
There is no reserve, as the valve is supposed to handle that function.

Keith "hemi" Black

[terry]

Keith "hemi" Black

Hey Keith, For real? If so, how's about you build me a say, 100 cu in GS engine? Don't worry mate, if you can build it, I'm dumb enough to try to ride it! :twisted:

[KGB]

Terry,
No not that Keith Black.
BUT I did build a Red Ram Hemi in high school. Dropped it in a dragster frame. It ran mid 9's, this was in 1972-1974. I wondered about my name being on it, never heard a peep And no offers either
Back when drags were collorful, remember Ed Pink?
Both of these guys built monster motors.
I went to regular high school and a vocational school during my high school days. I went on to GM tech school, never persued the trade.....
I ended up in hi-tech for 18 years, no I drive a bus in the city, no stress

[terry]

I ended up in hi-tech for 18 years, no I drive a bus in the city, no stress

Hey Keith, fair enough mate, what is it about "high tech" professions? An "e-penpal" of mine in Boston was a computer systems analyst for years before he got retrenched after 9/11, now he's embarking on a "mature life" career as a truck driver.

I dunno about your "no stress" job as a city bus driver though, over here in Australia driving a bus in a city is as stressfull as working in a post office appears to be on your side of the pond, ha ha!

Have you got any pics from your drag racing days Keith? I used to go to the drag races back in the '70's in the little country town where I was born and raised, and as we're about twenty years behind the US (but that's not always a bad thing) the racing used to be pretty "colorfull" too.

Cheers mate! :twisted:

[KGB]

Sad to say no pics
I was a grunt in the pits. Fix this, fix that......
It was a couple of kids with a dream.
One of the guys is still involved in drags.
I haven't gone in about 20 years.......