Stock Petcock will not turn!

[whodatpat]

I got a stock petcock from eBay to replace the butchered one on my bike (1980 GS850G). I took it apart and completely soaked it in Parts cleaner, and then for good measure, cleaned it with a Dremel until it was shiny and new. I put in a complete set of new rubber from the rebuilt kit. However, it was hard to turn the fuel lever before the rebuild and it is impossible to turn with out fear of snapping the lever off. The new petcock should work fine and actually give me a reserve again, but is there any sort of lubricant that I can use to make the lever move more smoothly?
Patrick

[earlfor]

Re: Stock Petcock will not turn!

If you have already soaked and cleaned it out, polished it and installed a rebuild kit, I doubt there is anything you can lube it with that will make it turn. Unfortunately, there is nothing to keep worn out or inoperative parts from being sold on ebay. Forget it, write it off to experience, buy a Pingle,
and never have to fight the petcock problem again.

Earl

I got a stock petcock from eBay to replace the butchered one on my bike (1980 GS850G). I took it apart and completely soaked it in Parts cleaner, and then for good measure, cleaned it with a Dremel until it was shiny and new. I put in a complete set of new rubber from the rebuilt kit. However, it was hard to turn the fuel lever before the rebuild and it is impossible to turn with out fear of snapping the lever off. The new petcock should work fine and actually give me a reserve again, but is there any sort of lubricant that I can use to make the lever move more smoothly?
Patrick

[Hoomgar]

Earl, fill me in on the pingle valve. Whats the deal with those and where to buy them if you don't mind?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

If it's just the clean rubber rubbing on the clean metal which makes it tough to turn lightly grease the rubber without leaving any residue. When I've had this problem on my bike I just hose the outside of the petcock down with a light oily spray. As an aside, I couldn't getthe float seats to go into the carb bodies until I greased the o-rings. It makes all the difference in the world.

Steve

[whodatpat]

Thank's Steve

Since grese should be cheaper than a Pingle, I'd like to give that a shot. What kind of lubricant would you use? I have 3 in 1, motor ol, and WD-40 on hand.
That is good information on the orings for the carbs too. I will be doing them shortly. (And asking for help I am sure!)
Patrick

[earlfor]

Mark,
I have quit using stock vacuum type petcocks and instead use Pingle mechanical petcocks. I get those from Streetfighters at

http://www.streetfighters-usa.com/pingel_power_flo.htm

They ship UPS and it usually takes 5-7 days. Scroll down the page for the applications listing. You will need the petcock and an adapter plate.
The Pingle has an off, reserve, and on position but it has no vacuum line.
In the reserve and on position, fuel gravity flows. You just plug the vacuum line on your #3 cylinder that previously opened the fuel valve on the stock vacuum suzuki petcock. No more leaking diaphram problems, no more fuel leaking through a vacuum line and ending up in your crankcase oil. The drawback is that you MUST reach down and turn the petcock to the off position everytime you shut the engine off. My habit is to always turn off the gas BEFORE turning off the ignition. If you forget, the fuel will likely seep past the float needles in the carbs and be right back in the crankcase oil. Since there is no way of knowing exactly how much fuel has seeped past if you have left the petcock in the on position with the bike sitting, the only reasonable course is to change the oil before starting the bike if you come out to go for a ride and find that you have left the fuel valve in the on position.

Earl

Earl, fill me in on the pingle valve. Whats the deal with those and where to buy them if you don't mind?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

You can use anything you want as long as you wipe off the excess (on the fuel side of the system). If you use reserve before getting gas you shouldn't have this problem again. It'll also keep your carbs from getting a big shot of dirt from the reserve (bottom inch or so of the tank) after not using it for a year.

Steve

[Anonymous]

I hope pat tries your recomendation first steve. It sounds like a good one.

[whodatpat]

SWEET!

This thing works like a brand new-old-stock petcock. Thanks.

[chuckycheese]

Search

If you do a "search" here on the forum, you'll find scads of information about Pingel petcocks ...since so many of us have had problems with the stock valves...

[Hoomgar]

No more leaking diaphram problems, no more fuel leaking through a vacuum line and ending up in your crankcase oil. The drawback is that you MUST reach down and turn the petcock to the off position everytime you shut the engine off. My habit is to always turn off the gas BEFORE turning off the ignition. If you forget, the fuel will likely seep past the float needles in the carbs and be right back in the crankcase oil. Since there is no way of knowing exactly how much fuel has seeped past if you have left the petcock in the on position with the bike sitting, the only reasonable course is to change the oil before starting the bike if you come out to go for a ride and find that you have left the fuel valve in the on position.

Earl

Earl, fill me in on the pingle valve. Whats the deal with those and where to buy them if you don't mind?

Thanks.

Wow! Sounds scary to me. I can tell you that if I installed one of those it would only serve to ensure that gas goes into the crack case for sure all the time. I would have to change the oil 2 to 5 times a day everyday. There is no way in the world I am installing something that will require me to remember a fuel valve! I have owned 7 motorbikes in my life and have yet to have to ever more a fuel valve for anything. There just is no way in the world I would ever remember to do that. Not even once

I'll stick with my stock valve. I've never had a problem with one. I've never had to replace or rebuild one either so I guess I am doing good the way it sounds.

[earlfor]

I guess youre just lucky. Of the four GS's I have bought, not one of them had a properly operating fuel petcock.

Earl

I'll stick with my stock valve. I've never had a problem with one. I've never had to replace or rebuild one either so I guess I am doing good the way it sounds.

[Anonymous]

I'm with Hoomgar I enjoy not having to worry about turning off a fuel petcock however if you are draining fuel into your crankcase by leaving it on then your floats arent set correctly. I have left mine in the prime position before (which is the same as an ON position for PINGLES) and never once filled my crankcase with fuel.

[Anonymous]

I'm with Hoomgar I enjoy not having to worry about turning off a fuel petcock however if you are draining fuel into your crankcase by leaving it on then your floats arent set correctly. I have left mine in the prime position before (which is the same as an ON position for PINGLES) and never once filled my crankcase with fuel.

floats dont always leak. we get away with forgetting sometime.