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gs450l Petcock Trouble

  • Thread starter Thread starter Zukimoto
  • Start date Start date
Z

Zukimoto

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Hello I posted this earlier.
Originally Posted by Zukimoto Hello, I just bought a 1982 gs450l. New to bikes but I think I bought the best model :) Turning into more of a project than I thought but at least Im learning. So I have a petcock that leaks thru my air pods. I took it apart and stretched out the spring but it still leaks like crazy in res/on/ and prime. I am wondering if anyone has any good sites to find a replacement also if anyone has some cut-up-an-air-mattress trick or something to get me riding. Hope Im on the right thread.

You're in the right area but may want to start your own thread. Welcome to the forum and check your float bowls also. Alan

Ok I will check my float bowl if it overflows after I fix this petcock. Here are some pics. The assembly is solid chunk of steel, nice. i just dont know if the diaphragm/o-ring/spring are all working. I blow on the air hole and it pushes it out but maybe not making a seal? or maybe the 4 hole lever seal is too busted? idk maybe get some piece of rubber or use http://www.suzukipartshouse.com/oemparts/a/suz/50d3f23ff8700230d8b4bdbf/fuel-cock I havent found any other fuelcocks or build kits yet that say gs450l for sure.
This forum rocks!
 

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I think it's time someone pointed out that the spring is the length and tension it is for a reason. If you stretch it out, there MAY not be enough vacuum at wide open throttle to hold the valve open enough to keep up. Even stock, it is a questionable thing, which is why racers ditch vacuum petcocks for mechanical.

Full throttle is not a good time to be leaning out on an air-cooled motor. The stock spring is plenty adequate to hold back the head of the fuel in the tank. If it leaks, the o ring on the plunger is probably old and hard and more tension may 'fix' it for a while, but the spring is now a booby trap for the next guy. How do you unstretch a spring?
 
there MAY not be enough vacuum at wide open throttle to hold the valve open enough to keep up...Even stock, it is a questionable thing, which is why racers ditch vacuum petcocks for mechanical
Click to expand...

yes well said....This reminds me of an example: a Long uphill on the Kelowna Connector* and the vacuum was apparently too low...just like running out of gas but tank known to be near full... I'm used to petcock quirks so I turned to "prime" and aok.

*this hwy is a crazy one that just leaps up and down tall mountains with minimal switchbacks or valley detours to keep grades easier...
 
Gorminrider said:
yes well said....This reminds me of an example: a Long uphill on the Kelowna Connector* and the vacuum was apparently too low...just like running out of gas but tank known to be near full... I'm used to petcock quirks so I turned to "prime" and aok.

*this hwy is a crazy one that just leaps up and down tall mountains with minimal switchbacks or valley detours to keep grades easier...
Click to expand...

Maybe somebody had already stretched your spring?.I live near that road, avoid it, but it's a great DIY dynamometer with a relatively uneneforced 120K 'speed limit' and it does get you there quickly. It's a 'Prime' venue for high speed testing.

I had one stretched so far that it would bog out on the level at highway speed.
 
Yes this bike came with pods and unfortunately the owner led me to believe everything was perfect except for a blinker issue. So yea I think I got alot to do.
 
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Zen and the art of Carbs

Zen and the art of Carbs

Is a mechanical only petcock an option/good idea for this bike? That does sound great not having to worry about a diaphragm......I stretched the spring of this one way out and rotated the gasket and it is not letting air(gas) thru for now but I would feel better if I just got a new diaphragm and gaskets or replaced the whole petcock. Ive been doing some research and have been trying to become an expert on Carbs...the previous owner claims to have cleaned them before I bought...looks like I have to make sure the float needle is seating properly. I dont have any special carb tools for adjusting for these pods so we'll see :) Then I read I should do another oil change...(I just did one lol).. Because it might have put gas in the oil. I dont think any gas went thru the vacuum line but alot did drip on the engine out of the pods...well I think Ima try to figure out this float needle.
 
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Just get another vacuum petcock..probably last 30 years (my original one did). No need to remember to turn it "off" ,as it won't pass gas when bike is not running. Sadly, put little faith in previous owner's claims- his cleaning might have been superficial. Check brand of pods... cheap ones are a waste. You need to know main jet size - pods flow more air and so carbs need to supply more fuel to compensate.

If you take carb rack off , orient it like it sits on engine, you can feed it with some small auxilliary tank and check the float needles are holding back the fuel - at least for a while.

there is probably an o-ring or gasket in needle seat - these often leak as they get old.
 
Ok great thanks for the info! ... should I buy a carb o-ring/gasket kit before I mess with taking the carbs apart?
 
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