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how to make your petcock turn off

  • Thread starter Thread starter Richharr
  • Start date Start date
R

Richharr

Guest
I don't ride my gs everyday, Its mainly a back-up and bad weather bike. so the petcock needs an "off" feature.

1. take the petcock off of the bike, good time to give it a good scrub.

2. take this plate off with a small phillips/cross screwdriver
HPIM4119.jpg




3. file the tab off of the top. now the 12 o'clock position is off. basically you have looped the prime and petcock to carb together, and the on and reserve together. so no fuel will flow from the tank past the petcock.

4. the little lever on mine will now hit the tank, only a small piece needs to be filed off to clear it.
HPIM4120.jpg

HPIM4115.jpg


5. I do not use the "prime" function and it was not sealed in the other positions creating an off balance carb setup. so I did away with it. I just spun the square gasket so the hole did not line up. I also spun it and plugged it. and remember to seal off the carb and re-sync them

HPIM4121.jpg
 
Looks like a lot of work when there are already TWO "OFF" positions built in to the stock petcock. :-k

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Steve said:
Looks like a lot of work when there are already TWO "OFF" positions built in to the stock petcock. :-k

.
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Unless you want a real live for sure nothing flowing no matter what off.
Lot of work? Two minutes max with a Dremel. If you are in a hurry you can snap them off with pliers.
When I park something for a long time I want to know it's really off.
 
Why would you want an off when they are vacuum operated? This maybe a stupid question to some but I just don't understand why you would want an off.
 
Because the vacuum ones don't always shut off completely, even when they are in good shape. This way you are sure. You still have the normal on and reserve, nothing has changed there. I don't use the new position very often. Around town, parked outside for a while, if I'm home to notice gas fumes, I don't bother. When I park it in the garage for a few days, especially if I won't be home for a long time, I use the new Off position. It just seems safer to me.
Another advantage is you can shut off the gas a few blocks before you get home if you want the carbs empty to work on them or whatever.
 
Last edited:
Jason the terminator said:
Why would you want an off when they are vacuum operated? This maybe a stupid question to some but I just don't understand why you would want an off.
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the weight of 2 and a half gallons of fuel on thin rubber diaphragms sometimes has a tendency to leak as mine was.
 
Richharr said:
the weight of 2 and a half gallons of fuel on thin rubber diaphragms sometimes has a tendency to leak as mine was.
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All you need was a 20-cent 4x8x2mm o-ring and a $3.99 fuel shutoff from Autozone. You could use the fuel shutoff when storing the bike and vacuum shutoff if you forget. I use this setup just to empty the carbs and the fuel shutoff is under tank unseen.
 
I'd rather save the 20 cents and the $3.99 and save the addition of another hose connection to leak. This way is completely foolproof.
 
tkent02 said:
I'd rather save the 20 cents and the $3.99 and save the addition of another hose connection to leak. This way is completely foolproof.
Click to expand...

There is no foolproof on motorcycle petcocks. They fail more often then GS stators.:p But if someone wants to mod their $50 petcock instead of fixing it with a 20-cent o-ring from Ace Hardware, more power to them. The fuel shutoff is just what I use for backup and carb drainage.
 
Graham said:
But if someone wants to mod their $50 petcock instead of fixing it with a 20-cent o-ring from Ace Hardware, more power to them.
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What am I not fixing? It's a new petcock. Tell me one disadvantage to this mod? How can it possibly hurt to be able to shut the fuel off completely?
 
I don't see any issue with it. As a matter of fact, there was someone a few weeks ago who had a question just like this. He became offended when I responded to his post so I was unable to explain how to figure this out - his loss.
OTOH, I would not use an Ace Hardware o-ring. There are special rubber compounds made for fuel immersion (viton?). You can find them at sites such as McMaster-Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com/#o-rings/=9ii3nb).
I have never had a vacuum petcock leak (my first one was on my T200) but I did replace my GS petcock because it was too stiff (most likely a swollen o-ring).
 
tkent02 said:
What am I not fixing? It's a new petcock. Tell me one disadvantage to this mod? How can it possibly hurt to be able to shut the fuel off completely?
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When a vacuum petcock leaks in the on or reserve position it needs repair of replaced. If your going to get new petcock why not just get one with out vacuum shutoff? No disadvantage just seems rigged and unprofessional.
 
Graham said:
If your going to get new petcock why not just get one with out vacuum shutoff? [/FONT][/FONT]
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Because then you have to shut it off every time you park it. If you forget, gasoline can go all over the place. If you forget to turn it back on the engine quits maybe right when you need it. All the reasons they went to vacuum petcocks in the first place. This changes nothing, except it adds one more position, the ability to completely shut it off. I especially like the fact that I can shut it off on the way home and the float bowls will be almost empty when I get there if I time it right. Much better if it is going to sit quite a while than leaving the carbs full, especially with higher and higher alcohol levels in the fuel.
I am not trying to convince anyone to do this that doesn't want to. I like it on mine.
 
Graham said:
There is no foolproof on motorcycle petcocks. They fail more often then GS stators.:p But if someone wants to mod their $50 petcock instead of fixing it with a 20-cent o-ring from Ace Hardware, more power to them. The fuel shutoff is just what I use for backup and carb drainage.
Click to expand...

$50 dollar petcock? no foolproof? my $30 pingel petcock on my shovelhead has never leaked, has a reserve, off and on, pretty foolproof, also 30 years old. I dont care about spending money, but from riding for 11 years and owning almost every brand, the simple designs were always the best, ducati desmodronic, harley big twin single cam, etc. so in my opinion, and its just that, I understand not everyone shares my views, I'm not trying to argue, just show why I would do this. I was just going to patch the hole and weld in a harley or triumph bung so I could run a no non-sense set-up.

and I don't think I even have $50 into this bike, including the purchase price
 
Richharr said:
$50 dollar petcock? no foolproof? my $30 pingel petcock on my shovelhead has never leaked, has a reserve, off and on, pretty foolproof, also 30 years old. I dont care about spending money, but from riding for 11 years and owning almost every brand, the simple designs were always the best, ducati desmodronic, harley big twin single cam, etc. so in my opinion, and its just that, I understand not everyone shares my views, I'm not trying to argue, just show why I would do this. I was just going to patch the hole and weld in a harley or triumph bung so I could run a no non-sense set-up.

and I don't think I even have $50 into this bike, including the purchase price
Click to expand...

I should have said jap motorcycle. My mistake. A Suzuki GS petcock is right around $50. A Harley petcock would be a better way to go then stock jap.
 
Richharr said:
so what are the 2 off positions?
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The two OFF positions are RUN and REServe.

When in those two positions, the petcock should turn off when the engine is stopped.
I say "should" because you are still relying on a small spring to push the diaphargm back into place and seal the fuel port with that little o-ring. If the spring is a little weak or the o-ring does not seal completely, it can leak.

Although this is a possibility, I have not had that happen to any of my bikes, so have not looked into ways to fix it. This way would work.


Graham said:
A Suzuki GS petcock is right around $50.
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Actually, I just looked up the price for an '81 850G. It retails for 101.xx and is discounted to 75.xx at G&S Suzuki.
It would be nice if they were "only" $50.

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Steve said:
Actually, I just looked up the price for an '81 850G. It retails for 101.xx and is discounted to 75.xx at G&S Suzuki.
It would be nice if they were "only" $50.

.
Click to expand...

whoa!!!! a little crazy if you ask me.
 
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