OKAY OUT THERE!

SHE SAT FOR 5 YEARS , UNHEATED GARAGE. I WANT TO RIDE HER A LITTLE BEFORE WE DIE . SO HERE GOES.
BAD GAS, OPENED CAP AND MY GREY HAIR TURNED BLUE?
How to drain a 1990 HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER motorcycle gas tank with a vacuum petcock?

YES, I CAN DIS~ASSEMBLE, INVERT, REASSEMBLE BUT THATS A NUT?

CARB AND VACUM PETCOCK CLEAN AND DRY, NO SEE RUST IN TANK , YET?
OPINION:? I DON'T WANT TO TAKE HER TANK OFF BUT DON'T WANNA BUY, OR STEAL A ACCURATE VACUUM PUMP ?

ANYONE THINK, PRESSURE FROM ABOVE WILL OPEN VALVE?

ANY IDEAS WILL HELP.
IF SHE STARTS AND MAKES IT TO THE STEALER FOR FLUIDS, INSPECTION , WITHOUT A TOW: ONCE ITS SAFE I CAN RIDE, SELL OR UPDATE.
Now all I can do is: LOOK AND SMELL, CRY AND TELL?
PURE STOCK EXCEPT: 4.5 FACTORY REPLACEMENT TANK, SCREAMING EAGLE PIPES AND A K&N WET FILTER.

 

Hi Eric from the UK and welcome to HDF. Don't use capitals, there's a good chap, they are difficult to read and it's a bit like shouting.

The first thing you should do I suggest is to remove the carb float bowl and clean it out, there may be water or dirt from the tank in there. If there is dirt then I recommend you remove the tank and clean it.

If the vacuum tap is not working it may be because the pipe to it from the inlet manifold is absent os damaged - may just be old and persihed. Replace it with a new one.

 

Thanks,
Caps are for me, old and dim eyed?

Carb,fuel system clean and dry. Throttle, pump , accelerator, cables all OK.

Vacuum petcock intact but: no vacuum line? Out of bussiness HD dealer installed the 4.5 gal tank but I can't find a vacuum line? Petcock is clean but will not drain?
Perhaps the installer bypassed/eliminated it?

CAN'T really test until tank is CLEAN ?
I'm just looking for a way: to open valve ~ drain and flush without apl lying a vacuum? But since manifolds vacuum port is capped and carb is capped too! Maybe I must take off tank, petcock and or both to see why it won't drain and feed carb with out vacuum factor or if the ON/RESERVE screen are plugged up? Maybe I'm ignorant/illiterate how it works but when they installed the new tank, pipes and "rejected the carb right: she scared the second gear boost right out of me?

J&P Cycle had their dyno there at the time and was offering FREE tests to promote sales of HIGH performance parts and shop modifications? Most 883 and 1200 were rebuilt or highly modified and would (memory serves) turn 36-42 and 48-56 BHP. Just about right and a little more.

I thought what the hell and lined up. My print out was 74-76 BHP beating out some all of the Sportsters and a few bored out 74 stroker's? The shop just prepared my engine stock (800+/-miles) with pipes, tank (from HD just oversize and painted to match)and jets?

Lotta drama and complaints, mostly $ in really complicated mods, parts etc.
Everybody was looking at their print outs: I was very happy but didn't know I couldn't be. The shop refunded 1/2 my bill if: I'd let her be retested?

Yes it drew a cloud and I knew a HD driver that had "Green HD " oil in his veins to assure me they wouldn't blow her up (lotta tension in the air that Saturday) when they ran it through ( three more times)the Best 77; worst 71BPH in 1991.

Haven't touched it since (accident 1999) and (2008) she's been sleeping since with a friend running her up to temp 2000- 2007 and 2008-2011 nothing after that.
RIP Mike 8-(

She's been 5 years in a coma so now I guess I'll have to remove the tank, invert: vinegar and seal if there's rust, then reassemble?
Three dealers in Illinois want to see her since what I said when I bought (SOME) fuel system parts: (braided hose, clamps, fuel filter and air filter from K&N shockingly cheaper on Amazon, K&N and other net sources)
The parts like : petcock, carb gaskets, jets, didn't match what I removed so, I got gaskets from ACE hardware and a couple of NADA certified parts store's then put the "wrong parts" back in just cleaner and smoother.

I couldn't wait so I fed the carb direct and she ran! Some arthritis at idle and throttled crack open from idle so now the first dilemma!

I guess I'll have to do the tank toss. Those dealers are drueling to get me to put her in there hands for a restoreration but I am hesitantly concerned since they say that the above was "IMPOSSIBLE" and "you can't do that" so I'll find a bald grey beard biker to help from just this side of the grave, with no pretences?

Any of you left out there ? 8-)

Maybe it will be more $¢ than it's "worth" but I think she needs and wants a chance! So since I can't take it with me: she's going to get one. Yet with who? ~~~🔧🔩⚒📐⁉

Thanks for your input?
Eric Blair....