For what it's worth, the lower o-ring is the same one used on the fluid drain plugs. Figured that out when I replaced mine this summer. Upper is still original. I have the fuel tool rebuild kit on standby just in case the upper decides to let go.

 

The lower "O" ring was easy to find locally, John Deere had one in stock, but not so with the upper one. I removed the upper "O" ring and check valve and am awaiting replacement parts, should be here first of next week. The upper "O" ring was deteriorating but still working, the lower one was split.


I suppose they didn't use Viton rings way back in 2002, or at least not a high enough grade of fluoroelostomer in them to hold up the "corn fuel" we end up running thru these bikes today.....Cliff

 

Update.


My check valve rebuild kit didn't show up yesterday and I wanted to ride the bike this weekend.


I went to Lowes, local hardware store, NAPA, Advance Auto, and OReilly's and none of them had the correct size upper "O" ring......bummer.


So today I went thru all my spare "O" rings again here and couldn't find it either. Then I got an idea. I found one with the correct diameter, but slightly too large (OD about .565", and very carefully cut it with a razor blade until it was the right size (.505") when the ends came together.


Using a short piece of 3/8" steel fuel line with a bulge on the end of it as an installation tool, I pushed the check valve and "O" ring into place as one unit. It wasn't fussy and a quick look with an inspection mirror verified it was correctly in place.


With the fuel line disconnected, I turned on the switch and it built up pressure and no leaks. Hooked the fuel line up and it roared to life instantly. I guess I really don't understand fully how the check valve is involved with fuel delivery, but without it the bike woln't even think about starting, so the check valve and upper "O" ring must be in place for the engine to run.


Anyhow, cutting an "O" ring to size certainly isn't the best fix here, but it worked fine to get me back on the road until check valve rebuild kit comes in. Thought it might be good information to know, if you end up stuck a long ways away from the correct replacement parts. The entire repair and install took less than 5 minutes and the bike was back on the road.......Cliff

 

After I changed the fuel line in the tank and new filter with the new tank quick disconnect fitting, it was the next week the line from that fitting to the injectors started leaking I would invest in all new lines and fuel filter if you have not done so already on the 02. Rubber parts don't last that long when disturbed

 

Damn, let me guess...you're McGyver incognito. Good job!

 

My main motive was to get the bike to fire up, as it flat will not do anything without the check valve and upper "O" ring in place. Turns out that the cut "O" ring works fine for the purpose of getting it running, but for sure a guy would want to put the correct part in place ASAP.


Just learned a few things from this experience I thought I'd pass on, and didn't know about these particular parts.


The early bikes, at least till 2002 use "O" rings that are NOT ethanol compatible. They are either Buna rubber or neoprene most likely. Viton (fluoroelastomer) will not break up and deteriorate in contact with ethanol, or any modern fuel blend. Buna rubber swells up and breaks down quickly in contact with ethanol. Neoprene or Nitrile holds up for a while, but will fail in long term service where ethanol, methanol, or alcohol is present.


My bike only has 6000 miles on it, and the lower "O" ring was split and coming apart, and the upper was in really poor shape. The last thing we want on that side of the filter is to push pieces of rubber into the injectors, which would create a much more costly repair than just a couple of "O" rings or check valve rebuild kit.


What I learned with this little job were that the engine will NOT run without the check valve in place and sealing on the "O" ring that retains it, and that repair parts can be somewhat difficult to obtain locally.


So if you need to get the bike back on the road, a quick fix is to find an "O" ring slightly larger and same diameter material, you can take a razor blade and cut one to fit.


I also found that neither "O" ring was difficult to install, but I did use a short piece of 3/8" steel fuel line to push the spring, check valve and upper ring into place as a unit. It does help to have a good head lamp, and an inspection mirror to insure that the "O" rings are fully in their grooves before hooking up the fuel line and firing up the engine.........Cliff