My wife's bike quit last week and I'm diagnosing my trouble today. This bike is carbed. The petcock is vacuum operated. I removed the fuel line to the carb and routed another line to a gas tank. I removed a gas cap, put the selector on main, and pulled a vacuum on the petcock. Nothing. I switched to auxiliary tank and some gas flowed, but soon quit after a cup full or so. I guess the next step is to drain the tank and pull the petcock. Maybe a clogged filter, maybe a failed diaphragm in the petcock. Is my reasoning sound, or am I overlooking something?

 

When you pulled the vacuum on it did it hold the vacuum ?? If not that's a problem to address.

Many of us have done away with the vacuum operated pet ****.

You will get a look at what filter it has when you pull the petcock.

Hard to imagine it could be that clogged with getting some fuel out on reserve.

WP

 

Pull that stock POS petcock and put on either a Pingle or a Golan.

 

 

It'll hold 20#'s for at least three hours

 

There are rubber parts that are in the OEM petcock that when they wear out you have to rebuild/replace the petcock before it will pass fuel no matter how much vacuum you put on it.

 

You don't say what year your wife's bike is. If it's a 1996 or before, then there's a recall for that petcock diaphragm. The original diaphragm doesn't like MTBE nor ethanol.

 

Sorry, it's a 99 so it's not included

 

Hey John are you thinking about attending the meet up?

 

John, if the petcock is original it's almost 20 years old! I'd be inclined to replace it with a non-vacuum type anyway, while checking for other related problems. I have a Pingel, however the older factory stock style of taps are available new for much less.