.......

 

pingle has a sealing washer that doesn't need anything on the threads.as a matter of fact I don't think I would risk using the tape for fear of splitting the nut on the pingle.On cheap petcocks with rubber sealing washers yes maybe

 

Don't use Teflon tape, it will get in the carb and screw things up, I know from past experience.

 

Ok. Consensus says no tape, so no tape will be used. Thanks everyone so far this forum always comes thru when I have questions. Hopefully as time goes on I'll be able to answer more questions than ask, but till then I'm glad you guys are around.

 

I'm still using a stock petcock on my '93. IMHO, it's the alcohol in the gas that makes the petcock hard to turn. The type of rubber used absorbs alcohol and swells up. I first realized that when working on my carb. When I went to put the diaphragm and top cover on, I could not get it to fit. Every time I squeezed one side in, the other would pop out. I eventually gave up, and when I tried again in the morning, it went right together, because the alcohol had evaporated out.

Eightball

 

I've been having petcock issues for awhile, oem one stopped shutting off and hard to turn. They don't seal with rubber, it's a nylon cone and if you have ever seen the redish brown stuff in the bowl of your carb, that is what causes the petcock to be hard to turn and not shut off. It gets between the metal and nylon cone, scores both and causes friction.

Tanks not only vent from the cap but also have a vent hose that typically goes down in front of the rear tire. The hose to the petcock on newer models is not a vent, it's a vacumn shutoff.

The cheap petcocks such as Drag are garbage, the OEM ones of my vintage are discontinued, pingel is the best option although I don't find the little lever all that handy and you have to go past reserve to turn it on and off.

I'd love to find a NOS OEM one...

Ds

 

The line going to the stock petcock isn't a vent, it's a vacuum line. The stock petcock shuts itself off when there is no vacuum. It needs to be pluged or you could put a fresh piece of vacuum line between the carb and the VOES, If it's the original line, then it's probably pretty hard by now. I agree with the others the needle/seat, or float level need to be addressed.
John

 

I've owned my bike for a little over 3 years. The stock petcock had a fractured plastic 90 degree outlet. I first bought a $40 drag specialties, then a different style $40 drag spec. both of them the rubber parts for the seal turned to a gummy mess. I then spent $80 for another name brand with a different style of sealing. It crapped too, then I thought I'd fixed it and once again it stopped shutting off all the flow.

My summer project was to tear down my carb and replace the float and float valve to stop the overflow. It would overflow while setting overnight. I polished the float bowl's seat and cleaned a lot of black rubber residue. I was so sure I had fixed it, until it started leaking again.

The float overflows even when I have precisely set the float. I even adjusted it more to try and stop the trouble, then began having starving issues when at speed on the e-way. I gave up after 5 times of tearing into it. I set it back to spec and left it, it still leaks.

I just ordered a $140 Pingel and put it on. I hope it holds up and lasts like everyone says.

BTW, I shut off my petcock about a block from home and then let the bike idle until it almost stalls, then I park it. No leaks at all so far with this petcock.

I did not use any teflon tape. The instructions only suggest teflon tape when using an adapter for one style of connecting ... using an adapter.

My decision is to look for an updated CV carb that I can rebuild and replace my worn out keihin carb. Another route would be an S&S E series, Mikuni 42 which are $500 kits with new style intake and all seals.

The fact that my carb works very well for riding, only leaks occasionally on the road when I forget to shut off the petcock, I'll just adjust my habit and keep using it for now.

So consider the experience I have gone through and decide what further your going to do. Your S&S upgrade carb shouldn't be so worn out, or poorly designed like my stock carb. You may just need to get the float set correctly. Might even want to get a new float and float valve and a rebuild kit with other replaceable components and fresh gaskets.

The idea behind the vacuum petcock is to stop the flow when the engine stops. Stock ones wear out and either stop, or slow gas flow, or may not close completely. Or while on the road it could stop working and stop the flow. I saw the pingels were $60 more for that feature.

A vacuum line from the carb should exist to control the VOES which advances your timing for smooth idle and smooth acceleration.

And remember the on & off are opposite of the stock petcock.

A little tip to drain the tank I used a length of gas line and slipped it onto the petcock and drained it right into a gas can. One time I had a full tank and my 4 gallon gas can allowed a whole gallon to run out on the floor ... DUH!

If you find a lot of debris you may want to wash out your tank while the petcock is off in order to allow any fragments of tank liner or just debris to wash out quickly and completely.

 

About 15-20 years ago, I replaced the stock petcock on my '90 FXRS with a Pingel. A few months ago it became hard to turn on and off, then one day it started leaking out past the valve stem. Funds were low and riding season was limited, so I put in a Drag petcock. Based on what I'm reading here, I believe I'll start saving for another Pingel! I was bummed when it started leaking, but 15- 20 years? Not too shabby. It's life was probably shortened due to a couple of periods of non-use, a couple of years each time.

 

My stock petcock was becoming so hard to turn that I was afraid I was eventually going to break it. I replaced it with a Pingel and have had no issues (it's only been a little over a year so far). The Pingel action is far smoother than the stock one ever was, and it looks better too.