bad petcock
 

So I had a problem before of gas running out of what looks to be an overflow tube coming out of the carb (S&S Super E) and running under the bike when I left the petcock on when stopped longer than expected. I have a 96 Heritage Softail and I see no vacuum line or anything else run off the stock petcock besides the fuel line. I kept it turned off when stopped and had no other problem to my knowledge. With weather changing here bike is sitting longer between riding and I went back to work on another vehicle and gas is on the floor again. Petcock is off and had gotten extremely hard to turn the last month of riding. I'm assuming petcock is bad and not shutting off flow of gas allowing carb bowl to fill and then run out overflow hose. I bought a pingel superflow today and will be putting it on probably Friday hopefully solving problem. Anything else I should look at or pointers on install. Seems pretty straightforward just not lookin forward to siphoning tanks. I'm guessing siphon tanks, disconnect fuel line at petcock, remove petcock, put on pingel (teflon tape on threads), connect fuel line, fill tanks and done.

The real problem is that float needle valve in your carby isn't shutting off correctly.

You need to check the tip of the valve and re-set your float level.

I was guessing that was going to be brought up as well, but I still need to replace the petcock right? It's obviously not shutting off the fuel when in the off position, and the nearly impossible turn tells me that something inside is not right. I've never had a bike the was such a workout to turn the fuel on and off.

PINGEL-----------------everything else is a waste of time.But one thing you need to look at is possible junk in the tank allowing the needle and seat to not shut off the fuel in the carb.Usually when you get enough debris to cut the rubber or nylon wafer in the fuel shut off to allow it to leak you will get junk in the needle and seat.The goat piss fuel we have to buy now wil waste the rubber wafer in the cheaper fuel shutoffs allowing them not to shut off

Also searching some threads about this I see some are saying it could be caused by petcock, float needing adjusted/needle replaced, and gas caps not venting. So how do I tell if my gas cap is venting?

Fuel won't flow (after a while) if your gas cap isn't venting. Without air replacing the fuel that is burned off in the tank, it will create a vacuum. That doesn't seem to be the cause of the problem you're describing.

Hmmmmm? I replaced my stock petcock with a Pingel, & had to make a plug to stop up the end of a vent line to the intake. This is on a 96 Lowrider, Have a Super"E" , also. You can get a Pingel that will accept a vent , but its a lot more cash, so I bought the cheaper one, & pluged the line. Don't know if your year model , has a vented petcock.
Ride Safe,
Harold

they also will bleed off heat pressure in the tank-------------it might be breathing in but not out, pressuring up the tank causing the needle and seat to not function.If you leave a cap loose and the carb doesn't overflow it could be excess tank pressure

From what you wrote in your previous posts tank venting is not your problem.

As for the gas leaking when petcock left on - that is a float level problem as Spanners said.

As for the hard to turn petcock. Pull it off and replace it with a pingle.
Not sure why you want to put Teflon tape on it but you can if you want.
I don't and don't have any leaks.

The tape is just a little insurance. I've got plenty laying around and I've read others saying they used it for the same reason...couldn't hurt. At this point I'm hoping I can put the pingle on to a:make it easier to turn and b: keep it from continueing to flow gas even in the off position that it's doing now. At that point as long as gas isn't flowing with the petcock off get in a few more rides and pull the carb once the snow flies and rebuild and clean it just so I know it's done since I bought the bike used and have no idea how long it's been on or since it's been freshened up.