I bought a 99 Fatboy with only 7k miles on it. It's been setting with fuel in it for quite awhile so I wanted to drain the gas out. I took the fuel line loose at the fuel valve & nothing came out. I moved the valve to different positions & nothing. I removed the gas cap to vent it & still nothing. What's the best way to drain the tank so I can put some fresh gas in it? Thanks
Frank

 

Get a long necked funnel that you can put around the fuel valve with the end running to a gas can. Just remove the fuel valve and let the gas drain. This will also allow you to clean the filiter that's up in the tank. Most fuel valves are a double nutted configuration.

 

Thanks. I had the long funnel in the gas can, but no gas. I just didn't know the fuel valve had to come off. I'll try again tonight. Thanks again.
Frank

 

It usually doesn't, but I'll bet the screen (rock filter) on your petcock is all screwed up. So removing it is about the only way to do it.
You might not be able to get all of the gas out without dismounting the tank because there is always some that will be a little lower (in the back end) than the petcock hole. If you can't or don't want to dismount the tank I would use a bit of new gas to try flushing out any that's left in because it may have a lot of water in it if the bikes been sitting for a long time.

 

Hey Frank, help me out here, but the fuel valve has a chrome nut that bolts to the tank but also has internal threads that match with the fuel valve. If I remember correctly, when reinstalling the fuel valve, you need the chrome nut almost to the lower end of the threads on the fuel valve so it will seat up properly. Sorry, it's been a while since I've worked on a tank.

 

I used a syphon hose with a pointed wood kabob stick attached. This allowed me to move it around the entire tank and the very bottom corners...see pic.

[IMG]local://upfiles/6335/03646AB8892E4FC5A6D27792853B2176.jpg[/IMG]

 

That should work fine, but he's still going to have to pull the valve if nothing is coming through it.
Somethings not right with it if it won't flow anything at all in any position.

Which Frank?
J/K
I have seen two styles (for carbed bikes) the one you described (correctly) and the one that is used more often than not on aftermarket tanks that just have a single thread on the valve only jam nut type arrangement.
In any event the removalprocess should bebasically the same. Loosen the nut as far as possible and unscrew the valve. Getting it in again is where a lot of guys unknowingly screw (no pun intended) things up by not getting that wierd double nut on properly.

Frank

 

I'll be Frank here.... I think the valve won't flow from any position because of the vacuum line at the back. The vacuum deal is an EPA thing to keep the bike from puking gas out the carb overflow if the float sticks open when the engine isn't running.

I'd still pull the valve so I could clean the filter.

 

OK, no problem, that makes four of us, you, me, my father, and grandfather, we're all Frank's. J/K around.

On to business, I was not aware thatHarley ever used that kind of valve, All the one's I have had to deal with were ON/OFF/RES.
Butmy old Yamaha has one like that and it also has three positions. ON/RES/PRIME
On, that only works when there is vacume from the carb. Your 'supposed' to leave it there forever, unless you run out of gas or need the reserve.
Reserve, its obvious what that's for..
Prime, which is only supposed to be usedtoget gas into the carb, or carbs after the thing has been run dry or the bike has been allowed to sitlong enough for the gas to evaporate from the float bowls.
If the Harley valve is like that then it should still allow gas to come out in the prime position, unless theres something wrong with the filter screen (possibly gummed up) or valve itself (unlikely).

Frank (II?)

 

Frank, the valves I've had on my bikes were Off On Res but would not drain in any position because of the vacuum hose. Frank (not really)