Dealership says Petcock wire sheared in half?

[df2]

Okay, so if you have your bike in for a Valve job, Throttle body synch and TPS set, and after they do the Valve Job, they call you and tell you they couldn't do the rest of the work because the bike won't start,,,and that they found the wire to the petcock was entirely sheared off or apart. What do you think happened?

I certainly didn't do it. Anybody have any good ideas how this happens?

I think they yanked the tank off without disconnecting it.

 

They want me to pay $45 bucks for a new petcock, which actually seems quite cheap to me also.

[Kiwi_Roy]

Okay, so if you have your bike in for a Valve job, Throttle body synch and TPS set, and after they do the Valve Job, they call you and tell you they couldn't do the rest of the work because the bike won't start,,,and that they found the wire to the petcock was entirely sheared off or apart. What do you think happened?

I certainly didn't do it. Anybody have any good ideas how this happens?

I think they yanked the tank off without disconnecting it.

 

They want me to pay $45 bucks for a new petcock, which actually seems quite cheap to me also.

 

Youre probably right, If you get a new electric one ty-wrap the wires to the body that way they won't pull out so easy. You might be able to re-attach the wires but $45 might prove cheaper.

[GuzziMoto]

Okay, so if you have your bike in for a Valve job, Throttle body synch and TPS set, and after they do the Valve Job, they call you and tell you they couldn't do the rest of the work because the bike won't start,,,and that they found the wire to the petcock was entirely sheared off or apart. What do you think happened?

I certainly didn't do it. Anybody have any good ideas how this happens?

I think they yanked the tank off without disconnecting it.

 

They want me to pay $45 bucks for a new petcock, which actually seems quite cheap to me also.

In my experience the wires for the electric petcock are fragile and prone to breaking right where they come out of the petcock.

You should switch to a mechanical petcock.

Who is paying for it I don't know, but it is not beyond the realm of possibilities that the wire was ready to go and it just happened to be at the dealer when it finally let go.

[luhbo]

The bike should start nevertheless.

Sometimes the wires get sheared off when you put down the tank on the ground. It will rest on these cables and sooner or later they'll get cut. Search ebay for Cali versions for instance. The solenoid can be changed separately.

 

Hubert

[Gio]

You should switch to a mechanical petcock.

 

I agree. The wires on mine gave out a few years ago so I switched out the electric for a manual (sourced from Moto International I think) ... never could understand the need for an electric petcock anyway. Also - With the manual it's one less potential electrical gremlin ...

 

Gio

 

PS - Lubho ... why would you expect the bike to start with petcock un-powered? I thought it needed power to allow fuel to flow ??

[docc]

+1 on the mechanical conversion (leave it, then, always open unless removing the tank);

 

+1 also on the 'prone to break' theory. They have always been a fragile link and don't require negligence to break.

 

*one less fuse - one less worry*

[Chuck]

You should switch to a mechanical petcock.

 

I agree. The wires on mine gave out a few years ago so I switched out the electric for a manual (sourced from Moto International I think) ... never could understand the need for an electric petcock anyway. Also - With the manual it's one less potential electrical gremlin ...

 

Gio

 

PS - Lubho ... why would you expect the bike to start with petcock un-powered? I thought it needed power to allow fuel to flow ??

 

The fuel pump will suck fuel through a closed petcock...for a while until it burns up.

[luhbo]

 

...PS - Lubho ... why would you expect the bike to start with petcock un-powered? I thought it needed power to allow fuel to flow ??

 

This petcock is just a small spring balanced plunger. The spring is weak enough to get sucked down as soon as the pump starts working. Unplug the cable and try it. After having sheared off the cables of mine I rode the bike daily for over two weeks before I found time to look after it. No problems at all.

Hubert

[Gio]

 

...PS - Lubho ... why would you expect the bike to start with petcock un-powered? I thought it needed power to allow fuel to flow ??

 

This petcock is just a small spring balanced plunger. The spring is weak enough to get sucked down as soon as the pump starts working. Unplug the cable and try it. After having sheared off the cables of mine I rode the bike daily for over two weeks before I found time to look after it. No problems at all.

Hubert

 

Interesting observation Hubert. So the electric petcock serves no usefull function, and doesn't even work as a petcock ... I am unable to try (but have no doubt about what you say) as mine has long since been replaced with a (fully functional) manual alternative. Turned off when removing tank, otherwise left on all the time.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

Gio

[luhbo]

.... So the electric petcock serves no usefull function, and doesn't even work as a petcock ...

 

Why that? You couldn't remove the tank without it for instance.

 

Hubert

[Gio]

.... So the electric petcock serves no usefull function, and doesn't even work as a petcock ...

 

Why that? You couldn't remove the tank without it for instance.

 

Hubert

 

I guess I should have more accurately said the fact that it is electrically operated (vs manual) seems to have no additional benefit (unless perhaps a fuel leak developed and prevented the tank from dripping empty?), and will likely eventually fail as many have experienced, but you are of course correct in that a petcock of one kind or the other is required. The manual ones seem to be very reliable and are easy to install.

[luhbo]

Yes. Can't see any benefit either. Maybe it was just sort of a comfy thing.

[stefano]

just a heads up for anyone with a manual fuel petcock. perhaps they should be turned off/on occasionally, there seems to be a *use it or lose it* thing with these (mine anyway)

i've been trying to turn my manual one off for a couple years, no amount of WD40 or like fluids seem to help loosen it, it's really stuck. i'm able to move it about 1/3 turn & no more. yeah, i've tried pliers etc. but don't want to create a worse problem.

gonna need a breather hose soon, so i'll be ordering a new shut-off also.

cheers, s

[Guzzirider]

The manual petcock on Helen's V11 got stuck open and while it was attached to the tank I could not get enough purchase on it to free it up, but after I removed it from the tank it was easy enough to get it moving again with the help of a vice.

 

I hate the type with the two wires so easy to break- done it myself.

[dave]

I bought and returned the standard manual petcock offered for the V11 because the through hole was less than 1/8 inch (why have 3/8 hose to a car sized fuel pump, eh?) and the castings were crap resulting in terrible action. I found Pingle made a high flow unit that just needed an adaptor to the tank. Works brilliant.