Oops...So, just how important is the petcock filter?

[Wrightboy]

So while waiting for my tank I've been cleaning random parts, did the gas cap (Great guide by Ben2Go here) and decided it couldn't hurt to soak the petcock as it was heavily corroded.
Popped the filter off, soaked it all, wiped it down rinsed it off. But in the process of wiggling the tower filter back on my thumb broke through the side. 

It looks like the break also caused a small tear in the fabric, and while I don't think it would let anything in, while rinsing it I noticed that this filter actually could hold liquid. So I'm assuming a tear in it would probably over feed the carbs and make me run rich.



Can anyone confirm or deny my beliefs? And if I need a new one, where is a good place? I looked at bike bandit but they didn't seem to sell just the filter.

tl;dr - Was stupid and wasn't holding filter by the base when attaching and it broke, does the sheer filter need to be untorn? And where can I buy one.

Thanks guys!
Wright

[tt_four]

I don't think removing that filter will affect your bike running rich/lean. Even if gas drains through it slowly, your bike doesn't suck gas that fast that it needs that high of a flow. Personally, I'd just leave it on as is and forget about it. if you want to just remove it all together, you can always pick up a cheap inline filter. If your gas tank isn't rusty I think you'll survive either way.

[Wrightboy]

Alright thanks, guess I was being overly paranoid.
Was just the fact that it was actually holding water that made me think it was in some way regulating a slower flow of gas. As opposed to letting it just free flow through the lines.

-Wright

[adidasguy]

I think a main purpose of that is to prevent crapola from getting into the petcock. While the tank may be perfect, when you fill up, something ( a bug, a seed, some dirt from around the gas cap ) could fall into the tank. That will filter it out.

Your damage is very minor. Put it back in and don't worry about it.

(If you are really worried about it, contact me in a month or so after I get the bike-cave put back together. I know there is a box somewhere with half a dozen tank petcocks with good screen filters. The screen filter can pop off and be replaced. )

[ben2go]

Glad my write up helped.You are good on the petcock strainer.The break is high enough to not let junk into the petcock.The strainer doesn't make a difference to the flow.It's over sized enough to allow fuel to flow through, even when the bottom 1/4 is plugged up.