hopfully i spelled pitcock right. thats such a funny word. but anyway i was cleaning my bike today and noticed a stain on the side of my bike and i traced the stain to the pitcock. oh this sucks major butt. here i am going to get my jet kit put in and my k&n pod filter and now i have to change my pitcock. im going to do this myself is there any advice before i attempt this project.
thanks guys and gals

If your getting the filter and jet kit, eliminate the petcock and get a quick disconnect and high flow filter.  Cap off the vacuum line that connects to the carbs, and cap off the normal fuel line while running the new line off of the PRIME outlet on the tank.  Just remember to set your trip meter and check your fuel level before riding.  The fuel delivery will be a lot better, the petcock on the GS is a peice of junk.

do you have any picts or diagrams to do this project :

First remove the petcock and all hoses connected to it.  Second, cap off the connection for the 1/4" vacuum line that ran from the petcock to the carbs, and the fuel outlet on the tank that ran to the ON side of the petcock which is the longer outlet (you will need a 1/4 in. vacuum cap for the carb connection, and you can stuff a 1/4 in. vacuum cap backwards into a short peice of 5/16" fuel hose with a hose clamp on it to plug off the line from the tank.  These can be bought at an auto parts store).  Next you run a line with the 5/16" quick-disconnect and 5/16" filter from the RES outlet on the tank (short outlet) to the fuel inlet on the bottom of the carbs.  Use clamps on all of the connections.  This is a diagram of the tank connection.

abuot how much money does this project take. im on a budget, my 6 month bike insurance is coming up

$18.00 for the quick disconnect at any moto shop.  $5.00 for the high flow filter (clear). $2.00 for the vaccum caps.  You can use all of the clips from the hoses on the bike, and around $3.00 for a 1 ft. length of 5/16" fuel hose.  Less than a new petcock.

It also makes removing the tank super easy, no messing with the damn fuel lines anymore.....just pop the disconnect and your off.

so piper you're saying you don't have a petcock at all anymore? just straight into the disconnect and filter
jake

Yeah that's the deal; I know the floats could stick and drain the tank, but I had a bad habit of not turning my petcock to off anyway.  I have never seen it happen either, so I'm not worried.  The advantages outweigh the disadvantage.  If your that worried, the disconnect has a built in check valve; if it's not connected it is the same as shutting off a petcock.  The flow rate is at least double and it makes working on the bike 10 times easier.

One drawback of this approach is that you have eliminated the reserve. When it runs out of fuel, you are out.

The GS petcock is fairly easy to re-build. If you can figure out where the leakage is, it may be just a matter of some gasket sealer, or an o-ring. The GS petcock is a piece of crap though.

Only one correction: you've got the fuel outlets on the tank petcock switched.

The RES outlet is the longer one.  It's positioned in front of the shorter ON outlet.  The diagram (from BikeBandit?) can be confusing unless you realize that they're showing the petcock from the right side of the bike.  (I think they only showed it that way so you could see the on/off valve that faces toward the center of the frame.)

Otherwise, it's great to get the details from someone who's actually done the mod!

Heres an idea... instead of hooking it to the RES.. use the ON.. then if you do misjudge and run out of fuel.. you can always unhook it and hook it to the RES.. hence still utilizing the RESERVE in an emergency situation.

I dont think youd have to worry about spilling fuel out of the ON line either, since it would be out of fuel from there.

Oh, heck, just hook-up both the RES and ON to a junkyard gravity-feed petcock.  I'm sure anything that could supply fuel to a gravity-fed 1980s liter bike will not impede flow on the GS.  You'd have all the improved flow, plus a RES.

What sort of problems would come up with running this set-up WITHOUT a quick-disconnect or a shut-off valve?
Running the line straight through a high-flow fuel filter and then right to the carbs?  Would this set-up cause leaks?  

I'm going to order a quick-disconnect and a shut-off valve, but I'm wondering if running this way for a few days would cause problems...

Thanks.


Rolly

Quote from: Rollin668What sort of problems would come up with running this set-up WITHOUT a quick-disconnect or a shut-off valve?
Running the line straight through a high-flow fuel filter and then right to the carbs?  Would this set-up cause leaks?  

I'm going to order a quick-disconnect and a shut-off valve, but I'm wondering if running this way for a few days would cause problems...

Thanks.


Rolly

Yes, this would cause the fuel to keep flowing (like its on PRIme) and could cause the floats to stick and fuel would start leaking all over the place.. until the tank is emptied.

Sorry I don't understand .. it seems like a great idea but I can't figure out quick-disconnect valve.

It seems that the valve stops fuel as soon as it is pulled apart and seperated, so that if you want to remove the tank, reach in and pull the valve apart so that the lines are free and the fuel has stopped.

I understand this part but I don't understand how this set up would not work like a PRI/PRIME setting. When the bike is turned off the disconnect valve would still be open !

As far as I understand it - the purpose of the petcock is to only allow fuel into the carbs when the carbs are sucking on the vacuum tube and therefore allowing the petcock to route fuel.

Does that make sense ?

I'm going to ditch the petcock with a line running straight from the RES nozzle on the tank into the carbs (via a shut-off valve, a high-flow fuel filter and then later on down the road - a quick-disconnect), but I'm wondering... what do I do with the vacuum hose coming out of the CARBS?!?!?  Do I just plug this one up as well as the ON nozzle on the tank?

Thanks.


Rolly

Quote from: Rollin668I'm going to ditch the petcock with a line running straight from the RES nozzle on the tank into the carbs [...] what do I do with the vacuum hose coming out of the CARBS?!?!?  Do I just plug this one up as well as the ON nozzle on the tank?

I believe that's the right thing to do.  Please report on your results!