No fuel flow

[r0bert220]

Hello I am new to this site so please bare with me. I just bought a 1990 Katana 600 off ebay. The owner says that when you take the tank off the bike no fuel flows out no matter what the setting is ie. pri, on, resv. I am not sure if this bike is gravity fed or vacuum. He said it needs a new petcock and that is all. I ordered a new petcock and i'm awaiting its arrival. Does this sound like a realistic fix? Suzuki told me to look for rust in the tank, he says there is none. I guess I'll find out. Any help would be greatly apprechiated. (sorry i'm a bad speller) Thanks

[IceKat]

In resv and on it's vacuum fed and will only feed gas when the bike is on. In pri it will flow free on or off.

Check out this product to condition your tank if there is rust.

http://www.bikebandit.com/product/8877?WT.mc_id=666111

[r0bert220]

I will try the petcock then. I think I'll service the tank before I put the new one in. Thanks for the help

[Cheriff]

Sounds like a reasonable fix. Rust in the tank could mess with petcock operation, but I wouldn't think it would completely bind it up.

With the petcock set to "on", fuel should only flow with the bike running. A vacuum line from one of the carbs is what opens the petcock. In the "prime" setting, gas should flow if there is gas in the tank. Make sure not to leave it on "prime" once it is fixed. If the carb floats aren't working properly, they could allow the gas to spill over into the cylinder getting gas in the oil - not good.

[r0bert220]

If i use the kreem cleaner and conditioner do i have to use the liner? i've heard bad things about aftermarket liners. i heard they peel and clogg holes that don't need to be clogged. i've never used any so i don't know if it's true.

[The CyberPoet]

Do not use KREEME nor RedKoat! Neither stands up to the test of time... Use POR-15 if you find rust and want to seal against future occurrences (after stripping all the rust out -- rust stripper is in the POR-15 kit).

Hit this page up for tips on rust removal, how to tell if you've got rust, and what methods work well:

CyberPoet's How to deal with rust in your bike's fuel tank.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[delkampg]

cyber i have looked a little bit for por-15 but cant find it, except for the internet. what is this normally used for? and how much would i need?

you can check your petcock and tank for rust really easily. disconnect the tank from the bike, but the petcock in the on or reserve (6oclock and 9 oclock) then suck on the vacuum hose,(dont worry gas doesnt flow through there) if gas comes out of the other hoses then you petcock is fine. to check for rust take the petcock off the tank. with about a quarter tank of fuel you can put it on its side and remove the petcock with out draining the tank. if the petcock is a rust color, thats you sign.

[The CyberPoet]

POR-15 makes a line of products for metal restoration in cars & motorcycles. I was first turned on to their product line by a friend who redid the interior floor & trunk during the restoring of an old impala; the results were pretty fantastic. So, when it came time to treat my GF's tank, I remembered that and turned to them (having had bad experiences with both RedKoat and Kreeme in the past). Four years later and I don't regret using it -- still like the day it was put in.

As for sources, buy it off the net. I looked at carrying it, but they wanted a $1200 commitment for initial stock, and I didn't have any desire to carry that much on the shelf.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[The CyberPoet]

Oh, and I have petcock rebuild kits in right now!

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet