Petcock spitting fuel out the side

I noticed a bad gas smell as I was riding to work today. I looked down to see fuel spitting out the side of the petcock. I stole this photo of a petcock from Gamuru to illustrate where it's leaking.


My bike is a '81 XJ650 Maxim and the petcock looks pretty much like this one. There's a small leak while idling but as you open the throttle, the gas spits out a good 6 inches. I got the bike late last fall and have put about 1000 miles on it this spring. The petcock has always worked flawlessly for me up to this point.

I've been looking at petcock rebuild kits online but it's hard to tell if this seal is in the kits I'm looking at. Does anyone have a recommendation on a good aftermarket rebuild kit? One that definitely has this bottom seal?

Also, is there some kind of quick fix I can do to tie me over until I'm able to get a new seal? The bike has been my daily ride all spring and I can't ride it like this! I'm going into withdrawal just thinking about it. :cry:

 

:?: Bump :?:

Anyone know of any band-aid for this while I'm waiting for parts to arrive? Some kind of sealant I can smear on there? My RTV say's "not recommended for parts in contact with gasoline"

 

Yes ! Hondabond or Yamabond grey sealant from your local dealer, or go for 5 minute JB Quick but with a more difficult clean-up.

Prep the area with starter fluid or carb / brake cleaner, and dry it
Watch your repair daily- - it's only a patch, and we had a member lose his bike , car , and torch his garage over something like this !

 

Thanks! I have some JB quick weld at home. I'll give it a shot tonight. And yes, I realize it's just a patch. I'll be keeping an eye on it and fixing it right when I get parts.

 

Update on my leaky petcock:

As I was cleaning it with some brake cleaner on a rag, I noticed the bottom plate was a little loose. I tightened the screws and started it up. The spitting was gone, but it still leaked a bit in the corner. I finished cleaning it and smeared a small patch of JB quick weld on that corner. Test rode it tonight and so far so good: no leaks. I ordered a rebuild kit from Chacal, I just hope this will hold up until the parts arrive.