Petcock question.....fuel pours out when removing lines??

OK on my petcock, down is ON - Left is RES - Right is PRIME

when in the down position it it my understanding that you should be able to pull the lines off (Vacuum and Fuel lines) and gas should not come pouring out of the Petcock. On mine, gas comes pouring out of the Petcock even when in the ON/Down position. Bike runs fine by they way, Reserve works as it should as well. It's a pain (and fire hazard) when removing the tank for maintenance.

Does this mean I need a new Petcock??

 

It means you need to fix the petcock. It can probably be rebuilt; might have to be replaced. http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=25058.html

Both "on" and "res" are vacuum operated, no fuel should flow. "Pri" is wide open. The bike will run fine; as long as the floats keep doing their job. If you get a stuck float with the petcock passing fuel all the time, you can end up with a crankcase full of gasoline.

I highly recommend religiously checking the oil level before every ride until you have the petcock fixed. If all of a sudden one day there's way "too much oil" in the bike, stop, open the filler cap and smell-check it.

 

Re: Petcock question.....fuel pours out when removing lines?

Thanks Fitz, will do asap!