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Who DOESN'T

Rick-e

Rick-e

Member
...turn off the gas petcock when you park your bike? If you don't, why don't you think it's necessary?
 
Should always turn off fuel. If not and the petcock leaks you gas wash the cylinder walls and shorten engine life. BAD BIKER
 
left on my 93.. pingel came w/ tank i just would forget, pingle never failed. i would turn off in winter.
 
Rick-e said:
...turn off the gas petcock when you park your bike? If you don't, why don't you think it's necessary?
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Guilty as charged, I do not turn off the gas petcock regularly...as I rely on properly working standard HD vacuum diaphragm shutoff equipped fuel strainer/petcock for my daily driver Sportster. :57:

But for long term parking/storage (2 or more weeks unattended) I turn it to OFF. Don't want to wear out the internal seals and my bike is carbureted... :D Why? because of previous experience, I wore out the internal seal on my Suzuki in 5 years of riding, gas was leaking out the valve all over my bike and fairing...I was very unhappy.
 
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I'm comfortable leaving the fuel supply valve on, on any stock harley with a diaphragm style fuel valve, have done it for years and never a problem. Early style fuel valves or aftermarket, I always make sure they are turned off when the bike is not running, I have seen float needles not seat and fuel wash the cylinders filling the crankcase with gas. That's just me, it doesn't hurts a thing to turn the fuel valve off if you're so inclined.
 
That float needle sticking has happened to me more then once on my carbed bike and I have finally got into the habit of turning it off , this has happened to me right after a carb rebuild , it just happens sporatically , any real reason , does anyone have an explaination?
 
Chopper said:
I'm comfortable leaving the fuel supply valve on, on any stock harley with a diaphragm style fuel valve, have done it for years and never a problem. That's just me, it doesn't hurts a thing to turn the fuel valve off if you're so inclined.
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+1. I am with ya Chopper. :s
 
ultrat said:
left on my 93.. pingel came w/ tank i just would forget, pingle never failed. i would turn off in winter.
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Thanks for the replies, I always turned them off on my Brits and my Guzzi years back, but tthe previous owner of my "new" 95 Heritage told me "don't bother, I had a pingle installed". I''m inclined to turn it off anyway, but the other day I forgot to turn it ON, stalled at the stop sign down the block.....embarising :small3d007:
 
The Pingle does not have a diaphragm in it, so when you leave it turned on the gas is always flowing thru it to your carb, and if the float needle gets a small bit of anything stuck between the needle and seat it will allow the gas to flow into the manifold and run into the engine cylinders down past the pistons contaminating your engine oil. After a few embarising times the routine of turning off the fuel vale will be secound nature. Listen to Smitty, he knows.
 
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