Blake: custom one off part: petcock adapter 82-83?

[Lucky]

blake, since we have the problem of not being able to get rebild kits for the 83 petcocks, and i doubt anyone even has one to send to Sirrus to use to reproduce them, I was thinking perhaps you can use your CAD program to design an adapter to fit an 82 petcock (which there are rebuild kits for) to an 83 tank.

the 83 mounting is wider than the 82 (to fit in the return tube) so perhaps the adapter could have a return 'fitting' on one end, next to a mounting screw, and be raised to mount an 82 petcock next to it.  common sizes of aluminum and brass tube are available at most hobby shops to be pressed into the adapter inside the tank. the stock return tubes have a screen at the top, & i'm not sure how to replicate that... perhaps the sintered bronze element from a fuel filter wedged in the end of the tube.

i'll make a sketch of what i have in mind, and post it here in a day or two.

if we could get a dozen, or couple dozen made for future use...any one wish to make a capitol investment here?

anyone else have any ideas?

maybe it would be better to find the diaphram material & have the diaphrams reproduced? have the 'recreated' center buttons screw together inthe diaphram?

--Lucky

[Blake]

I could easily do that.

It might be easier if someone could send me a spare 83 and an 82 petcock (dont have spare 82 one anymorE) so that i can compare the two (the parts so small i could do the whole thing for a nice visual effect :) )  


After tomorrow im done with exams (finally) so my summer starts and becides work and fixing up the bike and caddy, theres not much else ill be doing.


Just let me know and ill start drawing.


Blake

[Lucky]

that's the problem, i don't think there is such a thing as a spare 83 petcock...
would you mind sending me your ph #'s? some of this stuff would be much better to discuss over the phone, if not, i understand.

btw, there seems to be little response on the oil adapter item, other than you & i, & now i don't need it...

--Lucky

[Lucky]

here is the quick sketch. ?what we need, if you guys have them to measure acuratly (with a micrometer) are the dimentions of the mounting area of the 83 tank (opening size, spacing of the mounting holes)
and the same for the 82 tank.
In the second pic the adapter is a little different, i modified it as i went along.
--Lucky

[Lucky]

I was thinking the return tube might need some kind of check ball to keep gas from flowing back into the carbs when the fuel level is above the top of the tube, but i'm tired & i'll think about it more tomorrow...

[dchakrab]

I believe I have an '83 petcock (working) being mailed to me, so I'll have a spare '83 when I get that. Mine isn't exactly in pristine condition, I'm warning you...I've been attempting to seal it with gasket sealant, which is now all over the place, so it's a mess. It's probably ok for getting measurements off of, though.

I think making a sealing solution for this petcock, so it can be used with a flow-valve, should be simple...just a question of building rubber rims to fit around the rectangular part of the petcock, so when it's screwed together, it doesn't leak as much. Other than this, O-rings and other rubber parts should be easy to find. The rubber circular thing with the four holes in it that goes under the selector switch is the same size as the one from the '82, so that's available as well, as is the rubber ring that fits around the selector switch.

Making a rebuild kit that would allow full vacuum operation...that's beyond my understanding at this point. I know how the petcock works now, more or less, but the only way I can think of to reproduce that would be to mount the metal centre nobs from two '82 kits onto a rubber diaphragm sheet, cut to the right size to fit an '83. Not sure how you'd do that...and no idea how you would get it onto the plastic part of the petcock, either, since it doesn't seem like a part that could be connected or disconnected in the middle.

Maybe a part with a cut down the middle on one side, so you can slip it through the plastic part and get it into position, but which has overlapping rubber in the middle which you could then use sealant to glue together? Would this work? Or maybe a rubber gasket that fits over this part, between the plastic and the metal of the petcock housing?

Hope some of this is helpful...I'm just shooting ideas out at random, based on my tinkering so far.

  -Dave.

[dchakrab]

Lucky, I'm not sure I understand your drawing...you seem to have a main intake and a reserve, but the main intake doesn't go into the '82 petcock, but straight through the adapter and...?

The fuel intakes (inside the tank) have filters, but the return line just runs from the carbs to the petcock, right? I think I'm confused with this, looking at your sketch.  

Sorry for being a persistant newbie, but I'm sure I *almost* understand this now, and it's bothering me that I still can't fix the thing.

  -Dave.

[ProfessorRex]

Dave,
What you think is the main in the drawing is the return line, it's bypassing the '82 petcock because '82's don't have return lines.  The reserve intake is omited in luckys drawing

-Rex

[Lucky]

yup

[harry_angel69]

My original plan was to build an adapter from an 82 petcock to an 83 tank.  But my milling table seems to have vanished into thin air.  I am not sure where it has been borrowed to, or if it will ever return.  Nobody knows anything about its disappearance.  

Who'ed a thunk it.  Whetever......

Anywho my point is that I have a spare 83 petcock that is non-operable.  It no longer has any diaphrams, but it could be used for measurements.  

So who should I ship it to Lucky or Blake?  Send me a PM.

[Kevin]

I measured the petcocks. The 83 mounting holes are 51.28 mm center to center. petcock body is 22 mm wide and 71.80 long. On the 82 mounting holes are 33.91 mm center to center, body is 21.24 wide and 55.30 long. comparing both petcocks the easiest and quickest solution to mounting a 82 petcock on a 83 tank I would use a thin strip of metal around 1/16 in.thick by 1'' by 3'', drill the mounting holes 33.91 for the petcock and use one of the origonal bolt holes in the tank for the other you spot weld a 6mm nut on the inside of the strip of metal then weld the metal to the existing mount in your tank. this could be done by braiseing or mig or tig. Kevin :)        

[Kevin]

You wouldn't have to have a vision petcock. you could use one from any tank that has a vacunm setup.the Suzuki gs models are the the same setup. Kevin  

[MotorPlow]

Darn it!
I just recently sold a Suk GS Tank and let it go with the Petcock and everything.  I guess we could have used it in this project.

[Lucky]

Keep in mind that on the 83 the petcock serves as the fuel regulator (i had forgotten about this) so a petcock with approx the same pressure should be chosen.  i don't know if CV type carbs, which are more common, run at the same pressure, but their probably close...

[Lucky]

umm, not sure harry, hang on to it for now..

[Superfly]

The 83 petcock was used on another model bike, why don't you look for that?

[Lucky]

I've never heard that... anyway, why bother? still can't get parts for it...

[Superfly]

I have an 83 tank on right now, and got a petcock out of a gas tank in the junk yard, exact match.  Looked like a old Maxim or Virago tank. Works great, have not had one problem with it.  I figure it would be easier to find a re-build for that model of bike, rather than our Visions.

[Lead_Deficiency]

There are some other Yami's (some Seca's) that had a fuel level sensor in the tank, would it be workable?

LD