83 petcock alternitive!

[Superfly]

The petcock I am using for my 83 tank is from a 83 XV500 (Virago)  It might be just as hard to find a kit for that one also, but it is worth a try.

[h2olawyer]

Just did a quick search on DGY, Speed & Sport & PartsFish. ?PartsFish has the XV500 petcock available for $92.99. ?DGY is $20 cheaper but they note it is backordered. ?Speed & Sport comes up empty.

XV500 petcock part# 22U-24500-01-00

//www.powersportspro.com  (PartsFish)

Hope this helps. ?Nice to find any alternative for you 83 owners!

H2O

[louthepou]

Way to go Superfly!

Lou

[jasonm.]

Superfly, per the Yamaha site,I see it is the same part as the '83 Vision. So we could order it under the Vision# or go the the salvage yard.

[Superfly]

My main thought was rebuild kits, considering that everyone is having problems getting a rebuild kit for the Vision (let alone people even knowing about the Vision!), they might be able to find them for the Virago, it was a more popular bike.

[jasonm.]

More popular?You are mistaken ...Grasshopper. The 500 Virago was only made in '83. Just like our fairinged Vision of the same year has the same odd petcock.

[Oldbikefool]

Just for your info the 82 Vision seems to have the same petcock as the 920 Virago. I bought a 920 from a friend moving from Wa. state to West Virginny and he didn't want to haul it there, my Visions petcock was leaking and when I looked at the Virago's it looked the same, has been on the Vision for a year or so now. Parts and kits for the Virago are probably more easily available than the Visions.

[tremalzo]

I don?t know if the 82 and 83 petcock on the US model are identical like the European model. If so, the repair kit for the European model might be an alternative.

The repair kit is offered by the German onlineshop louis.de.   http://louis9.louis.de/katalog2005/pages/792.pdf
The xz550 / vision repair kit is 14,95 euro, this is some 18,70 dollar.

For those who don?t speak or read German. The picture shows 5 different models. The petcock is not included, you only get the repair kit.

The repair kit for the earlie 80?s models xj550, xj650, xj750 seca, xv 750 se, xv1000 and  xv1000 se seem to be the same as the one used  for xz550 / vision. Suppose this means they have a similar petcock

Louis.de is reliable. Did business with them on several occasions. International delivery usualy takes less then a week.

Tremalzo

[jasonm.]

If you never want to worry about the petcock delivering fuel with the engine off. Get an electric fuel pump. You can get them at auto parts stores or get one from another Yamaha. Like an R6 or R1, Venture, Vmax. They push 1 to 3 psi. The Yamaha ones are self regulating. Also, They shut off after 5 seconds if the fuel line breaks.

[Coil Coyle]

Jason,
           With the electric pump you still need to block flow in the return fuel line when the motor is off or gravity will feed your carbs backwards, an inline check valve of some kind.
           The two diaphrams on the 83 control the fuel and the return line.

           One solution would be an 82 tank and petcock with the 83 fuel return ran up around the airbox area in copper tube for cooling and then into a "T" in the fuel line leaving the petcock.

          I am pretty sure that Yamaha went to all of the trouble in 83 to avoid hot gasoline vapor locking the fuel pump.

coil

[YellowJacket!]

I have talked with a couple people where I live.  One is a custom bike builder who has a machine shop and has a great deal of welding experience and the other is a welder and has a friend who has a machine shop.  Both are goin to look at my '83 tank and see what they can work out as far as a petcock goes.  The consensus is to machine a mounting plate and collet that will take an off the shelf petcock that can be screwed in.

If it works, I will ask him if he can make several plates and sell them.  This is my long week to work, so I probably won't be able to get any concrete ideas until next week, but I'll keep everyone informed.

Now, since I am new to visions, is there any special petcock/fuel flow/pressure issues or any for that matter that I need to be aware of?

Best Regards,

David

[Humber]

The alternative is easier than you think of, I was running succesfully on 82 tank and 83 carb on my Vision.

The only mod I had to use was to mount a fuel fitting in the upper part of my tank, somewhere under the center passage on the level of the tank cap. So that the returning fuel went directly above the fuel level.

Worked well until I sold my Vision.

I still have an 83 petcock for sale which is in good condition, I was thinking about installing it to my tank... but eventually there was no point in it....

[TODDF]

Your post is a bit old but...

I have the opposite prob.  Just got an 83 bike that somebody put 82 carbs on... no return line from carbs, blocked off at the petcock.  If the issue is vapor lock from hot gas in the tank, then what if I run that copper tubing up to the radiator and find a place to cool it off with th fan before continuing back to the carbs.  Think that would solve the vapor lock??

Jason,
           With the electric pump you still need to block flow in the return fuel line when the motor is off or gravity will feed your carbs backwards, an inline check valve of some kind.
           The two diaphrams on the 83 control the fuel and the return line.

           One solution would be an 82 tank and petcock with the 83 fuel return ran up around the airbox area in copper tube for cooling and then into a "T" in the fuel line leaving the petcock.

          I am pretty sure that Yamaha went to all of the trouble in 83 to avoid hot gasoline vapor locking the fuel pump.

coil

[Brian Moffet]

I don't think so. Usually vapor lock will happen when fuel goes to vapor when the bike is sitting, usually not running. Because there is a return for the pump, when you crank the engine the vapor bubble can get moved out of the system and back into the tank, rather than just mildly compressing as it just sits there.   Running a line to the radiator won't do anything in that case, and could cause more problems because of where you have to run the line (it would be getting really close to some hot areas like the front cylinder.)

Brian (you ought to hear some of the methods for starting a fuel-injected aircraft engine that might have a vapor lock!)

[reckon]

More popular?You are mistaken ...Grasshopper. The 500 Virago was only made in '83. Just like our fairinged Vision of the same year has the same odd petcock.

the virago franchise is THE most popular bike yamaha has ever sold

they made those bikes in various sizes for over 20 YEARS (not just two like the V), so I am SURE there are thousands of parts that interchange, thats the best thing about a yamaha, parts for one, will probably fit another yamaha of nearly the same year (and sometimes many years ahead)

the post 83' XV500, 700, 750, 900, 1000, and the 1100, ALL share the same parts (pretty much except for barrells, and cylinder heads)   I KNOW you can take just about ANY part from a 83' on up, and switch it to ANY virago made after 83'.

I have a set of XV500 carbs that I am making a manifold for and will try the CV's on my V and I'll bet you a hundred bux that they work PERFECTLY after jetting and syncing, I'm also doing a single CV carb & manifold (from a 1000cc virago) to see what a V runs like with a bigger single CV carb.

I know of several XV500's around here that are complete if any one wants me to haggle petcocks, stators, carbs, or whatever.

remember I owned a nine second virago (no thats NOT stock) for about 8 years, and made a nice living doing mods and swaps (using ALL virago parts)

ya gotta love yamaha for that  (just like fords)