Fuel Screen Service Help

[DarkSideR]

I am replacing my fuel screen. I removed the petcock assembly. Then pulled the old fuel screen out. Wedge up inside the old fuel screen was a black rubber cylinder (not an o-ring). The new fuel screen also has this black rubber piece (but is loose in the package). I looked the OEM schematics and cannot identify where this black rubber piece goes.

Can you please advise on how to properly assembly the fuel screen with the black rubber piece?

[lee]

The black rubber cylinder is a (guide or stabilizer) I guess you could say.  When you install the new one
put this rubber thingy on the top of the petcock stand pipe.  Push the screen down over the stand pipe.
The rubber cylinder should wind up in the middle of the screen inside.  The screen is in two sections, top is
for the on position and the bottom half is for the reserve position.  
To put it another way, the black rubber cylinder is to keep you from tearing the screen when you insert the
stand pipe into the screen.  Hope this makes sense.  

One other note: It does not go back like it came out.
When you removed the pet rooster it came out and then you had to remove the screen from the tank.
When you put it back assemble the screen down onto the pet rooster and put back into the tank as one piece. 

[DarkSideR]

That explains it perfectly. Understanding what was going on I even look up inside the screen and could see little ribs that would prevent the rubber "guide" from going past the half way mark. 

The old rubber guide was wedged sideways in the old screen. It might have been partially blocking the fuel inlet.

I serviced the petcock and it's all back together again. I don't have to worry about the infamous hydro-lock for another couple of years. The old petcock diaphragms were turning grey in color and were not as flexible, but were a bit stiff. The old screen was discolored but wasn't clogged.