trying to startup a '98 Valkyrie

[lightnj]

This is my 1st Valkyrie with 10K miles on it.  I bought it from a friend who had not ridden it in 3 years, so that was the last time it was run.  I wanted to learn how to work on the bike so I decided to go ahead and check out the tank and the carbs.  I checked the tank and found no rust in the tank. There was about an 1/8 of tank of old fuel that I drained from the tank that was non-ethanol, it didn't really smell to varnished.  When I took the carbs apart they were pretty clean, no varnish in the bowls or on jets/needles.  I cleaned the carbs and put back on the bike, installed the air box with new air filter and then put petcock with new fuel screen.  Initially it was leaking from the top of the petcock since I had not tightened it enough to make a good seal on the o ring gasket.  I retightened and it stopped leaking.  I attached the #5 carb vacuum hose to the petcock vacuum inlet, attached the fuel line to petcock, and the tank air vent hose.  I made sure the fuel switch arrow was properly aligned for the off/on/reserve.  I put a new battery in bike.  I put the bike in neutral and hit the start button.  The engine will turn over but won't start.  I checked #5 and #6 carb bowls for any gas and they are dry.  I thought the starting the bike would create enough vacuum for the petcock to allow fuel to flow into the carbs.  What is the next step I should do to get fuel to flow into carbs so the bike will fire?  I appreciate the assistance. JT

[sandy]

If you have a Mity Vac, you can pull a vacuum on the petcock line and open the carb drain screws to check for flow.

[longrider]

It will pull enough vacuum sometimes.  Being from the north I drain the bowls each winter.  The first valk and first spring I wound it over a good bit before enough gas filled the bowls.  I'm on my third valk now and I pull a vacuum on the petcock hose off #6 for a minute or so.  Starts good then

Warren

[gordonv]

Also be sure you are on the proper setting on the petcock. When you turn it, you can feel the indent ball drop into it's position.

You can turn the petcock to the proper setting, but not be in the position to allow fuel to flow/stop.

As already said, without running the bike, using your mouth too, you can suck on the vacuum line from the petcock (not too hard) to allow it to open and allow fuel to flow if it is in the correct position.
 
If you have a carb bowl drain open, you should get fuel leaking out, then you know you're doing it right. Give it a little time to fill. Then try to start the bike normally.

I don't think it matters which carb you draw the vacuum from, but OEM is from carb #6.

FYI since the bike has been sitting, when fuel starts flowing, you might get fuel leaking from the carbs/rails, until they swell up again.

[Gryphon Rider]

Make sure you have the choke (technically not to choke, but an enriched) fully engaged. Push it all the way down until you feel resistance, then push it another 1/4". With my bike, in addition to using the choke, I need to turn the throttle about 1/8".  When it fires, I release the throttle but keep the choke on until the revs pick up above 1500.

[Steel cowboy]

I would check one more time that the chrome handle for the pep rooster was set up properly. I would remove it and use a needle nose to turn it to on. One other problem could be the diaphragms in the pep rooster not holding a vacumme and not letting fuel out.

[hukmut]

And the very next time you have the carbs removed, BE SURE to replace those float needles!!! Do yourself and your bike a favor. 
Easy to do, cheap enough, AND  they will go    a       l  o  n  g    ways in helping to prevent a hydrolock situation.
Those little springs get weak over time. 
Check out the archives on this forum. Yes, you can do a manual or electric shut off valve, but new
 float needles will help.
Ride safe.

[lightnj]

Thanks to everyone's advice.  I got the mighty Valk running about 3pm this afternoon.  The OEM petcock was just not flowing at first, let it sit for an hour and the fuel started flowing to the carbs on the on and reserve positions, but not in the off position..thank goodness.  I got some leakage on the rail where fuel goes into carbs but it didn't last long and stopped.  Took it for a ride and noticed that choke doesn't seem to keep rpms up while warming up and also after bike is warm after 10 minutes it won't idle and dies. At higher rpm running she sounds fine, no spitting or backfiring occurring.  I need to figure out the idle adjustment, and the choke next.  Also, noticed a slight play in throttle roll before it catches throttle cable to increase RPMs.  Should there be a little play in the throttle roll or none at all?  Any advice on the idle and choke adjustments much appreciated.

[Steel cowboy]

My bike had similar symptoms and I found cracked vacumm lines. I used starting fluid to find the vacumme leaks. There were 3 plus the intake clamps that go to the carb's were loose. I had to replace the Orings were the manifolds bolt to the head too.

[Ricky-D]

Adjustment of the throttle cable should only be attempted with the handlebars at the full

lock positions both ways. Left and Right.

***

[Tfrank59]

Thanks to everyone's advice.  I got the mighty Valk running about 3pm this afternoon.  The OEM petcock was just not flowing at first, let it sit for an hour and the fuel started flowing to the carbs on the on and reserve positions, but not in the off position..thank goodness.  I got some leakage on the rail where fuel goes into carbs but it didn't last long and stopped.  Took it for a ride and noticed that choke doesn't seem to keep rpms up while warming up and also after bike is warm after 10 minutes it won't idle and dies. At higher rpm running she sounds fine, no spitting or backfiring occurring.  I need to figure out the idle adjustment, and the choke next.  Also, noticed a slight play in throttle roll before it catches throttle cable to increase RPMs.  Should there be a little play in the throttle roll or none at all?  Any advice on the idle and choke adjustments much appreciated.

My throttle cable does have a little play, which I think is correct, as someone has said that's for when the front wheel is locked to the left and right extreme position.

[Thunderbolt]

Idle adjustment is between the first two carbs on the right side.  You probably saw this when you had it all apart but just in case you didn't.  You grab the bottom of the adjustment knob, usually gray or black and screw it in to raise the idle.  It is usually easier to take the tension off with the throttle first.  Carbs on the right are 1,3,5 and left is 2,4,6 and the vacuum line to the petcock from the factory is on #6 but #5 is o.k. just make sure that all of the lines are good and not leaking.  There is a small line on the side of each carb about 1" or so long that may look o.k. but when you take it off you will see small cracks around the ends.  Replace those as well as the other vacuum lines if you have not already done so.  Also the caps on the other vacuum ports that are unused.

[moonride]

Sounds like primary jets and enrichment valves are plugged from setting. I just had the same symptoms on a 97 standard (wouldn't run under 2000 rpms).