Van Mark

[Crackerborn]

I was off to the local hardware store the other day on the local girl and she started sputtering. Odd since the trip meter only is showing 77 miles on this tank off gas. Flip the Pingle over to reserve, and go about three blocks and she stalls. WTF? Open the tank and yup, there is plenty of fuel in the tank. Next I pull the vent tube to make sure no spiders or such might be blocking that. Nope, clear. Next I hit the starter and she starts right up. Now I am really confused but I continue on my way and the Lady behaves just like always. After I grab what I went to the store for, I turn the key on and hear a buzzing noise coming from under the tank. Turn the key on and off a few times and the noise stops. Once back to the casa I park the Lady and finish the project I was working on. That evening I was putting the girl in the barn and noticed the buzzing noise again. Definitely coming from under the tank so what else should one do but pull the tank and find the source of the noise. It was the Van Mark fuel solenoid making a noise. Again by turning it off and on a few times (this time using the toggle switch I installed when I put the Van Mark in) I got the buzzing to stop. Today I pulled the Van Mark and when it was buzzing found fuel wasn't flowing through the valve. Not sure why but apparently electronic fuel valves wear out. I guess I will be taking the Long Distance Lady until I get a new fuel solenoid.

[John Schmidt]

How long have you had the DAN MARC installed? I've had mine in for close to 15 yrs. and still going strong. 

[Bighead]

John his is a Van Mark ???











Sorry had too

[Crackerborn]

Sadly it is a Dan Marc, not sure why I thought Van. This one has been on the Local Girl since I bought her and started the mods to her so not quite 10 years as a guess. There are about 60k miles that I put on her since the Dan Marc went in so divided by how many tanks of gas, local runs on a single tank of gas, etc.,  it is possible I wore it out. I have not heard of another instance of a failure so I thought it worth mentioning to see if anyone else has had a similar experience.

[Bighead]

Hey I was just pokin fun. My ‘97 has no Van or Dan marc shut off so I have no idea how long it should last. I will stay STOCK for now.  No reason to change the way I see it. It has worked for 23+
Yrs

[Chrisj CMA]

I have a Pingel petcock and no Dan Mark or any other fuel thingy. I gust replaced the stock petcock with the Pingel and boom. Been like that for over 10 years. I just turn off the fuel every time I stop. Even the very few times I forgot were no problem

[Fazer]

I got stranded one time when the cheap ass fuse block I had the dan marc connected to malfunctioned and power to the valve disappeared.  Put in the PC-8 from Eager Beaver and never another worry about it.  Only thing is, Attic Rat removed the dan marc it when he did his upgrade stating it would not flow enough fuel.  Now I am back to stock petcock and after attending a couple of Daniel Meyer sessions at Inzane, not worried about the OEM.

[Willow]

... I just turn off the fuel every time I stop. Even the very few times I forgot were no problem

Turning off the fuel flow only becomes necessary when you have a failing float.

[Psychotic Bovine]

I got stranded one time when the cheap ass fuse block I had the dan marc connected to malfunctioned and power to the valve disappeared.  Put in the PC-8 from Eager Beaver and never another worry about it.  Only thing is, Attic Rat removed the dan marc it when he did his upgrade stating it would not flow enough fuel.  Now I am back to stock petcock and after attending a couple of Daniel Meyer sessions at Inzane, not worried about the OEM.

My brother and I both have Dan Marc valves installed.  We were initially concerned with the lack of flow, but we did a test.  We timed the flow from just the petcock on the Valk tank into a container.  Then timed with the Dan Marc.  No, nada, zip, zero difference in flow rate.  Since the Valk is gravity fed, a fuel pump may be different.  Even at WFO at triple digits, I have noticed no fuel starvation issues.
I installed it because of one scare when we trailered to Frisco and back.  When we got home, my engine was hydro locked (I'm guessing the change in air pressure caused fuel to get past the diaphragm of the stock valve (It had been turned off).  The only thing that saved my starter gear was that the battery was marginal, and starter did not crank with it's full authority.  Just my 2 cents.

[hubcapsc]

I'm guessing the change in air pressure

Someone else guessed (I'm pulling this from memory) that the non-running
bike bouncing along to the destination in a trailer allowed the floats to
tap-tap-tap let tiny bits of fuel past on each bounce, adding up to
one or more filled top-ends by the end of the trip...

Anywho... tailering seems to be a time to be vigilant for
hydrolock...

-Mike

[Willow]

This /\

[Chrisj CMA]

... I just turn off the fuel every time I stop. Even the very few times I forgot were no problem

Turning off the fuel flow only becomes necessary when you have a failing float.

But since you can’t tell when or if a float is going to fail just turning it off every time is smart

[scooperhsd]

I have never knowingly turned off my Pingel fuel petcock.

One of the things they advertise about them is that using one will almost guarantee your engine gets enough fuel, no matter how hard you run it. I'd like to hear what you supercharger users are using...

[Fazer]

... I just turn off the fuel every time I stop. Even the very few times I forgot were no problem

Turning off the fuel flow only becomes necessary when you have a failing float.

But since you can’t tell when or if a float is going to fail just turning it off every time is smart

Daniel Meyer, who I believe is one of the most knowledgeable about our bikes, is of the opinion that the OEM petcock goes bad slowly and if it tests good during a tire change, which is when he recommends testing, it should be good until the next tire change.  He showed us how to test using a vacuum pump.  Not trying to put words in his mouth, but this is the way I remember him explaining it. 

He does not turn it off each time he shuts down explaining that it is still sort of a "weak part" and as long as it's working OK, why exercise it?

[Chrisj CMA]

... I just turn off the fuel every time I stop. Even the very few times I forgot were no problem

Turning off the fuel flow only becomes necessary when you have a failing float.

But since you can’t tell when or if a float is going to fail just turning it off every time is smart

Daniel Meyer, who I believe is one of the most knowledgeable about our bikes, is of the opinion that the OEM petcock goes bad slowly and if it tests good during a tire change, which is when he recommends testing, it should be good until the next tire change.  He showed us how to test using a vacuum pump.  Not trying to put words in his mouth, but this is the way I remember him explaining it. 

He does not turn it off each time he shuts down explaining that it is still sort of a "weak part" and as long as it's working OK, why exercise it?

Not turning off a working OEM petcock is very different than not turning off a non vacuum Pingel. The OE petcock for all intents and purpose turns itself off each time the bike is shut down. Can not compare the two

[Fazer]

... I just turn off the fuel every time I stop. Even the very few times I forgot were no problem

Turning off the fuel flow only becomes necessary when you have a failing float.

But since you can’t tell when or if a float is going to fail just turning it off every time is smart

Jeff--you, of course, are correct.  I was referring to the OEM.


Daniel Meyer, who I believe is one of the most knowledgeable about our bikes, is of the opinion that the OEM petcock goes bad slowly and if it tests good during a tire change, which is when he recommends testing, it should be good until the next tire change.  He showed us how to test using a vacuum pump.  Not trying to put words in his mouth, but this is the way I remember him explaining it. 

He does not turn it off each time he shuts down explaining that it is still sort of a "weak part" and as long as it's working OK, why exercise it?

Not turning off a working OEM petcock is very different than not turning off a non vacuum Pingel. The OE petcock for all intents and purpose turns itself off each time the bike is shut down. Can not compare the two