Rebuilt cover set, symptoms remain.

[username23]

So I rebuilt the cover set, but still have the same symptoms of lack of power at highway speed. It's a '97 with about 43k miles. After reading here about cover sets/petcock issues, I thought I'd gotten it figured out, but apparently not. I did try to remove the fuel screen from the tank when I had the petcock off, but couldn't get it to budge and didn't want to damage it. Is the screen difficult to remove, clean and replace?
 Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

[Red Diamond]

If you removed the petcock, the screen should have come out with it. If it did'nt, then I'd say it is loose in the tank. You should remove the tank and try to get that screen out to see if it is clogged. Good luck and ride safely.

[Robert]

What is a cover set?

[Jeff K]

What is a cover set?

Good question. ???? But it appears to be rebuild able. 

[username23]

Red Diamond, I could see the screen when I pulled the petcock, but couldn't get it to come out. I didn't want to force it out for fear of damaging it, but I guess I'll buy a replacement and do whatever it takes to get the old one out.

Robert, a cover set is a rebuild kit for the petcock. Mine included two rubber diaphragms, a spring, and an o-ring.

[Farther]

Check your vaccum line to the petcock and tank vent line to see if they are kinked or in need of replacing.

[Bone]

Just pulled the petcock on my 98 Tourer. The screen stayed in the tank. There was an 1/8 inch sticking out of the hole. Grabbed that with a pair of needle nose pliers. Had to twist it in 3 different places curling the lip and causing it to let go of the tank.
70 k miles and the screen was clean as could be but couldn't be used again. I had a replacement waiting and used it for comparison.

[hubcapsc]

Red Diamond, I could see the screen when I pulled the petcock, but couldn't get it to come out. I didn't want to force it out for fear of damaging it, but I guess I'll buy a replacement and do whatever it takes to get the old one out.

Robert, a cover set is a rebuild kit for the petcock. Mine included two rubber diaphragms, a spring, and an o-ring.

That's what I'd do - get a new screen (cheap) and yank the old one out. Mine was kind of stuck up
in there, and some others I've seen too... There's a short little tube-like
piece that comes with the new screen - look at your old screen, the little tube goes up inside the screen,
there's a place for it about half way.

There's a shop-talk article that describes a easy vacuum test you can do to make sure that you rebuilt the
petcock properly - you can actually see it unambiguously working before you even screw the petcock back
onto the tank.

Another way to test... with the tank off... no gas should flow whether off or on or reserve. Lots of
gas (not just a trickle, a Valkyrie won't run on a trickle) should flow on and reserve if you put a
vacuum on the vacuum line. Don't go overboard putting a vacuum on it, it is easy to put plenty of
vacuum on it just by sucking on the vacuum line like a straw (maybe use a clean vacuum line  )

There's some other pictures you can search out of the tech-board archives by "cholla" (I think)
that will help you make sure you put the diaphragm back together right - it will  go back together
wrong-side-out about as easy as right-side and doesn't look much different either way...

-Mike

[Robert]

Red Diamond, I could see the screen when I pulled the petcock, but couldn't get it to come out. I didn't want to force it out for fear of damaging it, but I guess I'll buy a replacement and do whatever it takes to get the old one out.

Robert, a cover set is a rebuild kit for the petcock. Mine included two rubber diaphragms, a spring, and an o-ring.

NO wonder Ive never heard of it I wouldn't give that pos petcock a second chance to screw me over so I tossed it. It never seemed logical to me to rebuild a part that is a pos from the factory, with the added chance of a failure results in a hydrolock.

[MP]

My screen always stays in the tank.

MP

[X Ring]

Red Diamond, I could see the screen when I pulled the petcock, but couldn't get it to come out. I didn't want to force it out for fear of damaging it, but I guess I'll buy a replacement and do whatever it takes to get the old one out.

Robert, a cover set is a rebuild kit for the petcock. Mine included two rubber diaphragms, a spring, and an o-ring.

NO wonder Ive never heard of it I wouldn't give that pos petcock a second chance to screw me over so I tossed it. It never seemed logical to me to rebuild a part that is a pos from the factory, with the added chance of a failure results in a hydrolock.

I agree.  Pingel all the way.

Marty

[Chrisj CMA]

I went through the same nonsense!!!!!  Rebuilt with a"cover set" and the dang thing still was a major pain on the highway.  I think once the valve is ion need of rebuilding, its not just the vacuum side that can be worn out.  If the switch side is worn (which I think mine was) there is no easy rebuild.  You should know if the switch side is going bad if even after fixing the vacuum sice it takes a long time to recover after "going on reserve".........+1 with Marty PINGEL PINGEL PINGEL

[Tx Bohemian]

NO wonder Ive never heard of it I wouldn't give that pos petcock a second chance to screw me over so I tossed it. It never seemed logical to me to rebuild a part that is a pos from the factory, with the added chance of a failure results in a hydrolock.

So how did you remedy yours to have a cut-off?

Since I've heard these are susceptible to Hydrolock I've been trying to get into the habit of switching to "off" but what I'm understanding here is that isn't even guaranteed to work.

Ok, since I've started typing this respose I've seen people say "Pingel" - what is this?

[Chrisj CMA]

NO wonder Ive never heard of it I wouldn't give that pos petcock a second chance to screw me over so I tossed it. It never seemed logical to me to rebuild a part that is a pos from the factory, with the added chance of a failure results in a hydrolock.

So how did you remedy yours to have a cut-off?

Since I've heard these are susceptible to Hydrolock I've been trying to get into the habit of switching to "off" but what I'm understanding here is that isn't even guaranteed to work.

Ok, since I've started typing this respose I've seen people say "Pingel" - what is this?

http://www.pingelonline.com/powerflo_application_frames.htm

[hubcapsc]

Ok, since I've started typing this respose I've seen people say "Pingel" - what is this?

It's like an OEM petcock that comes pre-broken from the factory. Unless you remember to turn it off *every* time,
it behaves like a failed OEM petcock, passing gas with atmospheric pressure into your float bowls at all times.

-Mike 

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

Over two years ago I pulled the diaphram and spring out of mine and blocked off the vac side with a piece of thick gasket material making the stock valve into a manual shut off valve. On when I  turn the key on,  off when I turn the key off. If I foget to turn it on the lady will throw a fit in short time wanting more gas. One of these days I'll get arround to an electric inline shutoff valve.

[paul]

Yes ,,,remember if you dont have the capacity to shut you fuel off after riding your motorcycle the pingle is NOT for you,,,just keep jacking with that valve you have there

[hubcapsc]

Yes ,,,remember if you dont have the capacity to shut you fuel off after riding your motorcycle the pingle is NOT for you,,,just keep jacking with that valve you have there

I never touch or think about mine, except for an occasional test when I'm doing other maintenance. I run my bike to the point of having to go on reserve regularly, if the OEM petcock
ever went bad in any of the usual ways, reserve probably wouldn't do right, so I'd expect to know almost right away. I don't have the capacity to be jacking with a pingle every ride.

Is it true that when you go to reserve on a pingle, you're almost all the way out of gas?

-Mike 

[Robert]

Chris thankfully gave you a link to the Pingle site and it is much better in that it does shutoff when off and flows when its supposed to. Replaces the oem just fine if like me you have problems remembering to shut off the valve you can get a vacuum operated one that works the same as a factory unit. I would recommend the manual though because the vacuum does sometimes do funny things on these bikes so the manual is a no brainer. Let me also just clarify one thing here the factory valve in the off position on occasion will flow fuel, it does not stop the flow sometimes. More than likely its the time the float needle goes south and you have yourself a hydro lock. If you go with the vacuum pingel I would recommend a vacuum damper in the vacuum line to dampen the variations in vacuum. They are Normal but I believe it will wear down the diaphram and cause a failure. If you smooth the pulses by putting a small restriction in line I think things will work great. Also some put in a Dan Marc electric fuel valve. As a last note I put on a belly tank and have a vacuum operated valve that you can buy because I dont use it anymore. I had it rebuilt and haven't used it since I got it back. The pingles reserve does need to be and can be adjusted like I said the stock valve can fail to shut off the fuel even in the off position. Mine broke under warranty 3 times and I said enough was enough on the 3 time replaced with a Pingle.