Cover me...

[DarkMeister]

I'm going in!

Replacing the petcock. Got the tank off. Replaced the air filter already.

Odd stuff: in ShopTalk, the article on tank removal says to remove the 'small vent hose, very back center of tank'. Mine is about two inches long, if that - so I didn't bother. Is this wrong. i.e.: should that li'l hose be longer?
Secondly - no clamp on the bigger of the two hoses at the petcock. Wonder if it was lost, or some shop forgot to put it on...

[Chrisj CMA]

That vent tube oringinally was long enough to fit to a "T" at the base of the engine and then end up down by the kick stand.  Some have removed that hose altogether.  You should be fine as is if you take one simple precaution.  Dont overfil or even fill your tank FULL and then let it sit in the sun for a long time.  It is possible for a siphoning of the gas out the vent, the factory hose configuration was supposed to prevent this or at least keep the gas off the motor......

Dont worry about the wire clamp on that hose if it is a tight fit.  If it just slipped on easy then get another clamp, they are cheap

[DarkMeister]

Thanks!

I re-read your reply on the air filter, just in case. But, the gasket stayed in the cover.

Going to see if I can fild the 't' connection.

[Daniel Meyer]

Yes, please reconnect the vent hose or add a new one (complete with "T") if it's been removed. Any gas that sloshes that way or overflows from expansion will hit around your alternator...a sparky kind of thing.

I have scars from a motorcycle that burst into flames when I was riding it. (not a Valk, a "Bull Taco" if you can imagine).

[DarkMeister]

All done except the seat. Beer break first.

Took the side covers off, battery cover, poked around - nada. Can't find the vent hose, or the 't'.

Think what I'll do is put some fuel in and go for a spin, then check for leaks. Two strikes here: no vent hose and no clamp on the main fuel-line to petcock.
Any leaks, I'll take it in to a shop. 

[MP]

The vent hose is the two inch piece you took off the little pipe on the back of the tank.  It should be long enough to thread on down, and hang out with the other hoses underneath your bike.  A little ways up from the end, it should have a tee installed in it, to provide a vacuum break.

MP

[Chrisj CMA]

The vent hose is the two inch piece you took off the little pipe on the back of the tank.  It should be long enough to thread on down, and hang out with the other hoses underneath your bike.  A little ways up from the end, it should have a tee installed in it, to provide a vacuum break.

MP

The vent hose doesnt "hang out" with the other hoses....there should still be a hose clamp thing on the kick stand mount, thats where it is supposed to hang out

[DarkMeister]

Sorry guys - in fact what I saw on removal was just the pipe (I thought that was the hose). Off to crawl under the bike....(hello? Hon?....BECAUSE MY GARAGE IS FULL OF JUNK!!!! and I can't get the bike in to use my lift).

[art]

Bull Taco ?? Must be a mexican bike? . I never heard of that brand

[DarkMeister]

Found the "T". There are two hoses on it, and a bare pipe for the other end of the vent hose - and no hose.
Looks to me as though I should be able to put the hose on without taking the tank off. Going to search online, but if anyone happens to know the diameter and length - shoot.

[Daniel Meyer]

Found the "T". There are two hoses on it, and a bare pipe for the other end of the vent hose - and no hose.
Looks to me as though I should be able to put the hose on without taking the tank off. Going to search online, but if anyone happens to know the diameter and length - shoot.

"T" should be sideways. Top of "T" goes to the vent pipe on the tank, bottom goes down to the hangout with the other pipes on the right side bottom of the bike, the bare part sticks out sideways and has nothing on it. It's a siphon break basically.

If there's two hoses on your t already, one of 'em is probably the one that goes up to the tank...find the end and you've got it going on!

[DarkMeister]

Of course! Thanks! Just looked at some schematics and searched the board. The bare end on the T is supposed to be open.
Back to the grind...

[Chiefy]

Yes, please reconnect the vent hose or add a new one (complete with "T") if it's been removed. Any gas that sloshes that way or overflows from expansion will hit around your alternator...a sparky kind of thing.

I have scars from a motorcycle that burst into flames when I was riding it. (not a Valk, a "Bull Taco" if you can imagine).

   better install a hose on mine!

[DarkMeister]

Found the little bastard....nicely tucked in beside the battery.

[Hoser]

Bull Taco ?? Must be a mexican bike? . I never heard of that brand

Your'e close. The Bultaco  was a spanish bike, a bike imported in the 60's and 70's, and ran pretty good.  Hoser  

[DarkMeister]

All done and hooked up. Had to remove the tank the second time (partially). So the only loose end I left under there is the lack of clamp on the fuel line.
Road tested, filled up the tank, no leaks at any setting of the new petcock.

When I took the old filter out there was a puddle in the airbox. It felt like oil, or at least oily.
Is this normal, or a sign of woes to come?

[Valkpilot]

When I took the old filter out there was a puddle in the airbox. It felt like oil, or at least oily.
Is this normal, or a sign of woes to come?

Normal.  Wipe it out and carry on.

[Daniel Meyer]

So the only loose end I left under there is the lack of clamp on the fuel line.

Really ought to put a clamp there. Do at least check for leaks with the bike nice and hot...that line softens up considerably when hot...

Bull Taco ?? Must be a mexican bike? . I never heard of that brand

Your'e close. The Bultaco  was a spanish bike, a bike imported in the 60's and 70's, and ran pretty good.  Hoser  

Ran like wildfire...in point of fact. The one I had was a real fireball!   

[Ricky-D]

I think the Bultaco was a two stroker.

That's probably why you don't see them anymore.

***

[Daniel Meyer]

I think the Bultaco was a two stroker.

That's probably why you don't see them anymore.

***

Yep, two-stroke, single cylinder. I had a street-legalafied Pursang (370 I recall). Bitch to kick over. I rode it a LOT. Pretty kick-ass machine.

Burst into flames right between my legs at highway speed. Parts of my jeans were burned off before I got stopped and t-shirt and helmet padding was melted. That taught me the definition of pain.

That's been 30+ years ago and I still have significant scars in places the sun rarely shines.

Thus...I am quite careful about fuel lines/leaks.

They went out of business way back...the early 80's I think...when the employees burned down the factory seeking better pay or something like that.

[YoungPUP]

I'm seeing a repetetive theme here with Bultaco and Fire.....

[R J]

When I was racing in the Bay Area Racing Assoc, I had a Taco.   Ran pretty hard most of the time.

Almost after every weekend of racing we had to tear the old girl down and do some heavy maintenance.     Rings, and etc.     It would knock a set of rings out real quick.

Suppose it was because we had a tad of alcohol in the 2 stroke mix.   Raced it 2 years that way and never got caught.   They tore us down several times but never looked in the fuel mix.

I had a buddy in the Corps with me who was a whiz on that engine.   He could rip the head off, replace the rings, hone out the barrel and have it back together running strong in less than 45 minutes.   All he asked for was, 'stay the fork out of the way till I'm done or ask for assistance.'

When I came back from Korea the last time I raced Triumphs and BSA's.  Dudley Perkins wasn't too happy that I wasn't racing his HD's, but I did not like them to race.   I worked for him then part time and could have had a race bike that someone else took care of, all I would of had to do was show up at the track and ride it.

Memories, yeah........