Gettin to know her n makin her mine

NOT MY WORDS. CAN'T REMEMBER WHO WROTE THIS.
NAPA. NAPA part #H467, 72" length, 5/32" ID, prepackaged.
Tools needed:
6 to 7 feet 5/32 vacuum/fuel/emissions hose.
12 mm socket or wrench
5 mm hex wrench (with an accessory chrome cover on the tank front) or 10 mm socket.
#2 Phillips screwdriver.
9” long straight blade screwdriver
Needle nose pliers
2 #8 wood screws and some small wire or heavy string.
Flashlight.
20” of small antenna whip (.100-.125” stainless steel wire).

Optional but very useful, Honda service manual for your model Valkyrie. Study any pages showing information on the PAIR valve and its hoses.

It is best to prepare your Valkyrie for fuel tank removal by riding the motorcycle to a low fuel level thereby reducing the weight of the fuel tank.

The motorcycle should be completely cooled down before tank removal as there will be gasoline spillage when removing the fuel supply hose from the tank petcock.

Remove the seat. (If you need help with seat removal stop here, you are probably not able to perform this vacuum hose replacement procedure! You would be better off having a mechanic working on your Valkyrie.)

Turn the fuel petcock to the off position and with the Phillips screwdriver unscrew the fuel selector handle from the petcock. The screw is down inside the plastic handle. Be carefully with the selector as it a plastic item. The selector does not need be taken completely off the bike. Just pull it off the petcock and set the end below the petcock. Be careful with the fuel selector handle during removal and re-installation of the fuel tank.

Place a rag under the fuel petcock to catch fuel that will leak from the hose during removal. Remove the fuel tank supply hose (3/8 diameter hose) clamp spring and remove the hose from the petcock nipple. The long screwdriver works well to pry the hose off the nipple, be careful not to create any sparks! Tilt the fuel hoe down to drain the remaining fuel from the hose.

You may want to secure your handlebar in the straight ahead position with a rope from the right handlebar to the rear of the bike before proceeding with the next step.

Remove the front bolt holding the tank, then remove the rear bolt holding the tank. Gently lift the rear of the tank and remove the fuel vent line that is at the very rear of the tank. (The tank requires a little adjustment to clear the frame in the petcock area.) From the right side of the bike find the small vacuum line that runs to the petcock. It is just right of where the fuel hose was connected. Pry the vent hose off with a screwdriver. If your Valk is an Interstate there will be a blue wire connector running to the bottom center of the tank, unplug this wire before lifting the tank completely off.
The tank should now be free from the motorcycle and can be carefully lifted off and placed on a soft mat.

Closely study the hose routing of the #3 and #4 vacuum lines across the center top of the engine. Try to remember where the right hose (#3) runs as it goes below the chrome tube into the riser fitting. If it is not placed correctly it will lie on the chrome tube and may fail quickly as this chrome tube becomes heated.

Cylinder #3 is the right center cylinder when you are sitting on the bike. #4 is the left center and #6 is the left rear cylinder.

With needle nose pliers remove the vacuum hose to the #3 and #4 vacuum fittings inside of the chrome intake riser tubes. Pull the removed hose end out as much as needed and insert the wood screws with the strings or wires attached at the head of the screw into each of these vacuum lines. Secure the string ends to the choke cable on each side of the bike.

Find the PAIR valve vacuum hose located under the center bottom of the air box. It is visible best between the #4 and #6 carbs (left side) looking in at about a 45’ angle (also visible from the right side). The PAIR valve vacuum hose runs from the steel tubing (top of PAIR valve, (just below the air box)down to the top center of the engine area and is connected to a plastic “Tee” fitting with the #3 and #4 vacuum lines from each side connected to the Tee fitting also. With the long screwdriver pry the small spring clamp open or off of the top PAIR valve hose (it will not be reused). Now position the screwdriver from the right side of the bike and pry the vacuum line off the steel tubing under the air box.

From the left side of the bike find the top of the PAIR valve hose and grab it with the needle nose pliers. Gently pull the 3 hoses out from above the left rear and left center carbs. Pull slowly and gently as you may need to wiggle the hoses some to prevent the strings from falling off. It is not a disaster if they do fall off but you will need to route the hose by hand through the engine if they do! Pull all three hoses out and above the motorcycle.

Duplicate the hoses with the new vacuum line. Make the side lines several inches longer as you will cut these to fit after install them of the bike. Make the #10 PAIR valve hose 3 inches longer that it originally was. Install the side hoses onto the Tee fitting but not the PAIR valve hose (center of Tee). Set the Tee assembly aside for now.

Now the work begins. We are going to re-install the new PAIR valve vacuum hose using the antenna wire to place it onto the PAIR valve steel tubing. This requires the use of the flashlight and good vision as the PAIR valve steel tube fitting end is barely visible under the air box.
The antenna wire works best when the end is ground down (or filed) to a rounded point. This allows it to seat into the steel tube easier.

From the left rear of the engine find the steel tubing on top of the PAIR valve where the new #10 hose attaches. Working over the left rear carb (45’ angle into the center of the bike), place the end of the wire in the inside of the PAIR valve steel fitting. With the wire in place wet the end of the new PAIR valve hose (#10) and slide it onto the wire. Slide the hose up to the steel fitting and rotate the vacuum hose until it starts onto the PAIR fitting. Remove the wire, (the hose should stay on the fitting) use the long screwdriver to slide the new hose as far as possible onto the PAIR valve fitting. Work from both sides of the bike to accomplish this. You should be able to get the new hose all the way to the radius (bend) of the steel fitting. Any less and the hose may fall off at a later time.
Congratulate yourself, mission almost accomplished!

Work the new hose around the #6 carb rubber to a position between the #4 and #6 carbs where the strings are sticking up.

Attach the now installed PAIR valve hose to the other hose assembly at the center of the plastic Tee.

Now gently work the free ends of the #3 and #4 new vacuum hose down into the center of the engine. Use the strings to gently pull the new hose in; the PAIR valve hose will follow down into place. Don’t try to make this a quick job, work slowly on all three hoses until the entire new hose assembly is back to the position it was before you started. Use of the screwdriver may be needed to move the hoses around as needed.

The #3 and #4 new hoses where left long to make installation easier. Calculate their installation back onto the respective riser tube fittings. Cut and reattach the new hoses using the needle nose pliers. Be sure the hoses slide completely onto the fittings.

Now is a good time to replace the vacuum line attached to the #6 chrome riser tube. This vacuum hose runs back to the small fitting off the fuel petcock on the fuel tank. Its replacement is very easy compared to the PAIR valve hose.

Now is also a good time to replace the air filter while the tank is off the bike.

Sit the fuel tank back on the frame, reattach the fuel level sender wire if you have an Interstate, attach the small vacuum hose from the right side of the bike while gently raising the rear of the tank. Sit the tank down completely on the frame, be careful not to damage the petcock.

Reaching up and in,from the left side, re-attach the 3/8 fuel supply hose with needle nose pliers to the petcock. Place the wire spring clamp back in place on the fuel supply line.

Find the fuel vent line running up from the center frame cover (battery area) and reattach this hose to the rear center of the tank.

Replace the bolts in the front and rear of the tank. Screw the fuel selector handle back on to the fuel petcock.