Fuel filter/strainer question

[Woodeneye]

My 2000 Valk standard has been running perfectly for the three years I have had it.  I ride it every week and only use clear gas with Star Tron additive in every tankful.  The other day it was running fine with a full tank then stalled after a couple of blocks.  On restarting, it got some gas then blubbered off. I tried the choke and it ran almost OK for a couple of blocks then stalled again. I was able to get it home by a combination of choke on then off with a little throttle after choking and a few more stalls.  At home it idled OK for a while then stalled.  Is there a fuel filter or strainer that is easily accessed and serviced or replaced? Thanks!

[big poppa pump]

Check your petcock.

[Bighead]

Open the gas cap and start it and see if it runs better. sounds like a vent problem. at least that is where I would start :cool dude:
Looks like BPP was posting while I was and yep could be that too.

[Hook#3287]

To answer your question, there is a gas SCREEN in the tank above the petcock and it is NOT easily accessed.

Any gas filter would be a add on.

[Firefighter]

Is it fuel or ignition? You stated it was running fine and then just stalled. My experience has been it takes awile for the six carbs to run out of gas and the engine runs with lack of power before it quits. So what do you think? Did it quit like the key turned off or what?

The guys are right if it's fuel check the vent and petcock, would probably be one of those, doubt it would be the fuel screen but you could go to reserve and if it ran good I would think dirty screen or bad petcock.

I had the same problem and it was lack of suffecient voltage to the frame because of a bad frame ground. Battery voltage was good and voltage to starter was good but there is a seperate ground to the frame which can be bad. Your coils and other ignition componets ground through the frame. Mine ran good at higher speed but would stall or stumble at lower speed. Let us know, so we can help.

[Chrisj CMA]

Mine did exactly the same when the petcock went bad.  I replaced it with a Pingel non vacuum model

[Tfrank59]

"Is it fuel or ignition? You stated it was running fine and then just stalled. My experience has been it takes awile for the six carbs to run out of gas and the engine runs with lack of power before it quits. So what do you think? Did it quit like the key turned off or what?"

Since he was able to limp home by playing with the choke (enricher), chances are it's a fuel-air thing.  So start with the source – gas cap vent--and work your way down from there.

[Firefighter]

Chances are, your correct. I had the same symtoms, but mine was ignition, so I chimmed in. Let us know.

[Woodeneye]

Thank you everyone for such quick responses.  I am pretty sure it is a fuel/vacuum issue.  Electrics seem fine.  The bike starts fine.  I will check the gas cap and then the petcock.  I know I don't have to shut the petcock off after every ride but I do.  Maybe I have overworked it.  I will try the reserve setting.  Is the OEM or Pingel non-vacuum petcock easy to replace?  I have heard that the screw is difficult.

[Tfrank59]

I shut my (OEM) petcock off after every ride, because I've read the horror stories about hydro lock.

[Firefighter]

I turn the fuel selector off before taking the fuel knob loose so you will know how to put the knob back on as you can have the petcock off and the selector indicating on when you put it back together. There is a phillips screw in the middle of the fuel selector knob, loosen it until you can pull the knob loose from the petcock. The tank has to come off, I siphon fuel to make it lighter, bolt front and rear. Lift and you can disconnect vent, fuel line and vacuum to petcock, Innerstate has fuel gauge connector. The petcock unscrews from the tank and will expose the screen filter. Has been awhile for me so if I told you wrong others will correct me.

Could pull a vacuum on the petcock vacuum port and see if fuel flows or not.

Also good time to inspect the airfilter. Good luck, let us know.

[Woodeneye]

Thanks again everyone and Firefighter for the detailed removal instructions.  Due to a heavy workload, I will not be able to attend to this for a while.  I will be sure to let you know when I determine the fuel/air issue (cap, petcock or screen filter) and act accordingly and whether I am successful.  A little fearful of removing the tank and reassembly but everyone has been helpful and that gives me confidence. 

[hubcapsc]

http://www.valkyrieriders.com/shoptalk/carltank.htm

http://www.valkyrieriders.com/shoptalk/petcock.htm

16952-MZ0-003    SCREEN SET, FUEL STRAINER    $13.05

16953-MBZ-B51    COVER SET, PETCOCK    $29.26

[Bighead]

Thanks again everyone and Firefighter for the detailed removal instructions.  Due to a heavy workload, I will not be able to attend to this for a while.  I will be sure to let you know when I determine the fuel/air issue (cap, petcock or screen filter) and act accordingly and whether I am successful.  A little fearful of removing the tank and reassembly but everyone has been helpful and that gives me confidence. 

No need to be affraid to remove tank it is pretty simple, 2 bolts the Petcock selector and a few hoses. I will add while you have it off put a new air filter in

[Woodeneye]

Thank you again everyone.  I finally got back to the job at hand.  As suggested, I started with the gas cap.  I left the cap closed and tried to reproduce the problem by motoring around a couple of blocks not so far that I couldn't push it home.  I was prepared to open the gas cap if the problem reoccured and see if it solved the problem.  Guess what?  I could not reproduce the problem.  The bike ran fine.  I hate that when you have a problem and you can't make it happen again when you are prepared to deal with it.  I can only guess that I didn't have the petcock in an operable position or a gas cap venting problem.  My only other thought, and if someone cares to comment, is that I had recently fueled the bike over the filler neck and that possibly affected the venting.  Anyway, the bike is running fine and I learned a lot from everyone's help. Thanks again.

[hubcapsc]

Guess what?  I could not reproduce the problem.

My guitar developed an annoying "creak"... I called the Luthier...
he had the flu... a couple of weeks has passed, the humidity
is up, and the creak is gone...

-Mike "it will be back, unlike your stall problem I hope..."