Hey guys...
So, as you know, I decided that I thought motorcycles were cool last summer and bought a dual-sport 250. It was fun for a while, but kind of underpowered so I sold it and bought a 500cc Cruiser, specifically a 1983 Honda Shadow 500. I REALLY like the bike, its easy to ride, its fun, its got a nice bit of power if you really twist the throttle but its still very mild and just plain enjoyable to ride.
I got it as a messy restoration, but for all the new parts it had (tires, brakes, clutch, new wiring and lights, etc) I felt it was well worth my $880 even tho I knew I'd be doing some work on it.
I discovered that gas eats right through the paint on the gas tank the first time I went to fuel it up...
So, I removed the gas tank and rear fender to paint them (gas resistant Dupli-color engine enamel), and when I did that, I took the petcock off. Inside the joint between the two was a cracked and crusty looking O-Ring, so I figured I'd replace that while I was at it.
Went and bought a baggie of O-Rings that size, and put one on as soon as I re-assembled the bike.
Leaked gas immediately.
Well shoot. Tried another one.
Still leaked gas.
Tried 2-3 more, they all leaked. Bought two more baggies of O-rings, they all leak too.
I figured it might be caused by the petcock itself, so I bought a NOS honda one off of Ebay, and put that on.
Still leaked gas. But atleast it looks a little better lol.
So, I went to a different store and the old school parts guy took the fuel valve and came back a couple minites later with an O-ring that looked identical to the ones I'd used before, except it was green.
Came home and put it on, and it didn't leak. Woooohooo, problem solved.
I was like "Hmmmmm, that was the best $0.25 I've spent in a while" and went inside for the night.
Walked outside this morning, and saw gas under the bike.
Again.
@*$@#^(@#*$@#$^(!)#(%
I'm getting REALLY sick of dealing with this. I don't doubt I've been through a dozen O-rings. Now Im faced with the task of draining my FULL gas tank, AGAIN to fix this stupid thing.
This bike has lived a hard life over its 30 years, and miraculously, this is the ONLY problem it has (except for the dying battery, which doesnt really count).
Anything I can use that ISNT an O-ring? Like an RTV-like sealant I can put in there or something? How do you install one of these things so it DOESNT leak?
Thanks in advance, rant over...
For the record, the male fitting is on the gas tank, and the female side is on the petcock.
I know its leaking from that joint area, and I'm not using any teflon tape around the threads. Should I?
So, as you know, I decided that I thought motorcycles were cool last summer and bought a dual-sport 250. It was fun for a while, but kind of underpowered so I sold it and bought a 500cc Cruiser, specifically a 1983 Honda Shadow 500. I REALLY like the bike, its easy to ride, its fun, its got a nice bit of power if you really twist the throttle but its still very mild and just plain enjoyable to ride.
I got it as a messy restoration, but for all the new parts it had (tires, brakes, clutch, new wiring and lights, etc) I felt it was well worth my $880 even tho I knew I'd be doing some work on it.
I discovered that gas eats right through the paint on the gas tank the first time I went to fuel it up...
So, I removed the gas tank and rear fender to paint them (gas resistant Dupli-color engine enamel), and when I did that, I took the petcock off. Inside the joint between the two was a cracked and crusty looking O-Ring, so I figured I'd replace that while I was at it.
Went and bought a baggie of O-Rings that size, and put one on as soon as I re-assembled the bike.
Leaked gas immediately.
Well shoot. Tried another one.
Still leaked gas.
Tried 2-3 more, they all leaked. Bought two more baggies of O-rings, they all leak too.
I figured it might be caused by the petcock itself, so I bought a NOS honda one off of Ebay, and put that on.
Still leaked gas. But atleast it looks a little better lol.
So, I went to a different store and the old school parts guy took the fuel valve and came back a couple minites later with an O-ring that looked identical to the ones I'd used before, except it was green.
Came home and put it on, and it didn't leak. Woooohooo, problem solved.
I was like "Hmmmmm, that was the best $0.25 I've spent in a while" and went inside for the night.
Walked outside this morning, and saw gas under the bike.
Again.
@*$@#^(@#*$@#$^(!)#(%
I'm getting REALLY sick of dealing with this. I don't doubt I've been through a dozen O-rings. Now Im faced with the task of draining my FULL gas tank, AGAIN to fix this stupid thing.
This bike has lived a hard life over its 30 years, and miraculously, this is the ONLY problem it has (except for the dying battery, which doesnt really count).
Anything I can use that ISNT an O-ring? Like an RTV-like sealant I can put in there or something? How do you install one of these things so it DOESNT leak?
Thanks in advance, rant over...
For the record, the male fitting is on the gas tank, and the female side is on the petcock.
I know its leaking from that joint area, and I'm not using any teflon tape around the threads. Should I?