That's exactly how mine is routed. I have an aftermarket Quick Bob tank, and stock-style petcock, and I'm routed just as you are, with no probs.

What's the problem you're having?

 

not absolutlly sure what the underlying cause is, but I get a lot of stumbling in acceleration and unsteady idle . I've been doing all kinds of tests and adjustments on 1 cylinder for the past 6-7 months and the bike's been sitting the whole time, so I'm not sure what's from sitting, or the fact that it's about 30 degrees in the shed where I work these days...

I know it's not a carb malfunction or dirt, but the accel. pump might need adjusted. Or mabey smaller int. jet

Might also have a bad intake valve...

I just want to make sure the carb is getting enough fuel. I still have to check the line at the carb for good fuel flow.

 

how are the intake seals?
if they havent been touched in several years, they crack & suck air

 

havent checked yet. the odd thing is....last weekend I had it running and was messing with carb adjustments, I noticed the rocker covers I just put on were sliding away from each other(middle and top covers). I sanded the mating surfaces down and reinstalled w/ new gaskets and they seemed fine, but I dosen't want to start now. Makes like it's not getting gas...

 

BJ

It's easy enough to check if gas is flowing to your carb. Pull the fuel line off at the carb and see if gas comes out. You can extend the fuel line with another longer piece of line and an inner metal tube so you can suck on the fuel line or blow into it if needed. For what it's worth you should also check the tank vent line (they're easy to kink if you remove/replace the gas tank a bunch) and the gas cap. You can blow into or suck on both these also. With all this blowing and sucking you should be able to isolate any restrictions.

Also just because you have a Pingle turn off valve doesn't mean it's beyond suspect. If yours is a vacuum operated type check the vac lines. They can crack or get hard and loose as they get old. You might also have crud built up around the turn off valve screen inside the tank. Again, the blow and suck thang will tell you the truth.

 

BJ

One more thing. You can pressurize a gas tank somewhat for a short time by inserting a hose into the tank thru the filler opening and sealing around the hose with a tight rag. Then blow into the hose. If you need this pressure to get gas to your carb then you have a problem between the carb and the tank filler.

 

No no no. no more vac valves for me, thanks. I've got one on my single that I have to keep on "prime" 'cause I don't trust the vacum to work. Gravity, however, I can depend on...

fuel line was fine. Aperrently I didn't have enough fuel in the tank to pump it through though. with the petcock on "reserve" it gushed like a champ, but the regular "on " position was a pathetic dribble. And when I unplugged the float bowl all I got was half a palm-full...

put another gal. in and it fired right up. I'm almost certian my stumbling is a combination jet/accel. pump issue.

How exactly does the "reserve" work? I always thought it was just what's in the line, filter, and float bowl...

 

The reserve is a hole in the petcock tube a little lower than the "on" hole.
Keep the line as short as possible and make sure you don't have an in-line fuel filter.

 

no in-line filter
why as short as posible? I lenthened the line last time I replaced it to smoth out some of the bends. I figured the less bends and kinks the stronger the flow... that, and leaving more material is usually better if it's easy enough to remove latter.
Are we talking just short enough not to kink the hose, 'cause it's about an extra inch past that point currently.

 

Yes. Short as possible within reason. You don't want to kink it. But, you also want the fuel to be between the cylinders for as little time as possible. The longer it's there, the hotter it can get. I know...splitting hairs.

 

I've got the same set up you do. 1987 FXRS, S&S "E" & a Pingle petcock without a filter. I've been running the set up for over 5 years without any fuel delivery problems.

My fuel line is routed down in the bottom of the "V" between the cylinders. When I bought the "E", it came with a piece of split plastic tubing to be used as an insulator between the fuel line and the cylinders. Works like a charm.

Just seems to me that routing the fuel line up over the top of the motor-mount is asking the fuel to run uphill and could be the cause of a few different problems...

 

that's how it was routed with the stock petcock
the nipple on the petcock I've got dosen't give me room to run under the motor mount unless the valve lever is turned almost completley under the tank. Right now it sets just a bit lower than level running above the mount. I'm thinking about trying a different petcock config. in the future, but this is working for now

 

It's working OK for now. If it gives me any more trouble I'll try a diffrent angle.

 

I'll tell you how you can tell if it's the accelerator pump, which is an easy, fifteen-dollar fix. While sitting at idle, hit the throttle real quick. If you get no response or it cuts out on you, my bet is it's the accelerator pump. I had the same problem on my '87 FXRS. If the seal is cracked in that bushing, then the spring can't force the fuel into the carb.

 

I have an 87 FXRS and had a fuel starve situation due to line routing after I put new petcock on. I was on a back road at 6 am and bike shut off. I adjusted hose routing and cut a little off and bike fired up and ran good after that. My nose routed down between cylinders in thru the loop and was shielded. Fast forward I switched my bike over to a CV Carb and the angle of the fuel inlet on CV Carb faces upward towards tank. I used the line the way it was and it has to come up and make another loop to get into carb. Not ideal but it runs ok. Well ,yesterday bike just shut off on me riding down the road .No sputter or any such nonsense. I pulled off and it restarted after cranking a little . Me thinks I am getting occasional air pockets in the routing of line, like a trap. I am going to buy an out the back peacock to run the fuel straight across under the tank and down into carb inlet. My straight down petcock makes that impossible . A little adjustment of fuel line routing can make a big dif .Just my 2 cents,eh!

 

fxr' did not come with straight down petcocks,,, they had facing forward petcocks.. the fuel inlet on the carb caneasily be replaced to put if facing downward at appx 5 o'clock position...

 

Why no inline filter ?

I had a similar problem, turned out if was the fuel needle and seat allowing fuel to constantly get by, was always running rich esp'ly at low revs, a real pig to ride.

 

Experience tells me they are only a problem... never a solution... clean/replace your in tank strainer and ride Troublefree..
Or... create your own Experience...

 

Thread related hijack:
A while back I replaced my fuel line with the latest stuff.
There was a corrugated plastic heat shield tube covering the old one that I did not replace on the new.
Was this a mistake?

 

Thread related hijack:
A while back I replaced my fuel line with the latest stuff.
There was a corrugated plastic heat shield tube covering the old one that I did not replace on the new.
Was this a mistake?

I have used that stuff... n a Shovelhead with the Hose routed low, between the cylinders.. Can't say it wouldn't have been OK without it... But, The **** is cheap!!!

 

I use that corrugated loom on fuel line, and on spark plug wires that may contact the head or rocker box. Also use it on the regulator wire where it might contact the frame or anything else. Not a bad idea to use it.

 

My Thinking as well... except... I learned the hard way [Seems I learn best that way] it does not really protect the Regulator Wire if it is routed under the frame...Don't Ask!!!!