bad petcock?

[elstraitjacket]

hey guys,

so riding home from work it seemed like i ran out of gas.  the motor started to putter and then it just died, no matter what i did.  i heard a little gas splashing around, so i put the petcock in "reserve" and tried to start it up but nothing.  i got my friend to drive me to the gas station.  i put about a gallon of gas in there and lo and behold, she fired right up in th eon position.  i'm thinking it's a bad petcock, but anyone have another guess?  thanks!!

-d

[LOKi]

With a full tank see if it runs in both the on and reserve position. I'm not trying to be insulting or anything but make sure your reading the switch correctly. Might be backward from what your expecting. In other words running on reserve all the time. Maybe it's backwards inside? Or the reserve is just clogged.

[Maxx]

Some do think the long end of the lever is the pointer.

[Zaxeiler]

Assuming you're reading the petcock correctly, it may be that there is some sludge or blockage when your petcock is turned to reserve.  First off, if you only needed a gallon when you filled up, there may even be such blockage at the lower end of your fuel filter even when the petcock is switched to "on".  I would start by removing the tank and petcock and examining your "straw" and if that appears clear, the petcock itself.  The disassembly is simple (it was my first project on my bike as a new rider 2-3 months ago).  I'm sure the problem will be evident when you can see the bottom of the tank, any dirt/grime, and then the petcock/filter straw.

If you don't have your clymer manual let us know and I'll upload a picture from mine for the petcock assembly (although I own an 83 550).

Zac