Leaky Arctic Cat Fuel Petcock

[ArcticMinibike]

Anyone know how to fix these gold fuel petcocks? I have 2 unused NOS valves from different suppliers. Both leak like crazy through the fuel path, resulting in a big mess the next day.

These valves have a small set screw on the side that lets you remove the one-piece lever and shaft from the front of the valve body. There's an O-ring inside on the shaft that keeps fuel from coming out the front. That works great. The problem seems to be that there is no replaceable seal inside to seal the cross hole in the shaft. Fuel just flows around the shaft and right through to the outlet. Each shaft is covered with a thick transparent goo. Hard to tell if it used to be grease or if it was some sort of plastic sealing sleeve that broke down over the last 40 years. Each valve came from a different reseller, each one was unused, and each one is bad. I would have expected to find a replacable seal between the shaft and either the inlet or outlet.

Any suggestions for repairing these? These are the petcocks that belong on my '71 & '72 Arctic Cats but I can't have gas running through the valve even after shutting it off. Plus, I'm out $30 otherwise. :doah:

In the mean time, I had to go back to my old trusty 40 year-old and well-used Rupp-style petcock. Not correct for this bike and no sediment bowl, but at least it's functional.

 

[Hent]

I think we have one with a sediment bowl. Let me check for you :thumbsup:

It may not be correct, but "more correct" :shrug:

 

[maverick1]

I cant speak of that pet cock but the ones I have worked with have a sleeve of cork or fiber inside the p.c. body where the lever slides into.

 

[ArcticMinibike]

I looked at it further and it looks like it used to be a sleeve of some sort of hard resin. Unfortunately it has turned to a sticky ear wax like substance. Its semi-firm like plumbers wax on a toilet seal. Both new valves are the same...worthless. Talk about a poor design.

I'd still love to hear from anyone who has an idea how to fix them. What they really need is a nylon insert sleeve.

 

[ArcticMinibike]

I suspect they were made originally by filling the cavity with resin, putty, or some other material that got hard, then drilled out to fit the valve stem. Then the in and out ports would have been drilled open. Just a theory.

Or it was a hard plastic insert. it looks like the inside is ribbed to better grip whatever went in there to keep it from spinning when the lever was turned. I could probably do the same with some drilled nylon stock and some epoxy to secure it. Just need the right interference fit around the stem.

Time for a trip to the plumbing department...

 

[maverick1]

I actually just ordered 4 petcock corks off ebay that are made for British slide type petcocks. The outside diameter were the correct size for my petcock body. I will need to enlarge the inside hole for the lever.