Check your fuel taps

growler

growler

New member
Location
Southam UK
Anyone that has the re-manufactured square fuel taps fitted I suggest removing fuel pipe and checking operation, normal fault I’ve found is fuel bypassing when off, not good if in winter storage and a float needle faulty
As my Laverda is used a lot more than a monthly trip to a bike meet I do put the tap through a lot more actions but every-time I remove a tank (I have them on RGA and Chott) one tap is always faulty
The issue is the originals design incorporated a flat seal that fitted over steel nipples round fuel holes
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The re-manufactured ones are flat holes and the rubber seal is made so it locates into holes for position, these will turn usually when rubber breaks (I’m talking less than 12 months)
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I did contact Shaun to see if he could get a big bag of seals but he just sent me another 2 complete taps as replacement
I always carry 2 new spare ones (well I do in sidecar with RGA), and have used once in France (fuel not turning off) and once at Willersley for another owner when his broke
So go check
 
Eef7260 said:
Do you know what rubber was used , because it should be Viton.
To me this seems like a swollen rubber , typical for other rubber sorts , specially in combination with E10 petrol.

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Probably not Viton (all rubber in my Mikuni’s are now Viton after o ring on float seat insert failed last year - why always in France!!! - and fuel bypassed sealed seat and flooded carb)
I always use E5 but still rubber swells
 
E5 E10 or old leaded fuel , not one sort rubber survives petrol , alcohol does a great job in speeding up this process.
Only Viton , partial designed for this problem , switch to viton , a decent viton seal should at least survive 20 years of petrol.
 
It should not be too hard to add the nipples to the new fuel taps. Drill it and press in some brass tubing.

And I gave up on these type of taps years ago. Other than for the rivet counters, modern taps will fit and work much better.
 
I'm glad you posted about these tidy remakes. I also had one that wouldn't turn off - couldn't find any obvious cause and fitted a spare one. I've also noticed that the seal can rotate and partially block the hole/s. They're so nicely made it would be great to see the thin tubes fitted to complete the remanufacturing process.

I think there is a mob in Melbourne who modify them with the tubes, probably because Ducati riders use them and numbers are sufficient to warrant the time involved. Maybe you could look into this, Sean? There's obviously a lot of them out on the road that don't give probs though. Lubricating the seals with paraffin/vaseline helps prevent the rotation issue. I've still got a pair of original Orlandis so I might look into mods using them as samples.
 
Solving this a worthwhile pursuit for many. I put these new ones from Shaun on a year or two ago, to solve tank running empty on the normal position. Now this! So thanks for the heads up.
 
I have a set of those taps on the shelf. I think I'll be milling out a small recess and inserting brass tube as 1200ts mentions before fitting them when it comes time to use them. Thanks for the heads up.
 
Having mentioned the diff between original and the new ones, I haven't had any issues with the two taps I have on the SFQ now. I just thought it worth backing up what Growler said in the OP. If you have the facilities to 'upgrade' the aftermarket taps it's probably good insurance to do so.
 
growler said:
Probably not Viton (all rubber in my Mikuni’s are now Viton after o ring on float seat insert failed last year - why always in France!!! - and fuel bypassed sealed seat and flooded carb)
I always use E5 but still rubber swells
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Funnily enough, my fuel pipe swelled up at the carb end, like a trumpet. Mont Blanc tunnel queue! I always take a length of fuel pipe for syphoning in an emergency. Think Froggy fuel is different to ours..
 
Wifeys' 500 has had these taps fitted for donkeys' years, never a problem with either E5 or E10 fuel available here in Germany. Still work like new without a hint of leakage. Haven't found the necessity to dismantle them to check if the bodies or seals have those locating spigots.

Yeah, maybe frog fluid is different... :rolleyes: ;) But the bike's been through the Netherlands, Belguim, France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy without issue.

Maybe it's the other way 'round... "premium" fuels degrade the rubber seals in such a way that they no longer cope contact with higher alcohol-content fuels, placing the blame on the evils of alcohol (once again). Perhaps an analytical chemist could look into this issue.

Only grudge I have on these taps is the short reserve pipe, an issue Shaun had later fixed on the taps he supplies.

I see these issues seem to crop up mainly in UK or USA. Perhaps it's a consumer protection issue alowing oil corporations (and others) to sell you guys all sorts of rotten shit... maybe it's a good thing to have standards that are enforced and adhered to. :unsure:

piet
 
No problem with those taps either that I have on two of my running bikes.
I don't think French fuel is a problem, the market over here for additives is virtually nil and I haven't changed anything in the fuel systems of my bikes in donkeys years.

Maybe the problem is cultural?

Paul
 
Maybe the problem is cultural?
or maybe something has changed from the earlier types, as you can see from photo’s and other people’s comments something is wrong and using the seal to maintain location was a cheap option (at £85 a pair!)
My original post was just to get owners to go check - a tap that won’t turn off when you have to take tank off or worse a hydraulic lock after a lay-up is not fun
 
growler said:
Maybe the problem is cultural?
or maybe something has changed from the earlier types, as you can see from photo’s and other people’s comments something is wrong and using the seal to maintain location was a cheap option (at £85 a pair!)
My original post was just to get owners to go check - a tap that won’t turn off when you have to take tank off or worse a hydraulic lock after a lay-up is not fun
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You're quite right in pointing out a problem.
How many pairs of those taps were sold and how many have shown a problem.

I have 8 taps mounted and no problem.

The cultural problem I was referring to is the one linked to the quality of fuel and it's effect on the parts of our motorcycles and their performance.
The culture being that served by the press and it's close allies, the manufacturers of additives.

Paul

Paul
 
Simple issue - if in doubt, check. One of mine definitely kept flowing when turned off but i only discovered this when taking the tank off - so may as well have NOT turned off the fuel taps every time I stopped. I'm sure I could have resolved it without drama but had a spare set so just grabbed one of them.
 
Speaking of taps....I am on the lookout for a replacement pair for my 1000SFC. Wolfgang told me
that BAP is out of business. Not sure if Paioli is still trading or if there is yet other manufacturers.
Comments gladly processed for validity....
 
The late LF Harris Triumph 750's made after the original Triumph company went bankrupt and from about 1983 to 1987 have an Italian fuel tank and the same fuel taps as a Laverda. So any shop who sells vintage Triumph parts will have them. They are also much cheaper than buying from an Italian bike shop for the identical part.

Here are some on Ebay

 
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1200ts said:
The late LF Harris Triumph 750's made after the original Triumph company went bankrupt and from about 1983 to 1987 have an Italian fuel tank and the same fuel taps as a Laverda. So any shop who sells vintage Triumph parts will have them. They are also much cheaper than buying from an Italian bike shop for the identical part.

Here are some on Ebay

Click to expand...
The spiel says 'the positions are on and off' ... surely there's a reserve position???
 
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