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.
 
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