When Rubber isn't Rubber

[ViperRon]

You can deal with strange issues When rubber isn't rubber anymore. I discovered this working on an issue with fuel gauge on 80 XS11. The gas gauge on my bike got intermittent then quit registering at all. I started checking with my meter and had my 7 volts and the resistance through the fuel level meter was correct so I pulled the Tac Gauge out and checked the meter and found it had an open had burnt up. So I grabbed one of my other Tac gauge assemblies with a faulty tach, pulled the fuel gauge and put it in the one on my bike. This is not an easy task uncrimping and crimping the bezel back on. Well I thought I was done good to go hooked it up and nothing. Back to the Volt Ohm meter checking and fuel meter good, resistance threw fuel level gauge good, voltage good. Aha what a PIA so I checked for a short to frame and there it is so I am thinking the fuel level gauge is shorting out and grounding but when pulling the tank I find the Tank is mounted electrically isolated from ground so what the heck. S0 I checked and now the gage works fine so I think ok I fixed it. NOPE!!! I hook all the hoses up and start the bike and the gauge does not work. So I unhook the hoses and it works. Now I'm thinking gas is conductive ???? Well time to end this I found my issue was the vacuum lines had become conductive that China hose stuff with time and heat had become conductive burnt up my fuel meter gauge and wasted half a day.

So this is what happens when rubber isn't rubber anymore.

[DEEBS11]

I have noticed a huge surge in inferior Chinese junk of all types of replacement equipment and parts for all brands of motorcycles and small engines like Tecumseh and Briggs and Stratton. The lure is the cheap price that just about any American will fall for. The result is an infrastructure that will initially work from the repair but will soon fail and maybe even cause further damage to the device. Is this junk only earmarked for the United States for a reason?

[Tonyxs11]

I have noticed a huge surge in inferior Chinese junk of all types of replacement equipment and parts for all brands of motorcycles and small engines like Tecumseh and Briggs and Stratton. The lure is the cheap price that just about any American will fall for. The result is an infrastructure that will initially work from the repair but will soon fail and maybe even cause further damage to the device. Is this junk only earmarked for the United States for a reason?

and here in the UK !!!!! no body has any spare cash so they buy the cheap ****e and when it goes wrong they buy the good stuff.

[dbbrian]

How would one know good stuff from bad, until its too late?

[LAB3]

How would one know good stuff from bad, until its too late?

Country of origin is a good start. US, Europe and Japan are safer bets than China and elsewhere in Asia.