Octupus valve question

[AndyW]

Sorry I don't own a xs11 but I and my wife both have Viragos. I have a '86 700 and she has a '95 535. We love yamaha Bikes

I looked up this site for my father/inlaw. He has a "79 xs 11000 special that he bought new. he has always loved that bike. In 25 years it never failed to star tand always ran very well. It still looks like new. He polishes and waxes it all the time.
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About 3 weeks ago he decided to clean the stale gas out of the tank. He used a little hand pump to get the gas out and then put in about a gallon. The bike started and ran as usual (after he switched to reserve) but after leaving it set for a few hours, the top of the engine was covered with fresh gas. I pulled the tank off and found that the "octupus" valve was leaking. It appears that Yamaha has stopped carrying this part. Does any one have a used one that I could buy or is there a safe way to bypass it

[Pat Kelly]

Either partsnmore.com and/or bikebandit.com carry rebuild kits for the octopus fuel valve.
Several member (myself included) have done away with the octopus.
I plugged-off the front (prime) nipple on each petcock. Then I plugged the vacuum nipple on the engine. Then I plumbed each petcock to feed both carbs. Just remember to turn the petcocks 'off' when you stop (and back 'on' when you take off).

[skids]

I seem to recall complaints that one of the kits did not fit properly(?) Do a subject search on this site.

By the way, I wish I had one of those xs11000's!

Originally posted by Pat Kelly
Either partsnmore.com and/or bikebandit.com carry rebuild kits for the octopus fuel valve.
Several member (myself included) have done away with the octopus.
I plugged-off the front (prime) nipple on each petcock. Then I plugged the vacuum nipple on the engine. Then I plumbed each petcock to feed both carbs. Just remember to turn the petcocks 'off' when you stop (and back 'on' when you take off).

[TADracer]

No more octopi

Like Pat Kelly, I have done away with the whole octopus deal in favor of straight through lines. It is really simple to do and only takes a few feet of fuel line and some small clamps.

What I have done, in addition to just dropping the lines from the petcocks, is use the T fittings that are currently on the octopus to install a crossover line before the fuel enters the carbs. this provides a way for either cock to feel all carbs.

While doing this you might consider installing a couple of small inline fuel filters to trap the grime that always seems to get past the screen filters inside the tank.

[AndyW]

Thanks for the information, I checked out the repair kits and the cost is more than I want to pay. I think I'll do as you both suggest and rerout the lines. The inline filters are a good idea.

I have another question. (maybe this might sound stupid) the markings on the petcocks to indicate "off,on,reserve and prime" are either not there or I just can't see them. My father/inlaw never used them ( he didn't have any idea what I was talking about, I guess the octupus had been working all the years, so he really didn't need to shut off the fuel). Can someone tell me which direction the valve goes to accomplish the job?

[osmosis4b]

handle/knob up= reserve
forward = off
down= run
back=prime


I picked up a rebuild kit for mine at www.oldbikebarn.com, part # KL185100 for less than $30, it says it will rebuild one, but the photos and parts list show enough pieces to rebuild both, and the octapus. I spoke to someone there on the phone, and they said that this was the correct part for the 79 special, and agrees with other posts on this site. I ordered them a week and a half ago with rush shipment. I still haven't seen them yet, so a phone call later I found out that they take up to 10 business days to process the order, then after the order is processed, they will RUSH ship it here. What a joke!! I wouldn't have paid for rush shipping if I would have read the fine print first.

I replaced my lines with new silicone tubing, and the existing tees. I didnt get rid of the octapus, hoping to get the parts someday. In the mean time, use a few pairs of hemostats as the shutoffs on the lines that feed each set of carbs. I also ordered inline filters, which I will put inline at the hemostat crimping point when they get here.

[AndyW]

Thanks for the lead about oldbikebarn I checked them out and the parts to fix the octupus are under $30.00. I do plan to order their kit.
As for the other problem (about the position of the valves) I just downloaded the owners manual from the links page on this site. Every thing I needed to know is in it.

[AndyW]

Just a little note.

I called OldbikeBarn about the octupus valve diaphram parts and even though the picture on the web pagem of the petcock kit looks like it includes the parts for the octupus it does not. The company rep said he has no idea where to find the kit for the octupus valve. I guess I'll just go ahead with my plan to bypass it.

[osmosis4b]

Andy that is not what I wanted to hear... but it does answer the nagging question that I was afraid to ask :why is everyone taking that valve out if the rebuild parts all came as a kit?
I guess if it is obsolete, it cant be repaired.

[John]

It has been discovered that the octopus rebuild kit doesn't work properly. There is a pin on the diaphram that must close off the fuel flow in the octopus, but is too short to be effective, and fuel can still leak past. I got rid of mine many years ago. I just turn on one petcock on and off when I ride the bike.

[Okoldschool]

Originally posted by Pat Kelly
Either partsnmore.com and/or bikebandit.com carry rebuild kits for the octopus fuel valve.
Several member (myself included) have done away with the octopus.
I plugged-off the front (prime) nipple on each petcock. Then I plugged the vacuum nipple on the engine. Then I plumbed each petcock to feed both carbs. Just remember to turn the petcocks 'off' when you stop (and back 'on' when you take off).

does this mean a every stop light? and stop sign?

[Ken Talbot]

No, its not that bad. You only have to turn off the petcocks when you shut down the motor and park it. Of course, if all of your float valves were working properly they would shut off the fuel flow by themselves.

[Pat Kelly]

Actually I have to leave my petcocks "on" as they leak in the "off" position. Yes, I blocked the front prime outlets. The petcocks leak at the levers and I don't feel like rebuilding them.....yet.