Manual Petcocks

[Rev.Rick]

I looked through the forums and saw several posts pertaining to petcocks, but none of them mentioned replacing the vacuum operated ones on the Specials with manual ones. I may have missed it however, that is quite possible. I have just recently traded up from a XS850 triple to a XS1100. My 850 was also a special and had vacuum operated petcocks. Due to the frequent malfunction of the fuel flow cutoff and the lack of over flow tubes in the carbs, I opted to replace the stock vacuum ones with some manual ones from Mikes XS. Although He will not advertise that some of His parts will fit bikes other than 650's, He sells a manuel petcock that will replace the vacuum ones one the 850 special's with no modifications. Has anyone done the same for the XS1100 specials? If so let me know as one of the first things I want to do to my "new" bike is get rid of the stock vacuum petcocks and the vacuum manifold (also replace those special handle bars with something better like superbike or drag bars). Thanks Rick

[oseaghdha]

Specials are not, strictly speaking, vacuum operated. THey do have an "OFF" position.
Remove the 'octopus' and no worries.
No need to replace the petcocks, just rebuild them.

[DGXSER]

On the 1100 specials, if you ditch the vacuum manifold "we tend to call to the Octy as it looks abit like an octopus), the tank mounted petcocks become manual petcocks. There is no vacuum operated diaphram in them.

I just recently posted a thread on rebuilding the petcock system for a special including the Octy. Read it through and you will see the internals of the Special model tank mounted petcocks. HTH

[Rev.Rick]

Thanks for the info. I did notice before taking the fuel lines lose that these bikes do have an off position on the petcocks. The XS850's vacuum operated ones do not. I will remove the fuel line mess under there . I know I saw somewhere on this site a diagram that illustrates the fuel line system and how to determine which side of the petcock to use. I'm sure because I've already open the petcocks while the tank is off the bike and did get free flow form them. Does it matter which side of nipple on the petcock I use? Will I have to use both sides in order to have full function of the petcock i.e. reserve, prime and on positions?

[DGXSER]

Lok at the petcocks to see that they are on the correct sides of the bike, as in one has an R and the other and L imprinted on them.

If they are on the correct locations, then the nipple to the front of the bike is the PRIME outlet, the one to the rear is the ON and RESERVE function. And BTW, PRIME setting will drain the tank dry, no reserve left when it goes dry. I found out by testing in the garage fortunately, these pigs are to heavy to have to trudge along the highway to a fuel station.

[Rev.Rick]

Thanks a million! I'll be working on this tonight. Just for a laugh, when I traded off my XS850 I removed a couple of the "goodies", one of which was an HID Headlight conversion I had added. Last night I installed this on my 1100. I welded up a mount to install the ballast under the tank and ran all my wiring. When I turned on the key... nothing. I put the old light back in and still nothing. All the other lights were working, but not the headlight. I spent the next 2 hours in frustration, tracing the wires from the headligth and testing the circuitry with a test light. I suspected the RLU. I could get the headlight to come on if I ran direct current to one side of the headlight plug. I could hear a click inside the RLU each time and then the light would stay on. However every time I would turn the key off and then on again I would have to jump across the headlight plug again to get it to work. I again thought that mine RLU was faulty. Then I went inside and after some research through this site I found out that the RLU is activated only after the engine has been started. On my XS850 the headlight came on as soon as the key was truned on. Needless to say I felt relieved and somewhat embarressed. Oh well at least ya'll knew what was going on

[DGXSER]

There are ALOT of idiosynchrosies (sp?) to these bikes. Ask before you spend to much time digging and even rewiring and working something. I spent many hours trying to solder and resolder a wire and chasing down circuits on my turn signals before I figured out that if you have the hazard flasher turned on, even if it doe snot function due to a loose wire , the turn signals do not work. Turned that off and signals all work great!

[cywelchjr]

Thanks a million! I'll be working on this tonight. Just for a laugh, when I traded off my XS850 I removed a couple of the "goodies", one of which was an HID Headlight conversion I had added. Last night I installed this on my 1100. I welded up a mount to install the ballast under the tank and ran all my wiring. When I turned on the key... nothing. I put the old light back in and still nothing. All the other lights were working, but not the headlight. I spent the next 2 hours in frustration, tracing the wires from the headligth and testing the circuitry with a test light. I suspected the RLU. I could get the headlight to come on if I ran direct current to one side of the headlight plug. I could hear a click inside the RLU each time and then the light would stay on. However every time I would turn the key off and then on again I would have to jump across the headlight plug again to get it to work. I again thought that mine RLU was faulty. Then I went inside and after some research through this site I found out that the RLU is activated only after the engine has been started. On my XS850 the headlight came on as soon as the key was truned on. Needless to say I felt relieved and somewhat embarressed. Oh well at least ya'll knew what was going on

Actually all of the XS line should behave the same unless they have been modified. The RLU just makes sure that you switch to high beam at reduced level if the low burns out, but there is an additional relay that is actuated by the alternator that turns on the headlight (and latches on until power is removed, applying power to the light activated and latched it). You will probably need to bypass the RLU anyways as it will think the bulb is burned out with the HID and will keep trying to go into bypass mode, as the HID doesn't draw enough current the keep the RLU happy.

[Rev.Rick]

You may be right, and I may have to bypass The RLU but as I said I removed this HID conversion from the XS850 I just traded and It worked fine on it. The RLU wasn't by passed on it and the only issue I had was that at night the White RLU indicator Light on the controls would glow very faintly. Other than that the HID worked great and I got used to riding with the extra Light, so I'll do what ever it takes to get it to function on my 1100. Thanks again Rick

[fredintoon]

- - - I have just recently traded up from a XS850 triple to a XS1100. My 850 was also a special and had vacuum operated petcocks. - - - Has anyone done the same for the XS1100 specials? If so let me know as one of the first things I want to do to my "new" bike is get rid of the stock vacuum petcocks and the vacuum manifold (also replace those special handle bars with something better like superbike or drag bars). Thanks Rick

Hi Rick and welcome to the list.
And have a merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.
The XS850 gas taps are the same vacuum operated ones that are on the XS11 Standard.
The XS11Special taps are, as has been already posted, a different animal. Cap off the front gas outlets (or connect them together) and the PRIME position becomes a second OFF position. The preferred option after deep-sixing the octopus valve is to run the left tap to the right carb tee and vice-versa to make more room for in-line fuel filters.
Remember that although this is the simplest fuel hose run you need to turn on both taps to run all 4 cylinders.
And yeah, those rototillers gotta go.
I found the stock Standard bars worked for me riding solo but Honda CB750 bars worked better with the sidecar on.
OTOH, my son likes Eurobars on his XS750 sidecar rig.

[Rev.Rick]

Thanks for the info. Fred. I removed the fuel manifold (octipus) tonight and will go to the parts house tomarrow and get some rubber plugs to cap off the prime nipple. I had never thought about the handle bars looking like rototillers but now that you mentioned it I got a laugh. I had the same bars on my XS850 and it didn't take me long to replace them with superbike bars. I didn't hestitate to do the same for my 1100. I bought new superbike bars an installed them already. Have a blessed Christmas!!

[Ivan]

My headlight indicator in the cluster glows like that and I don't have a HID. I thought it meant it is working.

[fredintoon]

- - - will go to the parts house tomorrow and get some rubber plugs to cap off the prime nipples. - - -

Hi Rick,
be sure the blanking caps you get are gasoline-proof. Some of the caps they sell for blanking off automotive vacuum lines tend to soften when soaked in fuel.
What I used to blank each of those prime spigots was a short length of fabric re-enforced automotive fuel hose with a ball bearing shoved up it.

[Rev.Rick]

Yea thanks Fred, I hadn't thought about the plugs being affected by the fuel. Makes sense though.

[Mstaab]

Just wondering, the petcocks have an "off" possition so why, if everything is working correctly, would you want to remove the "octy"? It would simplify things I guess but if it aint broke...