get rid of octy valve

[nickyd]

i replaced the diagphram in the octy valve last week now the mother wont stop leaking.ive retightened the 4 screws but still leaks,i heard you can eliminate this valve.is this true and how hard is it.i know their isnt four seperate lines for each carb they all kinda t off.how hard is this to do ???????????????????

[CatatonicBug]

Sounds like you got the wrong diaphragm. The Octy one is not the same as the one used in the vacuum petcocks.

Anyway, removing the octy isn't all that difficult. There are several different ways to plumb the fuel lines, depending on what you want to do. You can connect the 2 lines from each pecock to a "T", then just attach the single line to the opposite side carb (helps prevent line kinking). Or you can plug one port on each of the petcocks, and run single lines.

Either way, be sure you turn off the petcocks when you park, as you will no longer have the octy as a backup safety mechanism.

One question though - How did you notice that it was leaking? If fuel is coming out of the carbs, you have leaky float needles, not just a leaky octy. Solve THAT problem first, or you're just ASKING for trouble.

[Cobia]

Nickyd,
You can eliminate the octy without further modifications, except those mentioned by Bug, depending on the year/model XS you have. You just run the vacuum lines directly to the petcocks. On my G and J I run the output of the right petcock to the left carbs and vice versa.
In either case, I would seriously consider installing in-line fuel filters to however many lines you run to the carbs. I don't have a shut off position on my bikes and the vacuum shut off has worked well so far, I never turn the fuel off, I can't!!! Luckily, I've yet to find that dreaded puddle under either bike. I disassembled them, inspected and cleaned them, and reassembled them.
If you don't have a shut off position on your petcocks, and are concerned about leaks until you resolve the issue, you may want to carry something you can pinch the hoses shut and stop the flow of fuel if it happens.

Please include the year and model of your bike(s) in your signature so we can provide you with more educamated opinions to your questions.

[nickyd]

Sounds like you got the wrong diaphragm. The Octy one is not the same as the one used in the vacuum petcocks.

Anyway, removing the octy isn't all that difficult. There are several different ways to plumb the fuel lines, depending on what you want to do. You can connect the 2 lines from each pecock to a "T", then just attach the single line to the opposite side carb (helps prevent line kinking). Or you can plug one port on each of the petcocks, and run single lines.

Either way, be sure you turn off the petcocks when you park, as you will no longer have the octy as a backup safety mechanism.

One question though - How did you notice that it was leaking? If fuel is coming out of the carbs, you have leaky float needles, not just a leaky octy. Solve THAT problem first, or you're just ASKING for trouble.

its leaking from the four screw cover for the diaghram.you think i got the wrong one it looks the same

[CatatonicBug]

you think i got the wrong one it looks the same

It's all about the measurement of the center piece in the diaphragm. They "look" the same, but generally, you can't buy them separately. They come as part of the petcock rebuild kit for the specials.

[DGXSER]

As to removing the valve, it is a very simple process. Remove one big Phllips head screw holding it to the flange on the carbs, cut the four fuel lines and one vac line, find the deepest gorge or pit you can and throw it relieving years of pent up frustration in the process!!

As to fuel lines, on the special model, the front petcock outlet is the PRIME outlet, its soul purpose in life is to let fuel flow to the carbs when the vacuum valve / OCTY is closed. No more OCTY, no more need for prime. So I just put a bolt in the end of a small piece of fuel line and hook that to each prime outlet. Others run a length of fuel line from one prime to the other. For the rear outlet which is now ON and Prime if the bike is running or not, just run the fuel line from the petcock to the fuel T. Most like to install an in-line fuel filter in that line. There are several other iterations to criss cross the lines, or join them together so one petcock can feed both fuel Ts. None of those is either right or wrong, just different complexities and capabilities.

[cywelchjr]

Another point not mentioned, is that if you put the thing together wrong (this applies to the standard petcocks too), it CAN leak. I put one of mine together with the pieces in the wrong order and it leaked. I compared it to the other that didn't leak and put it together correctly and it's never leaked since.

[CatatonicBug]

Another point not mentioned, is that if you put the thing together wrong (this applies to the standard petcocks too), it CAN leak. I put one of mine together with the pieces in the wrong order and it leaked. I compared it to the other that didn't leak and put it together correctly and it's never leaked since.

The Octy CAN'T be put together wrong. It only goes one way. There is only one piece, and if you try to put it in backward, you can't put the two halves of the Octy housing together.

[cywelchjr]

The Octy CAN'T be put together wrong. It only goes one way. There is only one piece, and if you try to put it in backward, you can't put the two halves of the Octy housing together.

Unless these to completely different from the standard petcocks, which would mean that you couldn't put a standard diaphragm in them, they should be a three piece assembly. Two have with a third piece in the middle that the diaphragm fits into (the standard piece has two membranes that you have to get through the hole in the center piece and such). Looking at the fiche, it looks like three pieces to me (I could be wrong of course), rather similar to the petcock on the standard, only not fastened to the tank.

[CatatonicBug]

Unless these to completely different from the standard petcocks, which would mean that you couldn't put a standard diaphragm in them, they should be a three piece assembly. Two have with a third piece in the middle that the diaphragm fits into (the standard piece has two membranes that you have to get through the hole in the center piece and such). Looking at the fiche, it looks like three pieces to me (I could be wrong of course), rather similar to the petcock on the standard, only not fastened to the tank.

Nope, there's no "hole" to put it through. It's just a sandwich between the two halves of the housing. The diaphragm is one single piece with a metal cylinder in the center.

[CatatonicBug]

Nope, there's no "hole" to put it through. It's just a sandwich between the two halves of the housing. The diaphragm is one single piece with a metal cylinder in the center.

I apologize - I just realized I was mistaken. There is a thin plastic(?) center section that the diaphragm sits "around". That clamps between the 2 layers of the diaphragm.

[Crusty Snippets]

Octy valve

Well I did not know what one of those things was until recently.
PO of my bike changed both fuel shut off valves, one line from each must go into two and supply two carbs. 34L-24500-00-00 $43.05 each.
I keep forgetting to shut them off but no drips or problems. Also found receipts for four floats. 2A2-14985-01-00 $34.72 each in Nov 1997.

The part numbers may not be accurate, the writing is hard to read.

Crusty

[cywelchjr]

Hey Bug, that was the part I was talking about. There is a right way to put that middle piece in, and there is at least one wrong way that looks right, but the thing will leak all over the place if you do it that way. So you could rebuild the thing and have it leak all over the place, because you got that plastic piece in wrong. I forget what way it is, either backwards or rotated 180 or both, but when it's wrong the edges don't seal. Looks ok visually, but the edges are just barely apart and it leaks.

[CatatonicBug]

Hey Bug, that was the part I was talking about. There is a right way to put that middle piece in, and there is at least one wrong way that looks right, but the thing will leak all over the place if you do it that way. So you could rebuild the thing and have it leak all over the place, because you got that plastic piece in wrong. I forget what way it is, either backwards or rotated 180 or both, but when it's wrong the edges don't seal. Looks ok visually, but the edges are just barely apart and it leaks.

The last time I had mine apart, I remember really inspecting all the parts, and determining that the center piece was pretty fool-proof, and I could not install it wrong. It has a slot on one side that vents the extra vacuum to the outside, but it didn't seem to matter which direction that slot was pointed. The diaphragm itself will only go in the "sandwich" one way, and you can't get the 2 halves together if it's in backward. IDK.. That's just how I remember it.

[cywelchjr]

The last time I had mine apart, I remember really inspecting all the parts, and determining that the center piece was pretty fool-proof, and I could not install it wrong. It has a slot on one side that vents the extra vacuum to the outside, but it didn't seem to matter which direction that slot was pointed. The diaphragm itself will only go in the "sandwich" one way, and you can't get the 2 halves together if it's in backward. IDK.. That's just how I remember it.

Like I said, unless it different than the standard part, there is a way you can put it together wrong that pretty much looks good but leaks I think what I found was if you look carefully, it's clear there is only one way it will work, but it will assemble wrong and leak if you don't pay close enough attention.