petcock issues

[sbrmike]

I have had a few petcock issues lately.  My reserve tube broke off which started the festivities.  I have a 1984 FXEF with 3-1/2 gal tanks and the 13/16" bung.



I had a NOS OEM that I bought at a swap meet that didn't turn off and soaked my garage floor via the overflow tube on the Kehin.



I may have fixed my other petcock's reserve; if it would quit raining long enough for me to run about 125 miles or so.



My question is does a 5 gal fat bob tank use the same length reserve tube as a 3-1/2 gal set?



My 3-1/2 gal setup has about a gallon of fuel on reserve with my extended tube; only about a quart with the approx 1-1/4" stock tube.



What is the typical reserve capacity with 5 gal tanks with the various length tubes?

[easyricer]

Unless you are restoring the bike, I wouldn't sweat the stock petcock at all. Most of the 13/16 factory petcocks are cast potmetal and not worth repairing after they start having issues. How much reserve you have depends on your tanks, how well they breath, how clear the cross-over hoses are and the length of your reserve tube. That is something that you will just have to experiment with.
about 75% of the aftermarket petcocks are made of brass or steel, I'd look into getting a Pingel or one of the pingel knock offs. If you have a vacume line that you can use you can also get a more modern Harley vacume petcock. Most will have a 2 inch reserve tube. As far as the reserve amount goes, you can shorten or lengthen it as you need.
EASY

[HotRodShovel]

Just to add to Easy's post, I used the stock type aftermarket petcocks for years and seemed I was replacing them way too often. I invested in a Pingel and it has served me extremely well for a long time. No more petcock issues.  I highly recommend one or a high quality equal.