Fix for that coldblooded Sherpa!!

[Yellow Jacket]

drjekle, Is that your SS with the yellow bags on the SS yahoo site? That really looks good. I haven't been there lately so am not sure if it is still there. I got my SS last spring, used. I rode an xt225 for 8 years before that but my riding partner bought a new SS several years ago and I said I would buy one if the right deal came along. Very little difference in performance, I've ran both down the dragstrip as well as for top speed at my "secret" test facility. The 225 works a little better in the dirt, but the SS is much better getting to the dirt. This of course has nothing to do with cold blooded SS's. Haven't had a chance yet to read that comparison yet but will soon. Petcocks. If the gaskets are the same they would have to interchange. Only big differance might be in the amount of reserve. I actually helped a friend increase the amount of reserve years ago by cutting the tube and soldering an extension on to raise the tube a little. He got tired of running out of gas after 15 miles on reserve. This on a Kawasaki AR80.
My XT350 is an '85, but all are the same. If I should happen to have both tanks off at the same time I'll pull both petcocks, then we'll know.

[Yellow Jacket]

NOW WE KNOW!!! Cold, boring day here so I just had to know. Just got up from the basement where I pulled the SS gas tank, the xt350(aka Hatchet) tank was already off. Pulled both petcocks and yes, they are interchangable. The 350 petcock has a slightly, 5/8 in., shorter reserve tube on it, meaning a little less reserve, easily changed as in my last post. Of course everyone out there knows if you run out of gas on reserve, lay the bike on it's left side and you're good for 5-6 more miles, right? Don't get scared at the differance in the two petcocks. The 350 one does not have fuel filter screen on the top, instead it has a removeable bowl with screen on the bottom. Very good, since you can clean the filter without removing the petcock, an extra bonus. Wish I knew all this 2 months ago when I was dealing with a leaking petcock on the SS. Also, don't forget to plug the vacuum line if you do this swap.

[drjekle]

COOL! L-WORM! Glad to hear the yama petcock fits the sherpa!,,,,sorry i aint been around in a couple days,,been battling the flubug.
Anyhow,,i think thats the OTHER sherpa site,,,i dont have the yellow racks,,,mine are black and i made-em myself,,,,our sherpa group is the

1999-2003_SUPERSHERPA site or go here:

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/%201999-2003_SUPERSHERPA/

we are pretty well set up with good files and pics,,lots of info,,all the goodies.


anyhow,last week i had 10 degree weather,,today was 70*,,and im sick as a dog an cant ride.

thanks for experimentin /confirmin the petcock fix,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,one more thing to add,,on my sherpa reserve,,i get right at 40 miles till it quits.

>>>>>drjekle

[Yellow Jacket]

I usually try to get some idea of how far I can get on reserve, carry a little gas, run the bike to reserve, take note, then run the bike out of gas. Then I figure reserve as a % of total miles. If I go on reserve at 150, get 50 more on reserve, I know that reserve is good for about 33% of what I ran before hitting reserve. This helps to take into account the different driving conditions that will affect mileage.

[Yellow Jacket]

drjekle, Just joined the SS group and found the comparison but could not read it, came up too small and blurred to see???

[Camas]

GREAT INFO!!! Thanks worm.  I think I'll be looking for that xt petcock and just get the thing change out. I remember all the old scholl bikes had the bowl on the bottom to clean out the schmutz. This vacuum stuff is kinda new to me.

Doc, hope you're feeling better and thanks a bazillion for your kit. 

[Mel Brooks]

NOW WE KNOW!!!

Pulled both petcocks and yes, they are interchangable.

The 350 one does not have fuel filter screen on the top, instead it has a removeable bowl with screen on the bottom. Very good, since you can clean the filter without removing the petcock, an extra bonus.

Hey, I like that! My old '74 Kawasaki 100 had that kind of petcock. Just pull the little bowl off and  clean all the crud out. Sweet!

If y'all get a number or do a group buy on that Yammie petcock, let me know, I want one.

[wolcott]

The SS is not the only bike with the vacuum petcock problem. Suzuki VX800s are known to have an epidemic of them, some resulting in bent and broken cranks. Maybe Suzuki and Kawasaki use the same petcocks.

The petcocks leak down into the carb, and dirt or poor seating float needles permit fuel to fill up the cylinder (and maybe run down into the crankcase). When you hit the starter button, the engine does a partial turn and then locks up -possibly bending or breaking things. 

Happened to me a few times, but didn't wreck anything. Initially thought it was an intermittent poor starter. After I realized the possibility of hydro-lock, I pulled the spark plugs and tried again. You should have seen all the gas that blew out of the front cylinder. (Learned later that it is usually the back cylinder on a VX.) Replaced the petcock and fixed it - although I know I have  a problem with that carb float valve.

So if you can't start because of a locked up engine, pull the plug and clean it out belore you try again.

Dick

[Benson]

Do we have a positive ID on all the possible models and makes of bikes that have a manual petcock that can be a direct replacement for the SS petcock?

[drjekle]

drjekle, Just joined the SS group and found the comparison but could not read it, came up too small and blurred to see???

L-Worm,,,,,i was just readin over the sherpa posts here,,guess i missed your question back then,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,when you view the comparison pages there, sometimes, at the bottom right hand corner of the page ,,double click it,,it should enlarge the page to view.....yahoo does that so more pages can be stored an such.

any probs,,let me know
>>>>>drjekle

[Enzo the Snit]

Hey there. I just bought one of these for my fiancee. It has the bog-down problem, although it goes away once it warms up. I think. Tell me; how does this jet change affect mileage?

[drjekle]

Enzo,,,i just checked my fuel mielage the other day again,,,,and with my rejet,i got 72mpg,,,before the rejet i got 74-75mpg.

>>>>>drjekle

[Enzo the Snit]

For my next question; is this bogging a chronic problem, or something that just happens when the bike is cold? I've only ridden the one I bought to the washrack and back, so I don't know yet... It occurs to me that it might depend on where I live...?

[drjekle]

The boggin down is the cold-natured part the sherpa has,,its very annoying and takes forever to get fully warmed up....a rejet will cure that and open up a couple more HP,,its not a racing re-jet and you dont need any airbox or exhaust mods. The rejet we do is recommended by kawasaki and wont void any warrenty(if any),,,If you are trying to consider the pros VS cons,,its pretty easy to install them,,and you really cant screw things up in doing so.....along with doind away with the bogging down & cold-natured starts,you get the extra HP,,and also the engine temps drop quite a bit,,we have compared before & after temps ,and find the rejet drops the temps 40*,,,so that helps from scorching the oil,,easier on the valves,ect,,,,,,,,,,,if you did a hard run at nite a few mile,,high speeds,,and stopped,,you would see the headpipe glow cherry red with the stock jets,,,with the rejet,,it wont,,,,,,,there are way more benifits to the rejet and the only downside is a loss of a couple of mpg.
Ive prolly sent out over 150 sets of jets in the past 3-4 years for the sherpas,,,,and there have been a few who wernt sure before,,but afterwards it made beleivers outa them,,,,and so far, not one complaint,,,,only good results.


>>>>>drjekle

[Enzo the Snit]

Hey Doc;
Sent you an email re how to get you to send me a jet set, but I haven't heard back. Enzo_the_Snit@verizon.net.

[drjekle]

Got It Enzo..........yesterday was a busy-busy day,,had a field trip with the ya-who,youngin's,,,,,,,,they drove me nuts.
>>>>>drjekle

[TrailRider]

About float-bowl screws . . . these steel screws often stick to the carb body because of "Galvanic corrosion," a result of contact between the dissimilar metals . . . Allen-head screws accept greater torque for removal than the stock Phillips-head screws, WITHOUT boogering the heads.

A modest proposal:  For a slight extra charge, the Doctor includes four Allen-head float bowl screws and an Allen wrench with the Sherpa jet kit.

Whether "aftermarket" screws appear in a kit or must be hunted in a hardware of "Big Box" store, anyone dropping the float bowl might want to replace the Phillips-head screws with Allen-head screws upon reassembly.

[Camas]

On Yellow Jacket's advice I ordered a new petcock for a '85 Yami XT350. I got it and installed it today. The new version doesn't have the filter bowl on the bottom.

You don't have to bend the tube though. Just pull the brass tube out of the old one and stick it in the new one. A little twisting and truning and it went right in. Here's the before pic..

I plugged the vaccum with an old piece of tubing I had laying around. The bike actually fired up better than if it still had the leaky petcock on board.

Good tip there budds. 

[Yellow Jacket]

Way to go Camas, now someone has actually done this. I just checked with mine to see if it could be made to work but didn't actually make the conversion. And how much was the Yamaha part? I think others including Benson have done this successfully. At any hint of trouble with mine I will do just what you did. Also, I had wondered about just changing the tubes like you did but never tried it. Good to know. Thanks for sharing.

[Camas]

The price is the best part. It was $14.60. 20 bucks to the door. 

I plan on doing a test or two in the next few days to make sure there isn't any issue with full flowing fuel. Thanks a bazillion for your tip. 

[Yellow Jacket]

WOW, I'm not even going to wait untill I have problems, think I'll order me one tomorrow.

[Benson]

Allright Camas! Yeah I thought changing out the brass tube would be the way to go. The tube came right out of the old petcock. but on both the new ones It seemed as if I was going to have to seriously damage the tube to get it out so i quit. I just put a slight bend in the tube with a tubing bender to get it off the tank wall.

[Camas]

Allright Camas!

We gotta give the credit to Yellow Jacket! I'll letcha no what the ongoing report lends.

[Mel Brooks]

Allright Camas! Yeah I thought changing out the brass tube would be the way to go. The tube came right out of the old petcock. but on both the new ones It seemed as if I was going to have to seriously damage the tube to get it out so i quit. I just put a slight bend in the tube with a tubing bender to get it off the tank wall.

Same thing happened with me. The stock tube came right out, but the one on the new Yam petcock wouldn't budge and I was afraid I would mess it up if I tried any harder.

Maybe after a while it will loosen up and I can put the Sherpa pick up tube in the Yam petcock.

[Camas]

FWIW I carefully put a pair of pliers on it and gave it a twist and pull and it came right out. No damage to the brass at all.