Dusting off my yearly Safety Announcement

[Dan Filetti]

Folks-

It's been about a year, roughly, since I last posted this.  If you've read it already, feel free to ignore, as it's a near perfect copy paste...  If you have not read it, it's worth a read and a consideration.  

My FJ died an untimely death, due to a poorly designed "L" fitting/ outlet in the fuel line coming off of the petcock.  The fitting worked its way loose while I was riding and the bike continued to run on the fuel in the float bowls.  The still-attached vacuum line kept the petcock happily open and pumping the gas onto the hot motor.  I came to a stop at a stop sign, began to accelerate away and the back tire slipped a bit.  -"Must be oil on the road" I thought -when in fact it was my own fuel I had just slipped on.  The bike stalled a hundred yards later, out of fuel, finally having exhausted the fuel in the float bowls.  A woman drove by me and asked if I needed help -I answered that I did not my house was .5 miles away and it was down hill.  (what I should have said was "I think I have a bent rod, can you help me straighten it out?" but I didn't) Smiley

As I looked down at the bike under me, blinking, as it had always been so very reliable, and I knew I had enough gas when I notice the smell of gas for the first time (and waaaaay too late).  An instant later, I and the bike were completely engulfed in an 8 foot fire ball, or so says the lady who had just passed me -who saw it in her rear view mirror.   She stopped and got out of her car expecting to find me dead.  In the meantime I abandoned ship, somehow, like a cat jumping straight back and landed on my feet behind the bike.  I watched in amazement and horror as my now-burning FJ fell over and crunched to the ground.  The woman called 911 and it took 15 minutes for the fire truck to arrive.

In that time the bike met it's maker -never to be run again.  When the tank burned through, flames shot high into the air (30' +/-)  In fact, the fire got hot enough to melt the aluminum clutch cover into the clutch housing (I saw this after they had gotten the fire out.)  There was nothing left besides metal, the bike was unrecognizable.  My beloved FJ was unceremoniously dragged onto a tow trailer and trucked off, never to be seen again.

I was given a little less than I had paid for the bike 5 years earlier by the insurance company...

I post this, as I sometimes do, to let everyone know that the early FJ's simply press-fit those rigid aluminum "L" / outlet fittings into the petcock.  They can, and do come loose.  Glue and Wrap a twist-tie or wire around it to ensure they do not.

Doing this simple thing may well save you from suffering the fate I did, or worse.

Here are pics of what it looked like (although this is not my FJ) -added for effect:





Dan

[TexasDave]

Great reminder Dan--especially for new owners like me. Randy replaced mine because it was leaking and also showed me the proper repair for the "L" fitting. Don't know if there is a picture of this repair onsite. If not there should be.  Vacuum petcocks are a nice convenience but don't age well especially with the ethanol in the gas these days.

[motogp52]

I've owned FJ's for a long time and haven't heard of this problem. I'm glad you've made this safety issue known, what a horrible experience.  Thanks Dan. 

[fj1289]

Holy crap Dan!  I knew about the fire from the Yahoo list - but never saw the pictures. 

[REV1]

Holy crap Dan!  I knew about the fire from the Yahoo list - but never saw the pictures. 

These pictures are not from his bike.

I doubt the bike in the pictures burnt due to the fuel cock issue because it's a frame without tank, and more importantly without a front wheel and handle bars.

[Dan Filetti]

Holy crap Dan!  I knew about the fire from the Yahoo list - but never saw the pictures. 

These pictures are not from his bike.

I doubt the bike in the pictures burnt due to the fuel cock issue because it's a frame without tank, and more importantly without a front wheel and handle bars.

Those were not pictures of my bike, correct.  That bike burned in a garage, but from what I read, the police believe the bike itself may have been set on fire by vandals. 

But on my bike, my tank, and wheels too did 'burn away', all that was left was the steel frame and the engine -very similar to the picture.  Amazing amount of heat...

Dan

[mst3kguy]

is the exhaust for sale?

[Joe Sull]

what kind of adhesive is commonly used to refit the elbow into the housing before safety wiring? and at what angle is it to be set at.
straight or downward?

[FJmonkey]

My old petcock was not loose, I epoxied the joint and then wired it. It lasted a few years before the vacuum unit failed.

[Joe Sull]

My old petcock was not loose, I epoxied the joint and then wired it.

do they have an angle downward? Before mine fell off, I kind of recall it had an angle to it but I'm not sure.

[FJmonkey]

Yes, the angle is important, get a photo to get it close. The routing of gravity feed FJ's is critical. I might have my old one in the garage if you need some guidance.... It might cost you for the info.....

[Joe Sull]

No, don't go thru the bother. I see a pic on RPM, pic #3, its not a good side view but I can judge that the angles 15- 30 deg down. I must have shut down the computer just as you posted.

... It might cost you for the info.....

You want some frozen shucked clam, don't you?   

[Tom]

You have my sympathies.... I was bump starting a KTM 2stroke during my apprenticeship, which decided to erupt in flames, taking all my hair with it!!
and burning my face and hands - all healed now some 20years later.