petcock setting

[stroscoach]

can or should I run my fj1200 on the prime setting

[racerman_27410]

AFAIK the 86 model does not have a prime setting.  Just a plain old vacume operated petcock with electric reserve (HA).

what kind of issues are you having ?


Kookaloo!

[stroscoach]

Hi frank,
   my petcock has a fuel setting and it says pr if turned to the side I am assuming that is prime? I recently purchased a 1986 fj 1200 rode for a week no probs saturday it stalled at a light while I was trying to take off, tried to restart no turn over pushed to parkin lot jump started rode 2 miles cut out while riding felt like an electrical issue losing power  this time would turn over but wouldnt start . loaded on truck got it back home put charger on battery cranked it over started right up let battery charge for 2 hrs went for a ride ran great for twenty minutes came to light and could feel it starting to break up stalled at light turned over wouldn't start tried reserve started. felt like it was breaking down under slight acceleration on the way back . It doesn't do it at every stop and runs very well most of the time. removed the tank and petcock fuel seems to be flowing and no obstructions in the screen I did have a concern my fuel lines are clear so i can see the fuel  passing thru, the right side feed was flowing freely  the left feed was filling the tube is this normal. right now it starts right up i can rip down the road but Iwill come to a stop not every stop but it will just die and wont fire right back up if i pull the choke up a bit it does help it refire

[FJmonkey]

Stroscoach, that is not a stock petcock it can switch to prime. My 86 has a vacuum diaphragm that shuts off the fuel flow when the engine is off. Does your petcock have a vacuum line on it or wires for the quasi-reserve?

[andyb]

Normally on a vacuum petcock you've got off (no fuel), on (only opens when there's vacuum applied to the port, i.e., when things are running), and prime (just turns it on without the vacuum, to fill the carbs if it's been sitting a bit).

Sounds like it's aftermarket or something.  If you leave it in prime with a full tank of gas, the risk is that the float needles in the carbs won't be able to hold the pressure back, and at worst can leave you with a hydrolocked cylinder, which will break things badly when you hit the starter button (think bent rods, tweaked crank, etc).

[racerman_27410]

aha.... i read your previous post.... if i had to bet i would say your battery is going out.

slow intermittant death or catastrophic failure... batterys just dont last forever. Our early models are notorious for overchraging also .... my last DEKA battery actually melted the negative terminal on the battery itself..... prior to the melted terminal i experienced similar symptoms to what you are describing.

fuel flow doesnt have anything to do with the engine not turning over.


KOokaloo!


Frank

[stroscoach]

Thanks again I am going to buy a new battery and see what happens.  I'll be talkin to you all soon

[jvb_ca]

Maybe you have a petcock from an 84, 85?      Not sure if this can be done however.

Cheers..Jake

[Mark Olson]

the 86 is also very touchy on the fuel line routing . sounds like you have non factory fuel lines , they can kink and stop fuel flow causing similar problems.

[oldktmdude]

  I had a similar problem when I first got my '85 1100. I decided it needed an in-line fuel filter (it previously didn't have one) so I installed one using some 8mm fuel hose I had. Everything fitted up great, so I went for a test rude around town. No problems. The next day, a ride with some mates was arranged. I went about 20 miles before it started playing-up. I stopped and had a break for 5 minutes and it started-up and ran fine. This lasted for about 10 miles. To cut a long story short, this happened about 5 or 6 times, with the distance traveled, getting shorter, each time between stops.
  Finally got the bike home,(back of a ute) returned it back to the original fuel line and haven't had a problem since. My theory is, that as the bike heated up the fuel line became softer and this allowed it to kink and cut the fuel supply off. The fuel line routing seems to be critical on the earlier models with gravity feed.     Pete.

[weymouth399]

I had a similar issue with my 86, went to fuel injection hose no in line works like new.
The hose routing is very important
racer111v (Glenn) has two in line filters on his 86 after the t on each side and he says never a problem.
hope this helps
Bob W