Katana Owners Club U.K.

I thought I could smell petrol
So tonight into the Katcave....... Seems to be the recently recommissioned pop up ...the one with a full tank of petrol, could be the heat

There are 2 small pools of fresh oil under each collector box
At the moment the sprocket cover is off as I'm waiting for a new clutch seal. .. There seems to be fresh oil around the neutral switch.....the oil in the engine has only done 50 miles or so so should be clean....took out the clutch pushrod and" Niagra octane falls"...
Oh fudge......a check of the fuel level in the tank reveals....Non....

So how much petrol is above the clutch pushrod level?
Answer tomorrow ....as it is still washing the already clean engine through.

What was it you said to me on the phone about old bikes?

The answer is 3 litres of petrol above the clutch pushrod hole.....so about 12 litres below plus 4.5 litres of oil!

This is because the bike laid up for so long, although the fuel tap diaphragm was checked and was ok for a month or so...... The carbs were bench tested all ok"..
Oh I do enjoy stripping carbs!!!!

All part of life's rich tapestry....

surely the vacuum fuel tap should be first port of call?

Tap stripped tonight...petrol in vacuum side
There was still 5 .5 litres in tank apparently....
Anyway tap stripped further .....uuuum rusty colour gunge caked in tap.
An inline filter was also fitted.


Last drop of fuel from tank looks like..... Closer Problem found I believe....
Now the tank is dry ...it looks fine from top and through fuel tank opening.

magnet on the filter. iron oxide dust is fine enough to pass through a filter, so araldite a magnet to the filter side to trap it in there and save your carbs.

I am thinking that the issue is not so much the carbs , as the fuel tap diaphragm let the petrol through down the vacuum pipe, is this feasible.?
I say this as there is no evidence of ditritus on the float valve filters or any fuel in the airbox.
I will recheck rhe floats again anyway , seeing as they are on the bench.......again!
A new diagram kit for the tap will be sourced.
A quick question while we are in th tap....there is a little rubber prong which is always bent over in the diaphragm area ....what is for what does it do, mine is no longer attached.

fossie wrote:I am thinking that the issue is not so much the carbs , as the fuel tap diaphragm let the petrol through down the vacuum pipe, is this feasible.?
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A quick question while we are in th tap....there is a little rubber prong which is always bent over in the diaphragm area ....what is for what does it do, mine is no longer attached.

If the fuel has drained through a failed diaphragm, then the O ring seal on the plunger has gone as well. In theory no fuel should get to the diaphragm.

This would also let fuel down to the float needle valve. So a rebuild kit will deffo be in order.

Is the little rubber prong an additional assist to pushing the diaphragm back (along with the little spring)? If it is no longer attached to it's original point then it would not be doing it's job.

Does that sound feasible? Or is the heat finally getting to me?

I have very nearly gone down the Pingu route for the fuel cock on mine as every now and then it feels like it is starving of fuel, but then clears and pulls like a train again

johnr wrote:magnet on the filter. iron oxide dust is fine enough to pass through a filter, so araldite a magnet to the filter side to trap it in there and save your carbs.

Suggested that to my brother for his 750 ES. As I have had to subject his carbs to a sonic attack after the crud of ages drained into them........

Got a new tap on order as it was a tenner more than a rebuild kit.
As said the vacuum part was full of fuel on the old tap so clearly leaking.
While evacuating the petrol through the clutch pushrod hole the tank was still attatched, as was the fuel pipe though not connected to the carbs.....no fuel dripped through it.