Thick green gunk/varnish in carb!

[Black Sheep]

I don't add anything to the petrol other than once in a while a splash of 2 stroke oil.

[sprint]

 sprinto- can you keep us posted how they go ?
   I'm on the look out for good taps to replace my gas-cocks (actual gas- tapered threads= not-so-good) 

Will do, but it may be a while before I know if they solve the problem?

[sprint]

Sprint, what petrol have you been using? I stick to BP ultimate with the bikes and have had no problems, not even with brass taps and copper mesh filters. If the bike was stored in a damp shed, possibly condensation could have entered via the breather. The one time I left a Land Rover standing with cheapo unleaded in the tank, the fuel pipe dissolved, spraying petrol all over the engine, including HT leads. A trifle worrying. Now everything gets posh petrol.

I have several bikes and do around 13/14K miles during the summer period so I usually go for the cheapest which is Sainsburys around here, but I do use others as necessary. Not had this problem before but it is possible that I filled up with some duff petrol?

Andy

[sprint]

Hi Andy
Those ebay taps are quite fragile  the "stop" shears off easily
(that was the case with 2 sets I fitted 

The type of taps that were fitted benefit from the application of a little EZturn lube (petrol proof grease)
This keeps the taper nice and free for a year or so
A friend brought me a tin of the grease from the USA that should last several lifetimes 

John

Thanks John.

They are a Wassell make and sold by many people including the VMCC, but they had no stock.

How long did they last for you and you say the stop shears off? Is the stop a seperate part or are you referring to the open and closed position?

The only reason i'm changing  is because I no longer have any filters on the old brass ones and don't want to run it without any and have not got a clue where I can get some st/st filters on their own that I could graft onto them.

With the taps removed and dried out I can hardly turn them now, so they really need replacing.

Andy

[jachenbach]

I've seen the green in carbs even in pre-ethanol days. Most certainly the green is from the copper. Copper will oxidize and if the tank sat empty for years, as many of these old bikes did, the sceens may have been compromised but still appeared okay. Ethanol is not going to eat those screens. I'm not a fan of ethanol, but if I ride out of town at all I need to buy gas somewhere and generally have no other choice. As I'd rather run ethanol than walk or push I take what I can get. The worst effects I've seen are on rubber (o-rings and fuel lines). O-rings are cheap and there's no reason nowadays to use rubber fuel line.
 

[chaterlea25]

Hi Andy,

The RGS and goldie and your old taps /filters are two components
The filter is incorporated in the 3/8 to 1/8(?) BSP adaptor

You only need new filter /adaptors
These can be bought from Autocycle engineering in Birmingham
The ones I bought needed a bit of fettling as they were plated onto the threads 
They also have the proper brass taps if you so decide to buy them

The EZ turn lube is used on aircraft maintenance, if there is an airfield local to you you might be able to scrounge a dollop?
All else failing I could post you some

John

[Black Sheep]

Our local bike and car garage advises strongly against using cheapest supermarket fuel. They spend a lot of time replacing carb jets and disintegrated fuel filters on bikes and cars. Cheaper fuel=more ethanol=more water, ethanol being hygroscopic. At least the premium fuels, as well as being lower in ethanol, also have additives which offer some protection.

[sprint]

Hi Andy,

The RGS and goldie and your old taps /filters are two components
The filter is incorporated in the 3/8 to 1/8(?) BSP adaptor

You only need new filter /adaptors
These can be bought from Autocycle engineering in Birmingham
The ones I bought needed a bit of fettling as they were plated onto the threads 
They also have the proper brass taps if you so decide to buy them

The EZ turn lube is used on aircraft maintenance, if there is an airfield local to you you might be able to scrounge a dollop?
All else failing I could post you some

John

Thanks John

Since I have ordered the taps I may as well use them and see how I get on?

Will look to get some replacement 3/8" to 1/8" BSP adapters/filters and see if I can un-gum the current taps as a backup. If I go that route again I will be certain to drain the tank in future layups.

Andy

[sprint]

Have found that some filters that are used on some of my old Triumph petrol taps screw directly into the 1/8" to 3/8" BSP adaptors. They look to be a brass/nylon fabrication so may well withstand the corrosive nature of the petrol better.

See how I get on with the replacement taps or perhaps try one new and one old tap and see how they survive?

Andy