Fuel taps.

[diggerjones]

Hi all.
 Put new plunger type cork parts in my taps a few years ago and new corks. Had afew problems with the taps with them dripping. They leaked when turned off so I didn't turn them off, then last winter it was parked up for a few months , when I started it there was a liquid coming out of the rocker box breather. Anyway the taps had failed and emptied my tank into the engine.
 Now to this year and I've done it again, engine full of fuel. At least it gives the engine a good clean 
 Any ideas for the taps, new taps? Rubber of rings instead of cork?
Thanks

[bsa-bill]

had a similar thing last week, had the tank emptied and the taps out for  a good few months, the corks had dried out - petrol everywhere, managed to shove it out the shed at least, and changed the tap plungers with spare I keep in a jar of petrol.
If not immersed or at least in contact with petrol they dry out and shrink, a spare set of plungers with corks fitted don't cost much and if stored in petrol in a sealed jar will stay expanded (actually they will take a good push to get in, good practice would be to change them on a regular basis ( note to self - yes it would)

BTW while on the subject does anybody know the size and thred of the small screw that keeps the plunger in the tap

[chaterlea25]

Hi,
I tried the O rings advertised as replacements for the corks on fleabay,
Not a total sucess fitting the nubber of rings suggested and it pee'd everywhere
so I added another, then no outside leaks but a dripple through the tap feed and very stiff to boot

When I was on holidays in 2013 with the BSA the petrol in Switzerland caused the cork to fail on the main tap on the SR,
I made a new one from a proper wine cork  and its been fine since

Maybe the corks you fitted were poor quality or not compressed enough?

HTH
John

[diggerjones]

So think we are saying, keep taps and get more corks.
Anyone got a link or cork please
Thanks dylan

[bsa-bill]

 Go here for the part number (there are two version)
https://www.draganfly.co.uk/index.php/bsa/bsa/a710--b3133--c101112--m202133/category/955-petrol-taps-pipes

I'd do a bit of googling as these are available from I would think most dealers.
I generally look at Draganfly site as they have a good online catalogue that's easy to use to get part numbers from and I do get some stuff from them and also from many other many traders, so I'm not recommending them over anybody else, I tend to spread my spending over a number of our traders including the guys on here

[Butch (cb)]

I got fed up with leaky cork push pull taps. Try as I might I couldn't get them to seal. I switched to a lever type - which also required an adaptor ring to screw into the base of the tank. Never had a problem since. And I'm pretty sure I got all the bits from Draganfly.

[bikerbob]

What I have done as a temporary measure and it works is to fit a suitable washer or washers which are slightly smaller in diameter than the cork and when reassembled it compresses the cork more and thus seals it. I have known this to work for a couple of years.

[Beezageezauk]

Hi DJ,

I also had much the same problem but didn't realise it until I could smell petrol in the oil when I did an oil change.  By that time it was too late.  Unfortunately the petrol had thinned the oil down so much that within 1000 miles the new camshaft and followers were worn out and had to be replaced.  Yeah....a complete engine strip-down causing time, effort and expense.

The decision was made to change the fuel taps to the "lever" type and the problem was solved.

Beezageezauk.

[bsa-bill]

I have the lever type on the RGF (kept the Ewarts on the Flash as it's kind of stock)
First set of lever type the rubbers swelled and blocked flow (ethanol I guess) second lot work ok but levers have rusted badly, not good on a bike built for Bling
Don't know if there's differing quality with these, they all look the same

[duTch]

 I use brass ones- I think they're gas cocks, they work fine

[bikerbob]

I think that the problem with  some of the corks being made today is that they are made from a coarse grade of cork  which is really not suitable if the darker sections of the cork run length ways then they are prone to leak. I am going to make some new corks using wine glass cork which is much finer but I have a couple of corks one is all one piece of fine cork perfectly suitable, but the other looks as though it is made up of lots of very small bits somehow stuck together that one I will make the corks up and stick them in a jar of petrol for a while and see what happens.

[diggerjones]

Thanks for all the replies, very helpful and maybe a warning to others about petrol getting into the oil and ruining the engine.
 So maybe I should get some of these lever type taps. Anyone got a link to some.
Thanks dylan

[Butch (cb)]

I think if you speak to Draganfly they can sort you. Looking at their web site:

https://www.draganfly.co.uk/index.php/bsa/bsa/category/955-petrol-taps-pipes

And within that their note:

BAP type taps are a modern non-leaking tap with 1/4 BSP threads top and bottom, so usually a 1/4 to 3/8 BSP adapter will be required. A nice feature is a locking nut so that the tap can be lined up where it is convenient to use rather than having the lever stuck round the back. The down side is that they do not look anything like the original.


As noted by someone else here I think the lever types can be prone to rusting. Having noted some early onset corrosion on mine I oil them along with all the other brightware every time I clean the bike.

[diggerjones]

Thank for your help, will have to have a look,
Rusting will not be a problem, I don't wash it 

[mikeb]

risking a thread hijack here...
i just tried viton o-rings in the ewarts fuel taps which lists up as 42-8075 being a 3/8" thread tap with bottom banjo. arguably better than the bits of old petrol tubing a found in there (that had cut and blocked the taps) but after starting off well, one week later they are very tight and almost unusable. i'm too lazy for corks not to mention the disasters listed above.

now the question: if i'm reading this draganfly page https://www.draganfly.co.uk/index.php/bsa/bsa/category/955-petrol-taps-pipes correctly my 61 super rocket should have had a 65-8171 lever type like this one: https://www.draganfly.co.uk/index.php/accessories-a-misc/product/13148-. but if the tank fits a 3/4BSP thread then its the wrong tank or the wrong tap...??

anyone know about taps for a 61 SR?

thanks