Subject: Re: Fuel Valves and Cap Gaskets, the real deal.
Author: Ian Adkins
Date: Aug 22, 2001, 9:40 AM
Post ID: 1707959975
DAM!!
There goes any chance of me taking favorite bike awards! :-)
Tom...looking forward to seeing you and Cedar there. Should be quite the
Loopframe exposition with Norine, Kermit, Dynamo-Hum and your Cedar.
I can hardly wait.
See you soon...Ian
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Bowes <kk-@home.com>
To: Loopfram-@topica.com <Loopfram-@topica.com>
Date: August 21, 2001 10:08 PM
Subject: Fuel Valves and Cap Gaskets, the real deal.
Dave, Ian, Tim, Rich, Kevin, et al...... I've been down the(figurative)long road with the fuel tap gaskets and the gas cap gaskets, and have developed solutions for both. First of all, let me inform everybody on the list that Cheeshead and Gordon at MG Cycle have replacement gas cap gaskets for loopframes. They are made of BUNA and are die cut to be a perfect fit. Take the cap apart, install the gasket, reassemble, no more leak. I don't know what their price is, call them and see. As far as using BUNA for the fuel tap gaskets, it doesn't work for two reasons. First of all, it is too soft and tears easily when you rotate the valve. Secondly, it seems to lack the chemical resistance to remain in constant contact with gasoline that may or may not contain ethanol. My guess is that if you try to use a cork composite gasket you will eventually have the same problem because the rotor of the valve will tear off bits of cork until the thing fails to seal. After an initial failure using the BUNA gaskets, I have switched to a die cut Viton gasket, with excellent results. I had to pull my tank off last week to replace the generator, and the tank still had two gallons of fuel in it. With the Viton gaskets I was able to place the tank horizontally on the shelf in my garage and the fuel valves did not leak so much as one drop! I am planning on sneaking off to the Adirondak rally this weekend and will bring some samples with me. You guys who attend can try them out. If they work I will make them available via MG Cycle. Tom |