Ethanol damage!! Sherpa to XT petcock?

Was reading last night and found that an xt 350 petcock from an 81 model will work on Sherpas the bolt pattern is the same does anyone know if any other years will work? I want a manual petcock with the sediment bowl at the bottom.

The vacuum petcocks on Sherpas and other bikes as well breakdown from exposure to this damn ethanol fuel and leak. From personal experience my Vulcan 500 did this and a full tank of fuel ended up in the bottom of the engine.... not good!! Others bikes have had the same problem not only Kaws. Sherpas are known to have this problem as well, my 01 started leaking last week so that petcock is going to be changed soon!!

Did some more research today and found... The xt 350 petcock with a sediment bowl is from 81-89 after that the sediment bowl was eliminated and it did not show up on the 225s either.

So Sherpa owners if you want a manual petcock order this part number 23F-24500-11-00 the gasket number 4x8-24565-00-00 CheapCycleParts has the petcock for 11 bucks the gasket is 2.15

There are most likely a zillion parts out there that are interchangable from one bike to another, unfortunately, unlike in the used auto parts business, which uses the Hollander interchange manual, nobody has any reference source as to what is interchangable on bikes.

I personally hate vacuum petcocks, I've rebuilt the one on my '02 Vulcan 750 3 times since buying the bike new 8 years ago. But it's not just the petcocks, ethanol will damage all rubber and plastic parts of the fuel system. If you have a dirt bike with a vent hose on the cap, look how the end of the hose is swelled up. That's ethanol. I'm beginning to think ethanol is what destroyed the plastic tank on my XR400, and am now concerned about the Clarke tank on my XT225. Jerry.

I run ethanol in my car and truck, but always try to avoid it in the bike and boat. The problem is, is that here in my area gas stations are either all ethanol, or 100% ethanol free. Not like, Nebraska where I'm from that had ethanol and non-ethanol choices at every pump, with usually the mid-range being the ethanol choice. The majority of stations here are all ethanol, and you often have to go out of the way to find an ethanol free station.

Are there any good fuel additives to counteract the affects of ethanol, or is simply an avoidance solution?

Ryan

I think i figured out how the fuel ends up in the engine. When the diaphram breaks down and leaks the fuel finds the hole and drains the tank into the engine through the vacuum port on the manifold. Or if bad enough and the tank is full up and out of the carb with fuel flowing out the overflow tube and into the intake manifold at the same time due to the high pressure in the tank.

If the vent hole is plugged or swollen up due to ethanol poisoning the pressure in the tank and be real high on a hot day so it actually blows the fuel into the engine....

I don't think there's any choice in my part of NY State.

I've looked.

And if there are any places (short of my trying to top of my XT at the airport) that sell gasoline that doesn't have 10% ethanol in it, I'd probably run out of fuel before I got home from there.

So no choice here.
How long will it be before these adulterated fuels available here start harming my bike's fuel components, and degrading its performance or rendering it inoperable?

In my area regular grade gas (87 octane) may contain up to 10% ethanol but the high-test (91 Octane) isn't supposed to contain any ethanol

This is a gas pump I ran across just inside the SD border on my trip in July. It sat right nexy to an E-85 pump. They call this pump a "blender" pump since it mixes the ethanol inside the pump. If you look at the pricing the more ethanol the cheaper the cost and for once the higher octane is cheaper. I of course used the least ethanol possible.

pure-gas.org Stations listed by state that sell no ethanol gas. Those numbers on that pump are unbelievable i think i would find a new place to live!!!

I don't have a choice, In AZ, ALL they are allowed to sell is 10% ethanol. Unfortunately I know of no way to prevent damage to the rubber and plastic parts of the fuel system caused by this stuff. You just have to replace the parts when they no longer work properly. I have 46,000 miles on my '02 Vulcan 750 (all mine), and while I have had to rebuild the petcock 3 times, I have never had the carbs apart, and it still runs fine. Jerry.

Hey Jerry, the service area at the Chandler airport sells ethanol free aviation gas that you can take home in a 5 gal can. I called and verified this some months back, but haven't taken advantage of it yet.

Thanks. Yeah, I know about that, but it wouldn't do me any good, I have 6 bikes, counting my XR400 dirt only bike, plus a quad. I rack up a lot of miles on these bikes, sometimes 500-600 miles a day, and usually have to stop for gas several times in one day. I believe CA and NM also only sell ethanol, at least that's all I have ever found there. I take the quad up in the mountains, usually around the Forest Lakes area, with a full tank, plus two five gallon cans of gas, camp out, and ride till all the gas is gone. Jerry.

I might be fooling myself but I use a product named "STA BIL" marine ethanol fuel treatment. It is supposed to counter act the corrosive effects of ethanol and preserve fuel for up to a year. I always use to use the regular red "STA BILL" to keep stored gas for lawn and generator equipment fresh. It always worked. The Marine ethanol fuel treatment is green. One once treats 10 gallons. Have not had any problems in the boat, lawn equipment, generators or XT. Everything starts right up even after sitting for a month or so.

I've been thinking about the marine Sta Bil. I don't know why it wouldn't work. I haven't had any trouble yet, even used last years gas on my outboard, but I think I may have just gotten lucky. Many people haven't, especially on carb models.
Todd

I have used regular Stabil for years, and in my fuel storage tank in WNC (30 gal), the fuel is still good a year later in my mower or my bike. Most newer equipment should have been designed to use 10 percent ethanol fuel, as it has been mandated for years in most states. Doesn't seem to affect my '07 225 one way or the other.

I run 100LL Avgas in my '07 XT225. Yeah it's expensive, but starting is so much easier in cold weather. I add a little Marvel Mystery Oil for top cylinder lubrication. I've been running avgas for over 5,000 miles without incidence.

I'd do the same Inuvik if I had a convenient local source for aviation gas. I can pump it into 5 gal cans at the Chandler Airport, but that's some distance away and I'd have to drive my pickup over there to get it. So I use 91 octane leaded and feel that's about as good as I'm able to do without making a special trip to fill a couple of gas cans. Wish it were different, but it is what it is..

You can still get leaded gas George? Wow . . . we haven't been able to buy leaded gas here in close to 20 years I'd say

Good catch Chuck! ..Meant to say "UN"leaded, not leaded!!

Todd,
As I understand it, the problem with gasohol isn't the alcohol per se.
But the ethanol in gasohol is hydrophilic. Extremely pure ethanol will suck H2O out of the air, until it has diluted itself enough to do so less vigorously (saturates).

I gather it's the H2O that does most of the damage.

Sure, compensating chemically makes sense.
But be careful of chasing your tail. "Dry Gas[oline]" is alcohol, intended to absorb H2O from fuel.
But using such additive in a vented fuel can may simply draw more H2O out of the air, and into the fuel.

Timing may matter; ie don't add Dry Gas until the fuel is in use.
- or -

If the fuel can be stored in a temperature stable environment, perhaps storing it with the vent closed may be an option. But avoid explosions and fires.

I pay a little under $3.oo for a gallon of gasohol. Pure gasoline isn't available here.
But these fuel additives cost $10.oo or $20.oo per gallon, or more. This skyrocket's the fuel cost. It may be cheaper to skip the additives, and repair the carb. as necessary.

A cost : benefit analysis would be interesting.