Topic: 1975 cb550F petcock

[anthem78]

Anyone know where to get a replacement petcock for a 1975 cb550F? I think it needs to be replaced. This is my first bike so I'm learning as I go. When I turn it to "on" and "res" I only see fuel flowing out of one line, and it is the same fuel line no matter which way I turn the petcock. Should fuel be coming out of both lines to feed gas to all the carbs?

I've looked through the resources on the FAQ of this site and can't find an OEM replacement or what I should get for an aftermarket replacement. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Michael

[manjisann]

Have you tried disassembling and cleaning it? Chances are the Res side is blocked as many people never bother to use it and then it slowly blocks up. As for replacements, a dealer or Bikebandits would have them. I seriously doubt you need one though, try cleaning it first.

Brandon

PS just adding, be sure the tank is empty before you remove the petcock, don't want to be insulting, just want to cover my bases and prevent a post about 4 gallons of fuel spilling out on the garage floor.  Also, welcome, the 550's are great bikes I hear, I had a 500 and enjoyed it.

[anthem78]

No worries on the insult. I had it off until 20 minutes ago and have had to drain the gas before. When I had it off before I soaked the filter in gas and tried to clean that, but I'll take a look at the petcock itself and see if it is clogged. Thanks.

And I'm looking forward to riding it and building it. It's a project bike for sure, but it will be fun.

Michael

[manjisann]

Builds are a lot of fun, I've been building a 650 for the last few months. Gone a bit overboard on it, but when it's done it will look pretty good. Be sure to take pics and post your build on the project forum, we all love following those.

I think Twotired owns a lot of the 550's, if you have any questions, you can post or even just PM him. Especially carb questions, the man has forgotten more than most of us will ever know. Just be sure to do a couple searches first as a lot of info has been posted. Also, you can look at Bikebandit for exploded diagrams if you don't have the manual or it doesn't have one. Sometimes that can be helpful.

Brandon