Chronicles of my resurrected 1987 Aero posted elsewhere. Homemade petcock from Home Depot plumbing department appliance connection parts.
Fresh from last week's smoky launch, I returned to the project last night. I intended to visit the car wash to clean things off in preparation for the arrival of my Polini kit. On the balcony she fired up again with an unbelievably short - like one revolution - crankup. Settled to a fast idle suggesting a functional bystarter circuit. So far so good.
Secure in the knowledge that the fuel system was sorted out, I proceeded to lug the bike down the eighteen ( 18 ) stairs leading up to my apartment. Got me helmet on - You kids, always wear a helmet!
- and scooted over to the car to fetch Carwash change. About a 50-foot ride. The bike sat idling as I rummaged the cubbies in the car. I heard its revs start to drop.A- Ha! the bystarter's just doing its job. The idle just settled down to a comfortable lope. As I dug the last quarter from the dash, the idle speed declined further to ... stall. Uh-oh! Just needs an air screw adjustment - it had not yet gotten fully warm. After the neighbors came running up with fire extinguishers the other night, I had limited my startups to short tests only.
Prepare for another launch: Crank-crank-crank. Turning over vigorously without a sign of life. Helmet off. Carry the bike back up eighteen ( 18 ) stairs, only now mirrors bodywork and a full tank of fuel made it a tad heavier. ( Why the balcony? My tools are up there, rain likely & no place to lock it up at ground level.)
Stripped off L cover. There should be a zipper or something. Fuel (some)in the carb, wet plug, good spark. Compression fine. Bystarter develops its nominal erection: Check x 5. Pull off fuel line, catch tank at the ready for... Nothing. The fuel line was dry. Filter too, come to look at it. Risking untold future cancers I give the line a blow. Like blowing into a pencil.
It seems the generic washer from my "Unknown Leftover Parts" bin fit the size but not the purpose of sealing the Home Depot Homemade tank fitting. The washer material had swelled to double its previous size, apparently blocking off the fuel flow very effectively. Replaced with a proper gas-resistant o-ring, flow was restored. Carwash trip postponed to tonight if the rain lets up.