Electric fuel tap
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Peterhigson
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 04 Aug 2023 16:30
- Location: Golborne Warrington
Electric fuel tap
Hi can I get my electric fuel tap refurbished I will send it anywhere to get it done
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morini_tom
- Posts: 928
- Joined: 05 May 2006 13:47
- Location: Northampton
Re: Electric fuel tap
Hi Peter,
Have moved your post to the wanted section.
Which model bike is this for (the road bikes have a different electric tap to darts etc)
Either way, I don’t know of anyone who refurbishes them, but depending on what’s wrong with yours they can sometimes be coaxed back into a bit more life.
Is the issue that the solenoid doesn’t move, or the diaphragm has lost its suppleness, or both?
Have moved your post to the wanted section.
Which model bike is this for (the road bikes have a different electric tap to darts etc)
Either way, I don’t know of anyone who refurbishes them, but depending on what’s wrong with yours they can sometimes be coaxed back into a bit more life.
Is the issue that the solenoid doesn’t move, or the diaphragm has lost its suppleness, or both?
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morini_tom
- Posts: 928
- Joined: 05 May 2006 13:47
- Location: Northampton
Re: Electric fuel tap
Peter has been back in touch and confirmed this is for a 77 strada. So here is my two pennies:
Many people replace the electric tap with a manual one as they never were the most reliable thing, and in any case on motorway journeys etc you will probably find you want to use both taps.
However, if you want to retain the original function of the electric tap, there are some things you can try. I’ve successfully rejuvenated the ones on my bikes with the following procedure.
If you can hear it click then electrically you are ok. Still, be careful of the spade terminals as they are usually brittle. A bit of epoxy reinforcement here does no harm.
The tap can easily be disassembled and there are no single use gaskets. Inside there is a rubber diaphragm which is pushed closed by the sprung solenoid when un energised. When the solenoid is energised the pin moves away and the natural shape of the diaphragm pops the tap open. Over time the diaphragm hardens and goes flat in the closed position. This is usually the issue.
I have recovered flat diaphragms by covering them in Vaseline, inserting a fibre washer into the tap body where the diaphragm would normally be, turning the diaphragm around and then gently reassembling the tap (without the coil) so that the solenoid pushes the diaphragm back into its original domed shape. I then submerge the tap (again, less the electrical coil) in a cup of just boiled water and leave it there for a week or so, and then disassemble, clean the Vaseline off and then reassemble without the fibre washer and the diaphragm the correct way round.
After this process I’ve found the diaphragm to be more supple and some shaped than before. By no means new but actually quite acceptable.
It’s also worth making sure there is no corrosion on the solenoid pin which can cause them to stick.
Give it a go and let us know how you get on.
The club did look at getting new diaphragms made a few years back. We got as far as a quote (nearly £50 a diaphragm at out quantities if I recall) but then covid got in the way. If there is demand I can re-start the search for a manufacturer.
Many people replace the electric tap with a manual one as they never were the most reliable thing, and in any case on motorway journeys etc you will probably find you want to use both taps.
However, if you want to retain the original function of the electric tap, there are some things you can try. I’ve successfully rejuvenated the ones on my bikes with the following procedure.
If you can hear it click then electrically you are ok. Still, be careful of the spade terminals as they are usually brittle. A bit of epoxy reinforcement here does no harm.
The tap can easily be disassembled and there are no single use gaskets. Inside there is a rubber diaphragm which is pushed closed by the sprung solenoid when un energised. When the solenoid is energised the pin moves away and the natural shape of the diaphragm pops the tap open. Over time the diaphragm hardens and goes flat in the closed position. This is usually the issue.
I have recovered flat diaphragms by covering them in Vaseline, inserting a fibre washer into the tap body where the diaphragm would normally be, turning the diaphragm around and then gently reassembling the tap (without the coil) so that the solenoid pushes the diaphragm back into its original domed shape. I then submerge the tap (again, less the electrical coil) in a cup of just boiled water and leave it there for a week or so, and then disassemble, clean the Vaseline off and then reassemble without the fibre washer and the diaphragm the correct way round.
After this process I’ve found the diaphragm to be more supple and some shaped than before. By no means new but actually quite acceptable.
It’s also worth making sure there is no corrosion on the solenoid pin which can cause them to stick.
Give it a go and let us know how you get on.
The club did look at getting new diaphragms made a few years back. We got as far as a quote (nearly £50 a diaphragm at out quantities if I recall) but then covid got in the way. If there is demand I can re-start the search for a manufacturer.
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Peterhigson
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 04 Aug 2023 16:30
- Location: Golborne Warrington
Re: Electric fuel tap
Cheers Tom I will have a go at the weekend