Muratic Acid and the Petcock

I am not a smart man. Just ask my friends, girlfriends, c0-workers, etc...

The person least aware of this is me. Always the last to know...

I was working on a motorcycle project (Imagine!) and decided to take a shortcut cleaning out the fuel supply lines on a KZ400 using muratic acid. I had used this product with great success in the past to eat away the rust inside fuel tanks that had been sitting for years. It doesn't harm the steel of the tank, and only eats away the rust and other crap and eventually rinses clean.

I poured out a small amount of the acid and dipped in the aluminum pet cock. This piece is critical as it controls the fuel flow from the fuel tank into the carburators. I dropped in the petcock and then turned my back for no more than a minute.

When I turned back around there was a viscous reaction going on, bubbling over and giving off a green gas. I hustled over and removed what was left of my fuel petcock. The acid had reduced it to just a hint of its former self. FUCK! I should have realized, or at least tested this on a less expensive, hard to find, elusive piece of equipement.

Like I said I am not a smart man. I am painfully reminded of this regularly, but my memory sucks.