Fuel selector valve orientation

[Mark Selleck]

After 17 years with my '65 SC Coupe sitting in one place (long story), I decided it was time to get it on the road again. The shop that has worked on it for me in the past went through the fuel and brake systems for me, and installed a dual=circuit brake system. I picked it up, and drove it home on December 7, 2018. On December 13, I suffered an unfortunate, "freak", fall in the woods on my property, that resulted in a need for reconstructive surgery on Dec. 20. Needless to say, I couldn't drive my newly refurbished 356. After two months of rehab, I was finally able to squeeze myself into the car again (15 minutes of twisting and turning), and I'm now driving it down the road. It only takes me a minute to get into it now.

I thought I'd ask the experts about one thing that is bothering me: The fuel selector/reserve valve control under the dash is not oriented as I remember it was in every 356 I've had. The end of the control always pointed at '12 o'clock' when in running mode, and a turn clockwise, to approximately 3 o'clock, opened the reserve. As the car is right now, the control is at approximately 6 o'clock when running, and if I turn it to the stopping point, counter-clockwise, to about 2:30, I believe that's the 'off' position, as the engine begins to stall. I asked my mechanic about the change, and he told me someone else in his shop actually did the work on the car, and he didn't believe the valve had been rebuilt (surprised me), as there was no mention of, or charge for, a rebuild kit on the work sheet. I can't get under the car yet (My leg/knee still has some months of rehab to go.), but this is bugging me. I know that when I rebuilt the valve 20 years ago the orientation was as I mentioned earlier.

Comments appreciated,

Mark Selleck

[Vic Skirmants]

You are correct. The current orientation is for the earlier cars. Easy enough to flip; IF you can get under the car.
Best wishes.

[Doug McDonnell]

Handle was probably removed to rebuild your petcock and/or clean your gas tank. While earlier cars driving mode was at 6 O'Clock our later cars were at 12 as you remember. Simply have them take out cotter pin, rotate shaft 180 degrees and reinsert cotter pin.

[Mark Selleck]

Thanks very much for the replies. It's good to know I'm not going senile...yet.

Mark

[Jon Schmid]

LOL, you're not senile. I have a B and a C, lotsa fun with the C even after 14+ years getting the reserve setting right after 45 years of driving the B. One question, if it takes you a minute to get into the car, how long does it take you to get out of it?

[Dick Weiss]

Your car should have have the petcock's lever pointing upward toward the 'position' tag.
Early cars have the position tag below the lever's end to point downward.

[Dan Macdonald]

Yes, in the C cars up is on.
While in the A cars down is on.(AUF)

But they all work the same, clockwise for reserve (RES), counterclockwise for off (ZU).

[Mark Selleck]

Jon, getting out was actually more difficult, at first. Not being able to bend my knee much past 90 degrees, with size 12 shoes, I have to slide out of the seat and sit on the 'step' at the rear of the door opening. With my left foot on the ground, I can pivot a little, and push myself up with my right hand on the carpet to the left of the seat. Not much fun, but it works. The car has some paint 'issues' from the front of the doors forward (The front was damaged early in its life, and the re-paint is breaking down: cracking and small bubbles , that expose minor surface rust when scraped. From the windshield back, the original paint is still under the respray, and in good condition. I am going to have to have some major body work done in the front, though, in the next few years: the nose was replaced when the car was still "just a used car", in the late '60s, and the job wasn't done "correctly". The overlap is still there, and the headlight buckets' conduit was not hooked back up. It's not obvious, but the car deserves to be put back 'right'.....after I drive it a while. I'm enjoying that, right now.

Mark

[Bill Lawless]

I also have both a B & C.
I put a little cheat sheet under the elastic on the back of the glove compartment door incase I got confused...