... a step at a time will save you money... A Raptor petcock is only about $25.00,.. a new carb is hundreds...
If you try, step by step, the petcock test in the tech section, it will tell you if that can be the problem. Do each step of the test,.. no shortcuts here...
A bad one can make you flood/rich or starve for fuel, depending on what gives out.
Once you know, you can decide to buy a new one or not, and then it may be fixed, or you will have ruled the petcock out as the problem.
No need to buy a new carb unless something is physically broke, like a thread stripped out or a part of the casting broke off.
It's completely rebuildable and quite simple to do.
On an older bike like this, you don't want to sink too much money in the wrong places. An 87' is only worth about $1,000 running. You can easily sink that much in there in new parts and still not have a running bike, if you go about it wrong....
Money spent that doesn't fix the problem could be better spent on neato goodies for your ride...
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I've just been working on an 02' that has been sitting fir three years...
... and found a leaking petcock, (fixed with an o-ring, $1.00), stuck float, (cleaned it), clogged jets, (cleaned), missadjusted decomp lever, (adjusted), stretched camchain,(repaired with a Verslavy mod $60.00)), and dead battery,(replaced $50.00)...
So, what I'm saying is, it may be more than one thing, but there's lots of help here...
Putting out too much money on new parts may frustrate you into giving up.
Unless you are filthy rich?...
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but I doubt that, or you'd pay shop a zillion to do the job..
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So, I recommend the petcock test first... do every step... Then post the results...
We'll get you fixed up.
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Linky here...
How to check your petcock,....