Lockhart Quick Disconnect Fuel Coupler

LOCKHART QUICK DISCONNECT FUEL COUPLER

EVALUATION

Maintenance aid for the da Vinci with a touch of Visigoth

AN ARTFUL MECHANIC ALWAYS PULLS

the gas tank before doing even the simplest of engine work. That way, a bobbled wrench can’t carve a divot in the tank's finish, dirt on the tank's underside won’t plunge down a sparkplug hole, and maybe he can actually see the plugs. But finagling with the arcane, tenacious little wire clips that secure a streetbike’s thicket of fuel and vacuum hoses can make a mechanic’s temper go nova. When that happens, he'll shuck any pretense of refined craftsmanship and wrench the tank free with a barbarian’s fury.

Lockhart’s Quick Disconnect Fuel Coupler, though, (from Lockhart Consumer Products, 911 Negocio St., San Clemente, CA 92672; [714] 498-9090) will defuse such tantrums better than a slow count to 10. The two-piece nylon widget splices into a ‘4-inch l.D. hose, and a spring-loaded metal guillotine locks the Coupler’s halves together. The male fitting has a 90-degree bend, and seals with a rubber O-ring. Pressing on a metal tab slides the guillotine out of engagement, and a detent pin holds it there so the Coupler can be pulled apart. When the two halves are joined, the pin releases and lets the guillotine engage once again.

In short, Lockhart's Q-D Coupler solves the problem of dealing with those monkey-puzzle clips, tidily and conveniently. Its appeal will probably be limited, however, to racers and fastidious street riders who do their own maintenance; and the rather stiff, $ 14.95 price tag might limit that appeal even further. But they'll instantly recognize the Coupler’s ability to make their work go smoother and easier—especially if they’ve got a temper that can transform them from a wrench-spinning da Vinci into a wrench-tossing Visigoth.