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Fuel Pump problem

 
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BB1



Joined: 03 Nov 2008
Posts: 52

PostPosted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 8:33 pm    Post subject: Fuel Pump problem Reply with quote

In the on going Love/Hate relationship it turns out I now have a problem (I think) with the fuel pump.

The underslung tank has an internal pump that usually provides good pressure and feeds the excess petrol back to the tank via a Y junction.

Unfortunately, the pressure is no longer enough to get the petrol to the carbs so I've attached a small hose clamp to the return to increase the pressure.

Now I had the access port in the bottom of the tank open today and it looks like it'll be impossible to get in a remove the pump without the special Pixies that Bimota originally used to install it... and there are no pixies on Ebay at the moment.

Now, it could just be that the mesh sock on the pump is clogged and a good clean will fix it but if it doesn't, I have two questions

1) has anyone tried a carb cleaner type product that you pour into the tank that may degunk it? Any recommendations?
2) Do other Bimotas use the same submersed pump or are they external?

I'm thinking as a last resort i could add an external pump to the tank.

and bu the remotest chance of another Supermono owner reading this, have you every had anything similar happen?

Cheers,
Carl
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oily



Joined: 05 Apr 2008
Posts: 4788
Location: worcestershire

PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Carl, I've used STP on a few bike engines without any problems. Dont know if it actually cleaned anything but it didn't do any harm either Wink
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BB1



Joined: 03 Nov 2008
Posts: 52

PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers Oily, I've got some Redex in there now.

Found the problem! It was caused by a brown sludgy precipitate in the petrol completely blocking the gauze filter to the fuel pump.

Now where it's come from I don't know because this is brand new petrol from Sainsburies in a brand new Petrol can!

I've managed to clear the tank out and filter the vast majority of it out and hopefully the rest will be sorted out by the Redex.

I've lost count how many times I'be had this bike apart now Smile It feels like back when I was a club racer stripping down between races Smile

Hopefully that's it now for a while...

(I shouldn't have said that!)

C
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oily



Joined: 05 Apr 2008
Posts: 4788
Location: worcestershire

PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep, you realy shouldn't have said that Laughing
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BB1



Joined: 03 Nov 2008
Posts: 52

PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nope, Looks like Luck is finally smiling!.

Its never run better and its purring like a sewing machine. Well as purring as a 650 single and rorty exhaust can. Smile

Now need to get it off SORN and back in the wild!

C
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Anders



Joined: 05 May 2009
Posts: 121
Location: Norway

PostPosted: Wed May 06, 2009 11:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Fuel Pump problem Reply with quote

BB1 wrote:

and by the remotest chance of another Supermono owner reading this, have you every had anything similar happen?


Yes, I have had something similar happen. The story goes like this:
My bike died at the roadside, one and a half hours ride away from home. My wife had to come to my rescue with the pickup truck. Later investigation showed that the electrical wires feeding the pump was broken, probably due to vibration. On reassembly, I used some gasket cement. Not a wise move, as it later showed up as slime, clogging the the mesh filter, making the engine die after a few hundred meters of running. Cleaning it all out and replacing the filter fixed the problem. It has not been a problem afterwards.

I then learned that both the filter and the pump is similar to what is used on early 916 models.

Another note about the tank / pump assembly: The specification states a 16l tank, which may very well be true. However, I never get more than 12l out of it, due to the fact that the pump seems to hae it's pickup point well above the lowest spot in the tank, which seems to be at the front.

The tank level sensor seems to break off due to vibrations early in the bike's life. I have never seen my working, it had 8000km on the clock when I got it.
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Anders
bb1, Mille S2, Guzzi / Watsonian, Morini Corsaro 125, EC200, RD350YPVS etc
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2OR4STROKES



Joined: 12 Dec 2008
Posts: 67
Location: Singapore

PostPosted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 1:56 pm    Post subject: fuel pump Reply with quote

Hi BB1

I used a external pump from an Africa Twin and it seemed to work fine.
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Riding a bike is only as dangerous as your mind and level of training. The rest is up to God.
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Anders



Joined: 05 May 2009
Posts: 121
Location: Norway

PostPosted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:49 pm    Post subject: Re: fuel pump Reply with quote

2OR4STROKES wrote:
I used a external pump from an Africa Twin and it seemed to work fine.


How did you arrange the pickup inside the tank? Did you get all the 16 liters out? in my stock tank/pump arrangement, it seems like approx 4 liters are left when the bike stops (spec says 16 liters, I can only fill 12 when the bike stops with an "empty" tank).
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Anders
bb1, Mille S2, Guzzi / Watsonian, Morini Corsaro 125, EC200, RD350YPVS etc
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BB1



Joined: 03 Nov 2008
Posts: 52

PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My fuel indicator tube was also snapped but I used Epoxy to glue it back in place and so far it's still where I stuck it. Plastic metal would have been better but my tube had gone hard and useless.

I've never run my tank to dry so i don't know how much is left in when it's showing empty. Living in the country wilds, you fill up at every petrol station in case the next one isn't open Smile

C
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Anders



Joined: 05 May 2009
Posts: 121
Location: Norway

PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

BB1 wrote:

I've never run my tank to dry so i don't know how much is left in when it's showing empty. Living in the country wilds, you fill up at every petrol station in case the next one isn't open Smile


Running without the fuel gauge, I keep track of the kilometres since last refill. I usually fill after 200km, but can wait until 230 if riding only on the streets. I have ran it empty a few times, and then I fill approx 12 litres. What I'm concerned about, is the extra 4 litres (almost 4 kg of ballast to no use). The tank itself weighs in at about 5kg. As one of my goals for this bike is to get it as light as possible, this has to be addressed in some way. The most likely is to make a new, smaller alu tank that can be emptied completely. I know that someone has placed such a tank above the carbs (I have some images showing this on a German bb1) but my intention is to have it in the usual place, and cover it with a fairing lower that's just that, a cover (doubling as a tray mandatory in racing).
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Anders
bb1, Mille S2, Guzzi / Watsonian, Morini Corsaro 125, EC200, RD350YPVS etc
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BB1



Joined: 03 Nov 2008
Posts: 52

PostPosted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I weigh 120kg so 4 litres of fuel makes little difference Very Happy
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Anders



Joined: 05 May 2009
Posts: 121
Location: Norway

PostPosted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 12:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

well, I'm no lightweight either (approx 100kg with leathers), so I have to agree that it's not a big difference. But still it's a difference and I feel that a bike like the Supermono deserves to be as light as possible.
However, I did run it dry again yesterday and then I was able to fill 14 liters, so it seems like the extra ballast is only 2 liters now. I have had the pump and filter out since I last did this measurement, so I might have been luckier than the factory workers when it came to the mounting of the pump, I don't know.
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Anders
bb1, Mille S2, Guzzi / Watsonian, Morini Corsaro 125, EC200, RD350YPVS etc
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2OR4STROKES



Joined: 12 Dec 2008
Posts: 67
Location: Singapore

PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 11:51 pm    Post subject: Re: fuel pump Reply with quote

What they did is to use a separate fuel cock and install the lines into the tanks accordingly. As to whether I can can access all the fuel I have no idea now> I have to find out for you. All I know is that I can use the reserve position when I run out of fuel.




€€€
Anders wrote:
2OR4STROKES wrote:
I used a external pump from an Africa Twin and it seemed to work fine.


How did you arrange the pickup inside the tank? Did you get all the 16 liters out? in my stock tank/pump arrangement, it seems like approx 4 liters are left when the bike stops (spec says 16 liters, I can only fill 12 when the bike stops with an "empty" tank).

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