Was it just my bike?

[Guest russ]

Just completed a 5 day, 2000 mile wet weather filled tour with 8 buddies through Colorado andd NM. 3 Guzzi's in our group (Convert Sidecar rig, Cal and mine). My LeMans twice exhibited what at first appeared to be vapor lock. Thought it might be the TPS, let the bike cool thoroughly and then it started fine and ran great. The second time around a curve coming down a mountain pass out of Taos. That is where I found the problem. Not the TPS, it was a loose fuel line coming out of the fuel pump that was secured with a hose clamp! It was allowing air in that would periodically vapor lock the system :What type of fittings do others have here? I had the cannisters removed by a dealer (who for the moment remain nameless). I cannot be sure if he messed with this fitting or if it came this way from the factory. Now, I have a confidence issue in what otherwise has been a reliable bike, so I wll have to go in this week and pull the tank and check all the fittings. All's well that ends well. Rode from Angel Fire to Denton, TX (about 800 miles) the next day without issue. New Airhawk seat pad rocks as does the HJC Helmet. Still need to address the bar vibes though. Any ideas?

[al_roethlisberger]

...dunno , all I've got are "hose clamps" on my bike, and that's what they came with from the factory.... on mine anyway.

 

I plan to head down to the BMW dealership and get better fuel-injection hose clamps, but I've never had any trouble with the standard hose clamps.

 

I think the issue with those really arises if you overtighten them, or take them off and on multiple times and they bite into and through the fuel-hose.

 

Glad to hear you found the problem though. That's the most frustrating part usually...

 

al

[dlaing]

Sorry to be a doom sayer, but me thinks you have not found the problem.

I would think that unless the line was loose enough to leak fuel, it should not allow a significant amount of air in.

I could be wrong....

The line coming "out" of the fuel pump, that goes to the fuel filter, is pressurized so even if there was a leak, air would not get in, unless the engine was off.

However the fatter line going into the fuel filter is only pressurized by gravity,

How loose was the hose?

Was it leaking fuel?

The stock hose clamps are not the best but they are not the worse, either. They are designed to protect the hose from the worm gear slots, unlike cheaper hose clamps.

When they did your cannisters it is possible that your clamps were replaced with cheaper hose clamps.

[Guest russ]

I would think that unless the line was loose enough to leak fuel, it should not allow a significant amount of air in.

 

How loose was the hose?

 

Was it leaking fuel?

 

When they did your cannisters it is possible that your clamps were replaced with cheaper hose clamps.

Well, good points but it was leaking fuel and we were pushing very hard through the Canyons. The problem might have been when they redid the cannister but I cannot be sure so I won't name the dealer. Either way the quality of the clamps sucks and if it would have totally let go could have caused a fire.

[dlaing]

Yah, fuel splashing on hot heads is scary.

To remove the cannisters the dealer should have only loosened the clamps connecting to the fuel tank. But that is the perfect time to check all the hoses....

It is hard to expect them to take care of the bike like it were their own. <_>

[Guest russ]

I guess the real complaint here on my part is that the quality of the clamps used are not what one would considered high quality in a fuel injection system. One look at BMW FI clamps tells the difference. Those do not comeloose!

[RichMaund]

The Guzzi clamps are OK, but not great. Better than what they used in '97 on my Cali 1100 though. Guzzi clamps are narrower than some, which I believe can reduce their grip.

NAPA sells some excellent FI hose clamps and hose. I re-did the Cali with them.

On my V11S I just checked them all snug and kept using them. No problems in 12k miles.

[callison]

Going through the Scrapbook on my Macintrash garners the following part numbers/info. I don't recall who made the first post or on what forum, but thanks just the same.

 

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Every time I have had to remove the tank from my 98 EV, that return hose would give me fits. I was changing out the gas line and decided to install a disconnect from BMW. Works great. set up for 8mm-5/16gas line. Designed to work under pressure. Seperates by pushing a button,no gas leaks, and last but not least is reasonable priced.

Comes in two parts with their own PN.

1331 7659 120 $10.89

1331 7659 119 $8.89

 

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Just did the FI hose replacement on my 98 EV. I was not happy with the fit

of Gates 5/16" hose so am using BMW car fuel injection hose. Also, when I

removed the last "Y" of tubing, the ends at the splitter had non-reusable

crimped hose clamps. The far ends at the regulator and at the injectors had

more traditional screw surface hose clamps. So, I was in the market to buy

at least three replacement hose clamps.

 

I had been advised to use specialised fuel injection hose clamps.

Traditional hardware store hose clamps are not good as the screw ridges pass

through the clamp and tear at the surface of the hose. The fuel injection

clamps from my local NAPA supplier sucked. They did not clamp really well,

even at full use of the screw and they left this lengthy screw end sticking

out to get in the way of everything.

 

Back to the BMW car shop. Found some REALLY FINE fuel injection hose clamps.

The entire inner surface is smooth to avoid damaging the hose surface. The

screw ridge surface is stamped into the outer metal surface of the clamp and

does not penetrate through to the hose. The screw mechanism is very small,

but formed of VERY stout material. These work perfectly.

 

BMW car part number 07-12-9-952-104. $1.13 each

 

Patrick Hayes

Fremont CA

[gthyni]

Maybe a dry-break coupling is the way to go

for those of us regularly is removing the tank