Fuel filter

[rich46]

Hello Again,

 

So my new to me 2003 V11 lives it fires and runs fine. Now I find that I need to again ask you learned folks an other question. I have noticed in my owner's manual that someone in my bikes sorted past has swapped the location of the fuel filter with the fuel pump. As I can see some logic in doing so (keep fuel from engine heat as it sits in the filter) and some logic in not swapping locations (fuel pump is more expensive and more easily damaged by heat) my question is: Is there something that I'm missing, a service bulletin or a speed secret? Unless there is some reason for making a change such as this I would like to keep things the way the engineers drew it up. Anyone know "WHY"

 

Thanks again for all your insights

 

Rich

[mznyc]

Hi Rich

The factory sent some bikes with the filter on top of the frame(such as mine),some on the bottom.Don't know why but I think your theory is plausible.

[AndyH]

Hi Rich

The factory sent some bikes with the filter on top of the frame(such as mine),some on the bottom.Don't know why but I think your theory is plausible.

Some of the posts on this site in response to issues relating to hot weather vapour locking suggest that prior to the pump being fitted inside the tank, moving it to the position above the frame was a factory attempt at resolving the vapour locking problem. I got some bad problems with vapour locking a few weeks ago during our hot(ish) weather spell for this year, and thought swapping the positions might be an option (my filter is currently above the frame spine), just didn't get round to it. The workshop manual suggests both positions are possible so it might be worth a try to resolve the vapour locking. As far as I can see it, the vapour locking problem could just as easily build up in the filter as in the pump so I'm not confident swapping them round would help that much. But if you don't try, you don't find out...

Andy H

[rich46]

Thanks for your comments. I think what I'll do is leave things as they are and cover both the filter and the pump with a material called KoolMat. I had already covered the fuel lines with heat sleeve just because I thought that keeping the fuel as cool as I could was a good plan. After reading your comments I'll just maximize the insulation.

 

By the way if any of you are looking for top of the line automotive heat shielding the Koolmat company has a full line of stuff for that purpose I have been using it for years in auto racing applications. The woman who sells the stuff knows her products and she's a sweet heart to deal with.

 

Anyway thank you for the information.

 

Rich

[rich46]

I almost forgot to mention that an old friend who had been a tech in the '80's got back to me on the question. He told me that he had been working on police bikes in the '80's and got some sort of news letter. There was a suggestion that the filter be moved above the frames (he thought that this came from a third world country where the quality of fuel might be suspect) as this facilitated rapid filter changes. I found that an interesting idea and am just passing it along.

 

Rich

[Scura R]

From 2003, v11(without the pad on top of the tank)should have pump and filter fitted inside the tank, right?

[gstallons]

Yep !

[rich46]

Just so I'm straight on this after '03 the V11's had the fuel filters and pumps inside the gas tanks as BMW does, correct?

 

Rich

[Tom M]

Just so I'm straight on this after '03 the V11's had the fuel filters and pumps inside the gas tanks as BMW does, correct?

 

Rich

 

Not necessarily. Some '03s were actually '02s. The easiest way to tell is whether or not there's a tank pad. Tank pad = external fuel pump = an '02. Fuzzy paint on the engine is another indicator of an '02.

[rich46]

Just so I'm straight on this after '03 the V11's had the fuel filters and pumps inside the gas tanks as BMW does, correct?

 

Rich

 

Not necessarily. Some '03s were actually '02s. The easiest way to tell is whether or not there's a tank pad. Tank pad = external fuel pump = an '02. Fuzzy paint on the engine is another indicator of an '02.

 

Well crap now I'm totally confused. The title says it's a 04, the filter and fuel pump are external,it has a tank pad, the vin says it was built in 03, and the engine is a fuzzy wuzzy and it's painted in Red Vintage which I'm told is a rare 03 color. That means it's a?????????????? really my introduction to the world of Italian motorbikes is quite the adventure.

 

? Rich ? LOL

[Admin Jaap]

You probably have a very early '03. It's not that Guzzi changed the V11 specs on Dec. 31st 2002. First they had to get rid of the "old" parts!

[rich46]

You probably have a very early '03. It's not that Guzzi changed the V11 specs on Dec. 31st 2002. First they had to get rid of the "old" parts!

I do understand the logic and how this all happens. My comment was more to the fact that MG is such a small community that I have a bike that (depending on the criteria) reflex three possible model years. I have a friend who works on Lotus 7's and their clones and he can tell you what year the car was built by the welding on the chassis (I have no idea how)it's all such a change from the huge really mass produced bike world

 

Rich

[Skeeve]

You probably have a very early '03. It's not that Guzzi changed the V11 specs on Dec. 31st 2002. First they had to get rid of the "old" parts!

I do understand the logic and how this all happens. My comment was more to the fact that MG is such a small community that I have a bike that (depending on the criteria) reflex three possible model years. I have a friend who works on Lotus 7's and their clones and he can tell you what year the car was built by the welding on the chassis (I have no idea how)it's all such a change from the huge really mass produced bike world

 

Rich

 

No, you have an '02. When it was shipped from the factory, when it was sold, doesn't matter: it's the early model which ended in '02. Get over it.

 

As for your friend being able to tell the difference in Lotusi from the welds, it probably has to do with knowing when the factory changed from stick to MIG to automated welding or something like that. I've seen some perfectly glorious TIG welds that were done manually that looked like they were automated welding, but virtuosos like that are few & far between...