| Author | Message | ||
     Medi |
issues continue... Couple of days ago I put the headlight assembly back together and noticed the fuel pump would keep running after starting the bike. read this thread http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/442427.html Although it sounds similar to mine, there is one major difference. Mine runs after firing up the bike. Anybody else had this, could this be something other than chafing wire? Thanks | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
The fuel pump has to run if the engine is running otherwise the injectors would not have fuel pressure. Fuel pump shuts off only when engine shuts down. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Maybe it's just gotten noisy (impending failure?) and that's why you haven't noticed it before. | ||
| Buewulf |
I assume you mean that it keeps priming once you turn the ignition on but before you actually fire up the engine? (Of course you would expect it to run after you fire up the engine, so no concern there.) The insulation on the fuel pump wires are buggered, I'd wager. Pull the pump and inspect. (Message edited by Buewulf on September 24, 2015) | ||
| Medi |
now I'm confused because I've never heard the pump running after the initial prime before starting the bike. | ||
| Buewulf |
Maybe I just wasn't being clear: When you turn the ignition (electronics only) on with your key, your lights should come on, your gauges sweep, and you should here your fuel pump prime for a few seconds then stop - it just needs to build up some initial pressure in the fuel lines to be able to start the engine. If the pump keeps priming and won't stop (with the engine not running), then something is wrong. Once you thumb the starter button and start the engine, the fuel pump runs continuously. It has to, or the cylinders won't get any fuel. So you should hear the pump running when the bike is running. No issue there unless it is especially loud in which case you might be hearing the pump's swan song. | ||
| Etennuly |
I had these same thoughts a couple of months after I bought my first XB when I did a non normal thing. Usually I put on my full face helmet before firing up the bike. But this one time I fired it up without my helmet and heard a lot of new noises, like the fuel pump running, some rattling around like marbles in a dryer, it all sounded awful. After a bunch of investigating I put my helmet on and all was fixed!  | ||
| Buewulf |
"After a bunch of investigating I put my helmet on and all was fixed" Haha. It does make an awful racket while it sits there idling. | ||
| Sagehawk |
A certain husky sounds rattly to me! Just saying! | ||
| Hughlysses |
Of course, if you're wearing earplugs AND a full-face helmet, and you STILL hear an awful racket, that's a good indication your crankpin/bearings are toast. DAMHIK. | ||
| Buewulf |
"A certain Husky sounds rattly to me!" Only when it is break dancing in the road!  | ||
| Medi |
Buewulf, I understood which is what confused me. So just to get this clear, why does the pump's priming noise comes from the front of the bike even though the pump is by the back shock? | ||
| Crempel |
Are we in agreement that pulling the pump and heat shrinking/protecting those wires is the cure for this? Mine does this sometimes too, although not always. Seems to be more lately. | ||
| Crempel |
Are we in agreement that pulling the pump and heat shrinking/protecting those wires is the cure for this? Mine does this sometimes too, although not always. Seems to be more lately. | ||
| Buewulf |
The noise making part of the pump is facing towards the front and has an unobstructed conduit for the sound to travel through (the fuel frame). That is my theory anyway. I frankly never noticed whether the sound was projecting from the front or back. Cremel, it isn't a guarantee, but the pump wiring is the most likely culprit in my opinion if your pump won't stop priming. | ||
| Crempel |
Guess I know what I'm doing Sunday | ||
| Sagehawk |
Interesting buewulf; that is truely the first time I've been riding with you and during a left turn, you're set up the wrong way and watching me pass your ass before I make the same left turn! That was the smoothest hi side I've ever seen. My congrats on coming off that as best you did. We were both lucky no other traffic either way on that farm market road. Of course , you didn't share that with the missus, right? | ||
| Buewulf |
The missus is all-knowing, Sagehawk! My head just wasn't in it I suppose. Lots I could have done to prevent, possibly could have even salvaged it had I reacted quickly enough. Unfortunately, flying and falling gracefully was the only option I had left by the time my brain caught up to what was happening! | ||
| Crempel |
OK here's my next question. Do you cut the wires to put the heat shrink tubing on or how else do you get it over the connectors on the ends? There's no question that my wires were chafed through the insulation down to the bare wire. | ||
| Crempel |
Never mind. I cut the wires, slid the heat shrink tubing over, shrunk it down over the damaged area, and then put a bullet connector where I had cut the wires and heat shrunk around that. Everything seems to be liquid tight but I'm just waiting a few minutes to make sure. When I fired everything back up the pump primed and then turned off. A few oddities about the repair. Buell must've been on a tight budget because they couldn't afford anti-seize on the four bolts that hold the fuel pump into the tank/frame. Those were so tight coming out I was almost afraid that I was going to break something. They stay tight all the way out. I put anti-seize on them to reinsert dumb and was a little disbelieving of the 48 inch pounds torque value. That's very little more than finger tight. Hopefully they know what they're talking about. Also the bigger of the two O-rings that seal the fuel into the tank is very difficult to work with when trying to reinsert the fuel pump. Be very careful not to pinch it. I also found it extremely strange that they tell you to throw away the fuel tank drain plug and replace it. Obviously I didn't do that. I wonder if anybody else has? What could be the possible reason for this? I understand replacing an O-ring but an entire bolt? Interestingly enough the fuel pump even sounds different now when I turn on the key. Less of a higher pitch tone and a little more mellow. | ||
| Tootal |
Buell tended to use red loctite for everything. Red loctite was designed for bolts 1/2" and bigger, not 1/4". Should of had blue loctite. A good thing to have is a set of thread cleaners. These are not taps and dies but are just made to clean the threads without removing any more metal. You should never run a regular tap into an aluminum hole to clean it out as it will remove some more aluminum and make the thread weaker. The threads for the four screws just needed the old red loctite cleaned out and the screws cleaned the blue loctite should have been used, especially with a light torque spec. You will probably still be ok but I would check them once in a while to be sure. | ||
| Uly_man |
"Buell tended to use red Loctite for everything". Over the top to say the least. "Those were so tight coming out I was almost afraid that I was going to break something. They stay tight all the way out". As you remove the bolt friction heats the compound but if you slow the removal it then sets again making it tight. You need to do it in a very slow even manner. This red stuff is probably the bikes biggest problem. | ||
| Crempel |
I actually did do it just the way you said, in fact quite similarly but opposite of tightening them. I went in a crisscross pattern and loosened each one about 1/4 turn at a time and moved on to the next one. What a PITA. I have checked everyday since Sunday to see if there is any sign of gas leaking since I did use antiseize, but no visible signs of leaking and no gas smell in the garage. I guess the way I'll know if it leaked is when the fire marshal pinpoints the source of the inferno.  I'll keep an eye on it. | ||
| Sagehawk |
Thanks for info on loctited screws for fuel pump. Haven't needed to pull my pump yet. Would a hot air gun played at that joint help any? 2 or 3 warm up cycles to heat that side of frame, motor heats it up just fine. Just a alternate method of heating up those bolts. Then just let it cool down to pull pump out a bit later. | ||
| Crempel |
I don't know if I would bother or risk that. The screws did come out eventually and you will be working around gasoline fumes no matter how careful you are, so I would say no to the air gun. |
