FYI: Hose failure on fuel pump

[mrmuzic]

I have a 2003 K1200LT that has never given me any problems rill recently. The bke was breaking up when I would get between 1500-4000RPMS. It was driving me crazy. Today for the VERY first time I tore down the bike and removed the gas tank, removed the fuel pump and found a deteriorated hose between the filter and the fuel pump. Went down to the auto parts store and purchase some fuel injection hose and repaired it and it works just fine now ! I thought that I would pass this information along because it drove me crazy.

Taking this bike a part is a service mans NIGHTMARE !

Kevin

[PHMarvin]

Hi, Mrmuzic,
If the hose in question was inside the tank, I hope you replaced it with hose designed to be submerged in gasoline. Normal fuel injection hose isn't. The stuff that is is quite expensive, but anything less will deteriotate in the gasoline and make a mess.

[mrmuzic]

Good Point. I only know that the hose I use was $4 a foot and was rated as fuel injection hose. I also noted the the inside of the tubing was identical to the outside.

I just did some research myself and apparently NAPA carries 5/16" x 1', part # H209 that is rated as submersible fuel line hose. I have to go back to the autoparts store and see if the stuff that I bought was rated as submersible. Incidentally the rating is SAE 30R10 (submersible fuel line). Thanks for pointing this out PHMarvin.

Does anyone have any technical expertise to add here as to what they know of that can be used ? I'm looking for a part # and manufacturer.

Kevin

[Kayseventyfive]

Good Point. I only know that the hose I use was $4 a foot and was rated as fuel injection hose. I also noted the the inside of the tubing was identical to the outside.

I just did some research myself and apparently NAPA carries 5/16" x 1', part # H209 that is rated as submersible fuel line hose. I have to go back to the autoparts store and see if the stuff that I bought was rated as submersible. Incidentally the rating is SAE 30R10 (submersible fuel line). Thanks for pointing this out PHMarvin.

Does anyone have any technical expertise to add here as to what they know of that can be used ? I'm looking for a part # and manufacturer.

Kevin

You are on the right track. SAE 30 R10 is the spec hose for submerged use in your tank.

Gates 27093 is 5/16 submersible hose SAE 30R10.
NAPA NBH H209 5/16 is SAE 30R10 submersible. I have used both with no problems. My BMW came with trans cooler hose in the tank, installed by a BMW dealer. Go figure.

A hose should be marked with the SAE number, or be cut from a reel of marked hose in your presence.

Also, be sure to use fuel injection clamps. The worm clamps do not do well with the higher pressures of FI. BMW used Oetiker clamps on mine, but they get loose as the hose hardens.

[roncooper]

For the last three years I have been using regular fuel injection hose in the tank. It looks OK, but it feels spongy compared to an unused piece.

I was quoted $27 for one meter of the correct BMW hose and $30 a foot for the NAPA H209.

[Andy VH]

Most any hose will soften and degrade when immersed in gasoline 100%. Common hose materials for the inner tube and cover are neoprene, nitrile (buna-N), EPDM, urethane, polyurethane, nylon, teflon and silicon. For each of those, the cost goes up starting from neoprene.

Gasoline containes esters, ethers, glycols, alchohol (ethyl or methyl) and a wide variety of other chemicals. It is the esters, ethers and glycols especially that break down the poly chains in the hose material, which generally over time, make the material softer and squishy. But the hose really does not loose any pressure capability, as that is the function mostly of the hose braid/reinforcement.

Most often, and most cost effective, hose inner tubes used for gasoline will be made from Nitrile. When the hose cover is also made from Nitrile, the hose can be rated for full immersion. But a cover made of neoprene will definitely soften over time, which is accelerated by heat over 140 degrees F.

For any in tank, immersed hose, for fuel injection systems, make sure the hose is rated for the pressure, as are the hose clamps, and make sure the hose is rated for immersion. If not, the softening of the hose cover, especially under the clamp, stresses the hose and can eventually cause the clamp to loose holding power.

[colemanrobh]

I hope it is ok to jump into this thread with a similar question-- Just don't want to clog the forum with closely related threads so here goes-
I have a chronic "bike sits under cover, run infrequently, water condenses in tank, won't start, I change the filter (sometime the fuel), we're good to go" problem. I have been through this cycle +/- 6 times since ownership.
Last time, I put in Seafoam in hope of keeping fuel stable. Problem returned, followed familiar drill, and to my shock I found the fuel line from filter to pump badly degraded-- like the outer cover dissolved for 1/2 length on the pump side. Fuel line seems to be original to my '85 K100 RS and was fine last time I checked, but rapid hose death over 6 months from good shape to Chernobyl still seems surprising. Bike also smokes heavily up to 5 minutes on start since I added Seafoam and that may not be related, but I wonder. So-- is Seafoam not for every application?
My plan-- drain tank completely to full dry, blow out nasty bits, replace hose with fully submersible, add new filter and clean screen, fill up and drive on. I want to add a stablizer to my fuel, but although all testimonials indicate Seafoam is great stuff, don't want to go there again. Alternate suggestions?
Also, this time I noticed that the condensation seems to originate within the filler cap as that was full of H2O, so will check that out and that might end this silly filter change dance.
Thanks, and please be patient if I should have started a new thread-- again, so often see the same questions periodically I was tryin to reduce forum clog.

[Acejones]

Seafoam is not a fuel stabilizer. It is a very good fuel system cleaner. To stabilize fuel use Stabil.

[PHMarvin]

Seafoam is not a fuel stabilizer. It is a very good fuel system cleaner. To stabilize fuel use Stabil.

+1
I have not had any problems, being in a location where I ride year 'round. But I just sold a K75RT to a fellow in Alaska and it was shipped to his son's in Michigan to await spring. Because of this, I added Stabil and ran the bike a few miles before shipping it. I only could find red Stabil, but a number of people advised me (too late!) to use blue Stabil because of the ethanol garbage now added to most gasoline. Blue Stabil, I was told, is available in marine stores. YMMV!

[colemanrobh]

Thanks, will go to Stabil when I get'er up again. Happy New Year and thanks.

[Acejones]

That is correct. Blue Stabil is available in marine stores. I think I also saw it at Pep Boys.

[nh7robmw]

I just noticed the Marine Grade Stabil (Blue) at our Wal-Mart in Hilo. If it's over here now then it's got to be easily available on the mainland.

Pricey stuff @$23 a big bottle but well worth it for the kind of situation you describe.

FWIW, I am also a big fan of Sea Foam for tank and crankcase cleanouts, Stabil for storage issues.