Fuel pump question

[macmac]

Doc your fuel pump is doing what it should do.

I don't see any way to lube the bearings in these pumps, which is too bad. If my pump started talking I might add 1 ounce of marvel mystery oil to the fuel.

That might lube the impellor, and clean the area if the sound isn't the bearings in the motor.

That is a big maybe. On the other hand the intake valves will like the bath.

[Top Cat]

Mine starts whining after about 25 miles or so. I did as Mac suggested with the extensions and it is definitely my fuel pump. I am going on a five state tour with Cindy this week and if it goes it goes. I'm not canceling the trip cause Kawasaki can't build a pump that will last more than 40,000 miles :(" title="" border="0"/>

[dougster]

Mac,
Do you think running a treatment of SeaFoam through it would help the pump at all?

[macmac]

Doug, Tuff call. First off I haven't seen or heard these pumps face to face. Seafoam is great stuff, but MM is a better lube.

If the impellors are at fualt MM might work, maybe... If the bearings are the fault then there is no way to lube them..

Working with Saab and Volvo a lot, fuel pumps can do this and still run a very long time.

If it was my bike I would be all about getting what ever fuel pressure is by the book and checking it with what ever equipment is needed.

I have the book, but haven't read that part yet. I think this will be a lube problem where no lube can be re-newed, over a dirt problem Seafoam would do best.

I might like a guy with the problem to run the tank down to 1 gallon, then pull the tank and next the pump. Shake out the fuel in both lines and dump in MM oil as best he can. Wait a bit then dump out the MM and set everything back and run the engine..

Maybe that would get something lubed long enough to tell if it is impellors in fuel or a nothing no way meaning bad bearings in the pump. A total loss.

We live in the day of Dixie Cup, use it once and toss it out like stinky sneakers. (By the way I don't and never had any sneakers.) Stuff I can't take apart and I can on some things not meant to be, that can't be fixed just sets me off.

I am forever prying open dead things not meant to be fixed and sometimes I get lucky. Most of the time that ends up as a relay, and a bad solder joint I can fix.

Some fool enginner at Volvo got the bright idea to seal brush holders made of plastic in the heater blower motors. Oh I bet that saves 1 cent per unit, and after all the metal holders never melted and went bad.

The plastic welded itself in a gob to the armatures. It is just amazing how anyone can go to higher education and come out with these stuipd ideas. My guess is that in school they never get a spec of dirt under their finger nails once.

This is no different. The Nad is a nice bike or I would have bought something else the 2nd time, but it has it's flaws. Kawii has some stupid engineers.

[Yellow Jacket]

I don't think it's the engineers. Most engineers I have met could design and build stuff that would practically last forever.

I think it's the financial people who run the companies that cause the problem. They tell the engineers they have to meet certain cost parameters when they design and build. Also, these people would much rather make us buy a $200 fuel pump than to sell us a $2 filter and a couple of $4 bearings. More profit that way and fewer parts for the dealers to not stock anyway.

[macmac]

I dunno Bob.. As of late I have seen some young guys right out of school, who don't know squat. They don't seem to know how things used to be done, because they lack hands on exerience.

If a real engineer saw the swing arm bearings we have, I might guess he would go ballistic with the bean counters. We have a decade of the wrong kind of swingarm bearings now..

So a new engineer will either think this IS the Way, or will reinvent the wheel and come up with 'Roller Taper" bearings for the application, and get a raise!


You just watch... These are hard times right? I bet that with in 5 years 'someone' discovers mechanical advantage, and will set up car steering with out a pump and belt to run the system.

yeah sure there will be 5.5 turns at the steering wheel from lock to lock, but a woman will be able to back in a parking space with out power steering..

That will 'save gas'! LOL There will be bright yellow and orange stickers everywhere, screaming NEW, Improved, So easy a ................