Fuel Pump Whine (update)

[redjay]

Hello All,

I posted a thread a few months ago about how the fuel pump on my 05 started to whine all of a sudden. That was about 7,000 kilometres ago. I have ridden all summer with it with no issues however it appears to have got louder recently so I am contemplating replacing it. It is very expensive, $400 in the U.S or $665 + taxes Canadian at the Kawi dealer here in Ontario.

Today I took the pump unit out of the tank and had a look at it.
It has quite a few parts to it that you can remove but the motor is a sealed unit. There is a filter that you can remove and clean. It looks like a tea bag. Mine was not dirty. I was hoping it was that that was plugged and causing the pump to work harder to compensate. The unit is made by Mitsubishi.

I put everything back together but did not see anything that would be causing the whine in the parts that I could dissassemble. I am going to put it back in the tank this week and try it before I order a new pump. I will keep you informed.

[macmac]

Try running it on the bench.... Just use jumpers.

TC gave me one a weel or so back and sometime i will look it over hard. Like cut and pry it open looking for what is wrong.

Might be bad bearings, or a bad impelor, and could be anything else that could wear. it might be something like a plastic casting flash broke loose and is caught up in anything that moves too.

[Top Cat]

redjay, before you buy a new one check Ebay. I bought a used one on there for $50. It is working quietly for now.
The one I gave to Mac for an autopsy was whining so bad I couldn't stand listening to it any longer. It was still working however.

[dogdoc]

who did the switch out for you TC??

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by Top Cat (TC)

redjay, before you buy a new one check Ebay. I bought a used one on there for $50. It is working quietly for now.
The one I gave to Mac for an autopsy was whining so bad I couldn't stand listening to it any longer. It was still working however.

Even with that full face brain bucket? Wow, that must have really been loud! Mine has been noisy since the Custer trip. Not a problem now that I have those Cobra True Duals!

Seriously, it isn't bad enough that I'd consider replacing it yet. If it gets loud, I'll just remove the baffles in the pipes. ::)

[Top Cat]

Doc, I had the dealer do it when I had the new rer tire put on.
I don't do mechanical stuff. Oil and filter I can handle and install accesories. Any thing else it goes to dealer.

CJ, yup, even with the full face helmet. I could hear it over the motor and the debaffled pipes. Cindy could hear it when we stopped side by side at a stoplight.
It was loud but still working. I like my idea of replacing it better than your idea of making more noise with pipes. ;)

[macmac]

To swap a pump out should be well with in the reach of most of you.

Ride off the better part of the fuel.
Cover a bench with clean large rags.
Yank the tank, putting the speedo head some place nice and level.

Prop the tank so the gas cap IS NOT the lowest point.

Pull the bolts holding the pump and yank it out.

Clean the gas tank flange, clean the new O Ring that you bought with the pump, and re-install everything.

[Top Cat]

Originally Posted by macmac

To swap a pump out should be well with in the reach of most of you.

Ride off the better part of the fuel.
Cover a bench with clean large rags.
Yank the tank, putting the speedo head some place nice and level.

Prop the tank so the gas cap IS NOT the lowest point.

Pull the bolts holding the pump and yank it out.

Clean the gas tank flange, clean the new O Ring that you bought with the pump, and re-install everything.

Or, ride to the dealer, leave the bike, go back next day with money or checkbook, pay dealer and ride bike. ;)
Just bustin' on ya Mac. We all appreciate your knowledge and how to info. :)

[macmac]

Well no doubt the average wanna be so called 19 yer old pimple faced tech is smart enough to yank a fuel pump with out wrecking too much paint.

[redjay]

Thats why I do my own wrenching ! Plus I get to show my son stuff he might need to know down the road.

[macmac]

The problems is these days the built in obsolence.. These pumps should and could be built so common things like bearings could be replaced.. But no.... You get sealed units.. which can mean no way to fix it.

It doesn't mean you can't fix it, but that you will need to know how to skin cats, and then get parts from thin air.

No dealer techs know how to do that stuff. So far as they are concerned if no part can be had then what ever it is can't be fixed.

The poly tics are trying to make the piston engine obsolete... My bet is the piston engine will make the poly tics obsolete.

[dogdoc]

I would tackle it in a heartbeat mac,,,:-)

[macmac]

First day it rains so hard I can't work in it, i will see about tearing down that dead pump.

That will go sort of like this.. Jump the pump on the bench both ways to see what it does. it is a DC motor so it should run either way. I want to hear it, well sort of feel it.

With my hearing i do brail. The women seem to like it, and so who am I to argue?

That works sorta like this... Hi I am Mac. I see the mouth move, and I reach out and grab them by the boobies and say I see you are "fine". They always smile before i get slapped. The thing is when you get slapped as much as i do it doesn't hurt at all any more. So I smile back.

Oh were we talkin about fuel pumps?

[Top Cat]

I must have had my back turned when I introduced you to Cindy. ;)

[macmac]

She just smiled.... ask her