Jump to content
IGNORED

Fuel Line Disconnects


Randy B

Recommended Posts

Dutifully obeying the recommendations from all the collective knowledge of the forum, I am performing my winter maintenance activities. One of them is changing the fuel line disconnects from the plastic model to metal. Upon researching vendors, and types of disconnects, what I did find is that there seems to be no one particular site to gather ALL the recommended parts, such as the proper FI clamp, the Viton O-Ring, a choice of either the zinc or brass connection half, male and/or female. I have gathered all this information and am now wondering if there is still a market to supply to the masses a single source for a "kit" per se of the conversion at a reasonable price. What's yooz guys thinkin'? Are there still owners out there that really should be converting?

Link to comment

A&S cycles carries the clamps with connectors and the O-rings are part of the connectors. I just put them on my RT and they worked great. Best of all they keep alot of them in stock.....geee, I wonder why? LOL

 

http://ascycles.com/detail.aspx?ID=47556

 

You would need to call and ask about the clamps. They carry high pressure fuel injection clapms but with the easier to ues screw set up. I think they were $1.50 or so per clamp.

 

As for whether you should change or not, the answer would be YES! My 04 RT just started pissing fuel all over my garage. It happened sometime while I was out for a ride. I came home and parked the bike. The next day the garage smeeled of gas. The connector was actually crached. It was not an O-ring problem. You could physically see the crack.

Link to comment

Same thing happened to my buddies 05 K1200RS. Came back from a ride to my place and the bike started spraying fuel out of a cracked connecter. I figured it is only a matter fo time for my bike, so when the plactic was off to bleed my brakes, I replaced mine. Bought them thru Beemer Boneyard. Came with actual high quality screw clamps, and extra O rings. Biggest hassle was pulling the old connectors off the fuel line.

Link to comment

For what it is worth, the new style BMW disconnect ( male side, the one that breaks ) is available and much cheaper that the "kits". You reuse your original female connector. I believe the replacement male part is now metal construction.

Link to comment
A&S cycles carries the clamps with connectors and the O-rings are part of the connectors. I just put them on my RT and they worked great. Best of all they keep alot of them in stock.....geee, I wonder why? LOL

 

http://ascycles.com/detail.aspx?ID=47556

 

You would need to call and ask about the clamps. They carry high pressure fuel injection clapms but with the easier to ues screw set up. I think they were $1.50 or so per clamp.

 

As for whether you should change or not, the answer would be YES! My 04 RT just started pissing fuel all over my garage. It happened sometime while I was out for a ride. I came home and parked the bike. The next day the garage smeeled of gas. The connector was actually crached. It was not an O-ring problem. You could physically see the crack.

 

Holy Crap,Ryan, tell me you didn't buy those connectors! I bought those when my plastics broke.....they lasted about a year then started puking fuel out the back of them from the joint at the back of the male connector. I believe that these are what Beemer BoneYard refers to when they say "Don't be fooled by less expensive but cheaply made cast zinc parts that are being sold elsewhere" I could actually rotate the male piece when I took it off the bike. Total garbage (in my extremely shy and humble opinion). I recommend you go with the Beemer Bone Yard parts.

Link to comment
A&S cycles carries the clamps with connectors and the O-rings are part of the connectors. I just put them on my RT and they worked great. Best of all they keep alot of them in stock.....geee, I wonder why? LOL

 

http://ascycles.com/detail.aspx?ID=47556

 

You would need to call and ask about the clamps. They carry high pressure fuel injection clapms but with the easier to ues screw set up. I think they were $1.50 or so per clamp.

 

As for whether you should change or not, the answer would be YES! My 04 RT just started pissing fuel all over my garage. It happened sometime while I was out for a ride. I came home and parked the bike. The next day the garage smeeled of gas. The connector was actually crached. It was not an O-ring problem. You could physically see the crack.

 

Holy Crap,Ryan, tell me you didn't buy those connectors! I bought those when my plastics broke.....they lasted about a year then started puking fuel out the back of them from the joint at the back of the male connector. I believe that these are what Beemer BoneYard refers to when they say "Don't be fooled by less expensive but cheaply made cast zinc parts that are being sold elsewhere" I could actually rotate the male piece when I took it off the bike. Total garbage (in my extremely shy and humble opinion). I recommend you go with the Beemer Bone Yard parts.

 

Yes, I did buy them. Beemerboneyard was out of stock on their pieces. I needed them that day to get the bike going and couldnt wait. I figured its better than plastic. Only time will tell how long they last but the deed has been done.

Link to comment

In my research I found several items from CPC that fit. However, I also would shy away from the plastic and die cast zinc. I found that Beemerboneyard had the chrome plated brass units of my choice. I did not ask if they would separate the "kit" into the male portion only, I assumed they would not. I have found this site that will supply the required units as you wish...male only, female only or both. They will also supply the coupling already equipped with the Viton O-ring (the V suffix on the part number). The "P" prefix is the plastic model, the "Z" prefix for zinc. Check them out:

CPC male portion

CPC female portion

Plan ahead, shipping not quite immediate, but the savings is worth it.

Link to comment

When you look at the pricing on the CPC website, you can then realise that Beemerboneyard are very fair in their pricing for what looks like 2 x male barbed valved connectors & 2 barbed valved female connecors & pipe clips & O spare O rings.

 

Andy

Link to comment

Yup (Beemer Boneyard). I'm an engineer, which inherently means I'm a tightwad...but more importantly, I've spec'd CPC products in a lot of the stuff I have designed, so when I saw $76 for the kit, my first reaction was, "Heck, I can assemble these parts on my own for cheaper." After a little looking and adding the $$, like Andy has already noted, I found that it was much easier to just get the Boneyard kit - plus I was getting additional maintenance parts from them, which spread the shipping over a bunch of stuff.

 

Side note: I don't know if it's necessary, but because I'm anal (another engineer curse), I wrapped the exposed metal parts of the new QD's with some protective tape to keep from scraping the frame.

 

 

Wayne

 

Link to comment

Personally, if I had it to do over again the engineer in me says 4 places to leak is better than 10 any day. I'd go 1100 style and just get rid of the QD's and go with a straight hose. In fact I might chuck them later this year when I do the brake service. True getting the tank off once a year might take you 10 minutes longer but I lived with it before when I had an 1100.

Link to comment
Personally, if I had it to do over again the engineer in me says 4 places to leak is better than 10 any day. I'd go 1100 style and just get rid of the QD's and go with a straight hose. In fact I might chuck them later this year when I do the brake service. True getting the tank off once a year might take you 10 minutes longer but I lived with it before when I had an 1100.

 

The engineer in me says that placing strain on the relatively fragile plastic pipes on the expensive and very difficult to replace fuel pressure regulator should be avoided - the QDs achieve that.

 

Andy

Link to comment
Personally, if I had it to do over again the engineer in me says 4 places to leak is better than 10 any day. I'd go 1100 style and just get rid of the QD's and go with a straight hose. In fact I might chuck them later this year when I do the brake service. True getting the tank off once a year might take you 10 minutes longer but I lived with it before when I had an 1100.

 

As a design engineer, I have to disagree. The objective is to use reliable components and make maintenance and ease of use as easy as possible (within the constraints of time and cost).

Good QD's achieve this.

It also helps BMW reduce build time and service costs, because the components can be assembled / dissasembled more quickly.

 

Andy

Link to comment

Being an 1100 owner, I've never heard/seen anyone report that they broke the pressure regulator/header while trying to remove a fuel line. It can't be that common.

 

Sure, QDs may reduce BMW's costs for service. And I'm sure those savings are past on to the consumer. ;)

Link to comment
Being an 1100 owner, I've never heard/seen anyone report that they broke the pressure regulator/header while trying to remove a fuel line. It can't be that common.

 

 

Pretty much my point. Had and 850 and 1100, removed tanks on both numerous times and never had that problem either(breaking the pipe) but I have had fuel leak from the QD itself and the clamped connection at the QD.

 

The small savings in time with the QD is a non factor at home, at least to me. I'll waste more time going to the fridge to get a drink while I am working on the bike than the QD's will save me.

 

Biggest advantage is that there is no fuel leak with the QD's when removing the tank, but that is pretty easy to solve if you are quick with a clamp or pencil (or an old QD).

 

Anyway, I'm OK to be in the minority way of thinking here but as it is configured you are really adding 6 new places for fuel to leak with not a lot of benefit, at least IMO and experience.

 

 

Link to comment
  • 4 weeks later...
bluesguitarboy

+1 on the set from beemer boneyard. I thought they were pricey until I installed them. The quality is top notch and I would not use anything else. My plastic clip broke inside of the connector and after 5 days of checking fuel pump circuit wiring for a crank no start condition I realised it was the connector when I went t reinstall the gas tank and it fell apart in my hand. Wish I would have changed them out when I first bought the bike.

Link to comment
ElevenFifty

Just an additional note ... If you decide to change the fuel lines too (it's easier to just replace them than to get the old barbed plastic connectors out) - then make the lines about 1" longer than stock. They still tuck neatly out of the way but the extra length makes it much easier to align them when re-attaching the tank. I also use a zip tie to tuck the lines up next to the frame.

Link to comment

And don't ever plan on being able to casually extract the barbed plastic connectors in the field. They are in there like sin. I had to smash all four of mine to get them out.

Link to comment
TracyMurphy
Just an additional note ... If you decide to change the fuel lines too (it's easier to just replace them than to get the old barbed plastic connectors out) - then make the lines about 1" longer than stock. They still tuck neatly out of the way but the extra length makes it much easier to align them when re-attaching the tank. I also use a zip tie to tuck the lines up next to the frame.

 

Now you tell us :). Looks like another order to BeemerBoneyard. :dopeslap:

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...
TracyMurphy

So now I have the Tupperware and tank off, new fuel line, clamps and new quick disconnects in hand and am ready to do this!! Anyone have some pictures or any other information as to what else I need to take off to replace the fuel lines???

The previous owner had the fuel lines replaced by a dealer because of leaking and I was able to get the disconnects out of the lines on the bike, but would like to go ahead and replace them anyway.

 

Link to comment
Urban Surfer

I use those connectors from beemer boneyard also. Good stuff!

To get the original ones out I ended up crushing them with piers and taking the small pieces out.

Link to comment
TracyMurphy

I guess what I am really saying is I can not trace the fuel lines from the quick disconnects to the other end on the bike because there is "stuff" in the way, so was hoping for some guidance on what to remove to make replacement of the lines possible.

 

Thanks

 

Link to comment

Tupperware off

Empty Tank

Cut the fuel feed and fuel return hoses such that when the quick disconnects are fitted they sit just like in the picture.

Fit the hose clamps over the 4 loose hose ends,

Note direction of fuel flow/return and fit the quick disconnects in the correct direction.

Fit the hose clamps to the correct points on the QR's,

Tighten clamps.

Fill tank with some fuel.

Ignition on and carefully check fuel hoses for leaks.

Check hose routing, Tank connector routing ,fitment, and stowage.

Check tank breathers for correct routing.

Refit Tupperware.

5488.thumb.jpg.8c0dc1e9afbc11ace7238d81cdb3847b.jpg

Link to comment

Make sure they're installed with the releases pointed out so you can get to them and not have the accidentally tripped by vibration. Also make sure the hose claps will be accessable when installed and not rubbing on anything inportant.

 

---

 

 

Link to comment
Peter Parts

Note direction of fuel flow/return and fit the quick disconnects in the correct direction.

 

Good post but worth repeating about direction and explaining that couplers should be the type that are sealed-up when disconnected, if connected as you show and to the right lines.

 

I think you can buy ones where both sides seal when disconnected??? That's would be good.

 

I keep my Dow silicone grease around any time hoses meet anything solid. I have a tube 43 years old. But spark plug dialectric grease is OK too.

 

The R1100S doesn't come with couplers but just as helpful to add them as to any other model.

 

Ben

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...