External Fuel Filter and QDs

[foundationapps]

Good Sunday morning to you all, I'll get to it.

 

Recently relocated the fuel filter to external. Currently it's an internal filter, just relocated to the outside. It's on a 45 degree angle to the centerline behind the cylinder and forward of the throttle body. Seems okay, should I worry about heat?

 

I am going to put QDs on the fuel lines. I'm concerned about having too many interruptions in the fuel line outside the fuel tank.

 

Is it a bad idea to have QDs AND an external fuel filter? Seems doable but a bit crowded. Is it possible to locate the QDs about 2" down the fuel lines from where they exit the fuel tank hard points? Or should I try to fit them in between the plastic pipes behind the throttle bodies and the location of the filter (where it is now).

[enfoman]

When it Comes to fuel delivery, I have always been a firm believer in staying OEM. Putting the filter and connections outside the tank opens up the chances for gas to stay or leak where it should not which in turn may lead to an ignition source where there was not one before. Of course, a mod.like that would void a warranty but of more consequence, it may also void an insurance claim also if things went awry. Even with my NOW sixteen year old C, I would not think of the mod.although others have and to each their own. Quick disconns have seen some issues. The plastic or nylon ones break and fail. The steel ones seem to work well but in some cases, they do not always click and secure when you think they had. I do like the idea of insuring that the proper feed and.return lines cannot be interchanged when the fittings are connected so that they do not mate by mistake but I prefer to do it the old fashioned way as designed, it does not take that much longer anywAy.

[foundationapps]

Those are very good points, especially on having an ignition source close to a potential leak point. The reason i'm asking about these things is to make points on this bike easier and faster to access and work on.

 

Doing a fuel filter change or anything on that layout that's inside the tank is about out of the question on the side of the road during bad weather, or without the needed support items. I miss the days of a vertical gravity petcock with a hose going into a carb bank. Easy to work on. Never broke down on one though. I worry about the integrity of plastic hoses that are connected to fuel lines and are difficult at best to get hands on to separate them. Running the risk of breaking one of those plastic hoses.

 

Any suggestions on things that have been done to make this cat easier to work on?

 

Somewhat separate topic. How essential is that plastic bed pan on the bottom of the bike to the thing cooling right? If that went away, would there be any bad effects?

[Jim Moore]

Here's something to think about. If you have an external filter, you don't really need a QD on that line. QDs come in handy because with QDs you don't have to pull the fuel lines off the regulator when you remove the tank. With an external filter you can simply pull the hose off the filter and presto, no need for a QD on that line.

[foundationapps]

That's a very good point. I think that's the route i'll go. Thank you sir.

[greiffster]

I find the best reason to use the QDs (stainless steel) is the fact that they stop the flow of fuel when you separate them. The folks that have 1150RTs have to take their tanks of anyway to access the servo for flushing, regardless of the location of the filter.

 

If you take a look at how the QDs click together, you can always tell when they are correctly seated. Keep a few extra QD o-rings handy.