[mv2envy]

As some of you may know, my F4's fuel pump failed on me after not being started for about 6 months. So today I went to replace it and found some alarming things going on in my tank.

First, a bit of history.

Noel helped me delete the evap system inside the tank about 1.5 years ago. We had also replaced the fuel filter and most of the fuel hoses inside the tank with Good Year fuel hoses. There was only 1 hose in there that we didn't replace.

So keeping in mind that we had replaced all but 1 hose in there about a year and a half ago, this is what I removed from the tank today

ALL of the hoses inside the tank had turned into mush, the new ones, the original one we didn't replace, ALL of them!

Only 1.5 years later, the ethanol had eaten away at all of the hoses. Do yourself a favor and take out and inspect your fuel hoses. If ethanol did this in 1.5 years to mine, Im sure the rest of yours will not be any different.

 

[george4337]

Holy crap, that's incredible degradation after 1.5 years. What percentage of ethanol is in your fuel ?

I know Noel swapped out the lines for you.. but is there a chance you used non submersible fuel hoses ?

Just wow !

 

[mv2envy]

LOL, the small hose you see in the pic, thats the original hose that we did NOT replace! And yes, we used submersible fuel hoses. Whats funny is that small hose was in perfect condition when we took out the evap system. Thats why we didn't replace it.

 

[jomarti1]

man…that looks really bad. Thank you for sharing it.

 

[george4337]

A good reminder to everyone who keeps putting it off for another day (me included).

 

[mitchy]

Yuk!!!

 

[mv2envy]

Be sure to use real submersible fuel hoses guys. Its not cheap, but what can you do.

You will need 5ft of this stuff http://www.ebay.com/itm/191085885125?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Its supposed to be resistant to ethanol blended fuel.

 

[Randarosa]

US fuel currently has a maximum of 10% ethanol. There is a move afoot to raise that to 15%.

 

[wnehme]

Just want to ask. Did you have a full tank of fuel while it sat in the garage? If the hoses are not fully submersed then they dry out and break away like you show. Hoses need to be submersed to keep there integrity. Not necessairly ethanol cause


Sent from Motorcycle.com App

 

[mv2envy]

Had about 2.5 gallons of fuel in the tank. The hoses you see in the pic were submerged. Especially the small one.

 

[The_castle]

Having discussed this with Ed Eskew while he was visiting NZ I have a slightly different slant on this and I am happy to be proven wrong - but I don't think I am.

Have a look at the pictures below for clarification.
One note - it looks to me that it does not matter which kind of hose you install when it comes to relatively rapid degradation of the immersed lines if they are in contact with a fuel that has ethanol added. I'm just trying to save you some money. Fuel without ethanol added will be waaaaaay less harsh on the lines in your tank.

The pressurized lines shown in the first picture are pressurized immersible lines - they have a structural integrity built into them because they circulate the fuel under the pressure of the fuel pump and they spend their life submerged in fuel. The total length of this specialized pressurized immersible fuel line is less than one foot. One is about 7 inches and the other about 2.5 inches.

The second picture shows an example of the fuel line that is used by MV to serve a non pressurized task but in exactly the same environment. It is not required to hold a pressurized fuel supply and the interior and exterior of the line are identical and therefore is immersible.

Referring you to picture 3 - I'd suggest buying one foot of the expensive pressurized immersible fuel line and suggested ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/191085885125?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649 ) and 4 feet of the correct diameter standard fuel line from your local bike shop for less than half that price as shown and use that for all of the non pressurized applications in the tank.

 

[spypyp]

http://www.mvagusta.net/forum/showthread.php?t=62194

Same shit here. But no ethanol in the tank just an empty tank and lack of use. Hoses never got changed in 6 years.

 

[esq'z me]

Don't get me started on ethanol!! :thewife:

:rant: :cussing:

Use an ethanol treatment (still promoting StarTron)....not a stabilizer, a treatment!

And Dave is correct in that a single material fuel hose (that is what came on the bike) is all you need for the non-pressurized hoses. Keeping the tank full in storage is good for many reasons, not the least of which is minimizing bare metal for moisture accumulation and rusting.

Good news is the push for E15 has hit some resistance in our disfunctional government.....please join the fight against the ethanol lobby.

:blah: Rant over.

 

[EVO Chris]

Hi Guys, as a heads up before I get home and have a look can you see the fuel lines inside the tank by looking through the fuel cap?, is there an easy check, my mv is 11 years old now and only ever had its filter replaced (about 6 years and 3000 miles ago)? Any help appreciated as I am not in the mood to start taking the MV apart, got enough stuff in bits at the moment.
Cheers

 

[TheCatWhisperer]

If the tank on your 750's near empty you can get quite a good look at the hoses through the filler with a torch. At least good enough to take a guess at general condition.

Si

 

[mv2envy]

Dave is partially correct. You only really need about a foot of the expensive hose for the parts show In the fuel pump pictures. But if you take Dave's advise, the approx 4 ft of fuel hose that's not pressurized will be leeching rubber In to your fuel system if you don't use the expensive submersible hoses. It's still going to be in contact with your fuel. Don't risk it.

 

[Red Baron]

US fuel currently has a maximum of 10% ethanol. There is a move afoot to raise that to 15%.

That move is from the corn industry right?

For those AMA members, the AMA is fighting this fight, keep supporting them.

For the rest, write your local and state politicians. I for one have drafted a lengthy letter about my (now two bike) experience and what has happened and what it cost me that it never should have.

 

[EVO Chris]

If the tank on your 750's near empty you can get quite a good look at the hoses through the filler with a torch. At least good enough to take a guess at general condition.

Si

Thanks I will have a look tonight, I will have to find my big torch as I know I will drop the Maglite straight in there, then I will definitely have to take the tank off.

 

[Reckler]

Thanks I will have a look tonight, I will have to find my big torch as I know I will drop the Maglite straight in there, then I will definitely have to take the tank off.

I know a guy who used a torch once to check his fuel, blew up in his face... Oh the twisted world of global terminology

Glad I have a non-ethanol option, hope the governments smarten up and allow you guys the same.

 

[The_castle]

Dave is partially correct. You only really need about a foot of the expensive hose for the parts show In the fuel pump pictures. But if you take Dave's advise, the approx 4 ft of fuel hose that's not pressurized will be leeching rubber In to your fuel system if you don't use the expensive submersible hoses. It's still going to be in contact with your fuel. Don't risk it.

If I'm not mistaken the picture in your first post shows the effects of ethanol on OE hoses and the hose that was fitted by you & Noel and both are stuffed and leaching into your fuel.
I'm suggesting that the outer surface of the standard non pressurized and less expensive hose is identical in resistance to degradation by ethanol.
I think that Ed is backing me on this and he knows his stuff - he deals with this kind of thing for a living and I'm just trying to pass on his expertise.