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In tank fuel hose

4K views 31 replies 12 participants last post by  Chayside 
#1 · (Edited)
After reviving my gummed up fuel pump I inspected the fuel hoses and the in tank hoses were shot. BMW wants $55 for the U shaped hose and if you can find it SAE30R10 hose is about $15 a foot and might kink if you bend it in a U.
A place I deal with for automotive high performance fuel systems (Racetronix) sells a 4" black PTFE corrugated "hose" for in tank use for about $3.50. Next time you need that hose, give them a try
 
#3 ·
After reviving my gummed up fuel pump I inspected the fuel hoses and the in tank hoses were shot. BMW wants $55 for the U shaped hose and if you can find it SAE30R10 hose is about $15 a foot and might kink if you bend it in a U.
I place I deal with for automotive high performance fuel systems (Racetronix) sells a 4" black PTFE corrugated "hose" for in tank use for about $3.50. Next time you need that hose, give them a try
I'm in the process of pulling the fuel tank and installing a Stainless U fitting with barbed ends. No more fear of split u hose.
 
#5 ·
Looks like they have a good range of offerings at good prices, though I didn’t check shipping cost. The later often trumps on small items. I did not see where this said it was PTFE, it just said “high tech plastic.” Most fuel hose I have seen is nylon, but either material has very good gas and alcohol tolerance. It is good to have additional sources, but I still have a spare hose from either BBY or EME and I don’t expect to ever need another.
 
#6 ·
Not absolutely sure it is PTFE, most places list that type of hose as PTFE. Shipping will be a problem, they have a $25 minimum order policy, then shipping is about $12. The best price I found for SAE30R10 hose was $15 a foot plus shipping. I ordered 3 of those hoses, a sock and some clamps to get the $25 minimum. If enough people want those hoses one could just do a bulk purchase and then send them out individually for the price of a stamp.
These hoses are rated to about 100PSI and won't degrade from fuel, no matter what kind of fuel you use
 
#7 ·
I replaced mine over two years ago with hose purchased from UAP NAPA it was described as for fuel immersion. Had no problems so far but bike has say for two years gas in it and started every time no issues. Last time was yesterday morning when I moved her to start brake lines and rear rotor replacement. I’ll take it out now the tanks drained off and sitting on the garage floor and get back to you all with pics. I would love to hear from anyone that can offer up a permanent fix whilst she’s all apart. Some people I hear have brought the filter to the outside of the tank leaving only the pump in their. Would that not be a better option???
 
#8 ·
I replaced my OEM internal hoses with the corrugated nylon hose as sold by BBY and I think EME and probably others. I consider that a permanent solution. I think the fuel filter is just fine inside the tank. Putting it outside is just adding more connections to leak and be a fire hazard and it takes up space that is already tight on an LT. I see no real benefit to putting it externally given that you don’t really need to change it all that often unless you have really crappy gas. I am going 48K on mine with no issues. Since you have to remove the tank to change the air filter anyway, changing the fuel filter at that time isn’t a big deal, and you can do it without changing the tank if necessary.
 
#9 ·
Yeah I guess now that you mention it there is enough going on with these bikes that space is a premium and the extra joints in the fuel line would be like a fuse waiting to be lit. I’ll still remove the unit and see how the UAP NAPA hose is holding out. You mentioned BBY or EME are those outlets in the USA
 
#12 ·
Yes, I think both are USA based, but I suspect similar parts are available elsewhere as the corrugated nylon lines come as OEM on Ducatis and KTMs I believe.
 
#13 ·
The problem is the sharp bend required in the u-hose. The BMW hose is preformed. I am not sure if the NAPA hose was bent that tight if would not kink from stress at some point in the future.
 
#14 ·
I’ll take a pic here over the weekend and post it of the Napa hose that’s been in the tank now for over two years. The bikes stripped down tank is off and empty so it’s no big deal
 
#19 ·
The NAPA hose is certainly appropriately rated for the application and may last a long, long time, but I would be worried about the bend radius as the hose ages. Most straight fuel line is not meant to be bent in as tight a radius as is required in the fuel tank. I can’t find a spec for the NAPA fuel hose, but I found specs for a couple other brands and they varied from 2 - 2.5” bend radius for 5/16” hose which is what I was thinking the LT uses (not sure on that). That is a bend diameter of 4-5” which means the 180 u-hose would need 4-5” between the legs and I think the stock hose is closer to 2“ or even less across the legs. I am not sure there is room in the tank to make a 4-5” wide loop for the u-hose. Even the corrugated nylon hose wanted to be in a larger radius than the stock u-hose, but it wasn’t enough to cause clearance issues and I have no concern about the bend shortening the life of a hose of this material and construction.

These two photos show the difference in radius between OEM and corrugated nylon.
 

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#17 ·
Munmi - fortunately, you can pull the pump assembly with the bike on the side stand without a full undressing. Might as well change that filter too.
 
#26 ·
#27 ·
UPDATE....Things went downhill rather quickly when I started to prepare for the arrival of the corrugated tubing kit from BBY. I was trying to remove the rubber hose from the pump when I snapped the flange off the pump. I ordered a new pump from EuroMoto Electrics as someone mentioned earlier in this thread. I now have all the new parts...new pump, corrugated tubing, clamps, pump intake filter, NAPA Gold fuel filter and finally a little time to work on reassembly. Now the next hurdle...how in the world does one ever get the nylon tubing on to the appropriate nipples? I am at a loss .... again.
 
#28 ·
I don’t recall mine being a big issue, but I’d try a hair dryer or judicious use of a heat gun to soften the nylon a little.
 
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#29 ·
Yes maybe warm them up a little but not to hot. I used to work in a test lab where we had to do stuff like this many times. As long as the tube was new, I'd just chew on it for a a little, soften it up, warm it up and it would slip on the glass fitting. :surprise:
 
#30 · (Edited)
My apologies to all for my tardiness with this reply of which I promised back on May 8th. Life gets in the way and so my brake line replacement has taken me an age, then the need to make a bleed funnel and then family issues ensued until I was able to complete the bleeding this weekend. Before I put the tank back on I removed the pump and filter assembly to show you all how the UAP-NAPA submersible fuel hose has weathered. So here are the pics. This hose has now been i fuel for over three years and still is in great shape. No softening of the rubber or losing its shape. Hopefully this will encourage others to use the NAPA hose with confidence. The filter is a NAPA product also and have no problems to date.
On a side note I was amazed their was still good pressure in the lines in the bike when I hooked them back on Saturday obviously a good sealed system BMW has engineered.
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#32 ·
No nothing at all. That’s just the way she is. Very happy with it. It does have a little larger bend than the original but not enough to cause any problems.
 
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