| Author | Message | ||
     Crw |
X1 Fuel Pump Walbro 521 (check with our sponsors) Airtex E2061 X1 Fuel Strainer Airtex FS111 I took my Race Kit '01 X1 for a spin a couple days ago and it was running like a "scalded ape". Till suddenly with no warning it just quit. No check engine light. Not the stupid sidestand switch. Would crank over fine but not fire up. Since there was no fuel smell after 30 seconds of cranking I suspected fuel supply problem. I was on the highway and it was too noisy to tell for sure, but I thought there was no fuel pump "whir". Got it home to quiet and there was no reassuring FP whir on ECM power-up. Hooked it up to ECMSpy, there were no current or stored codes. Unhooked FP connector and checked for power to FP. It was okay. Jumped the pump, no whir. So, time to pull the pump. Not at all the pain in the ass I thought it would be. When I pulled the pump module out, there was no strainer on the pump inlet, only the plastic and metal ring. I reached in and found what was left of the "teabag" strainer. All the plastic mesh had turned brittle and had crumbled. I flushed out tank with water and detergent and poured it onto a towel to see what came out, it was a mess of "teabag" fuzz and plastic pieces. I guess that is what killed the pump. I carefully pried open the stepless ear clamp, hoping to reuse it, and pulled the pump off the assembly. OEM pump was a Walbro 521. Could not find a Walbro locally, but found Airtex E2061 and strainer FS111 for $83 ttl. (incl. tax and discount). The FS111 is larger but works fine as long as you position the long end pointing toward center of tank. One thing I like about the Airtex pump is the fine wire mesh inside the inlet that will catch any debris in case of another strainer failure. I was able to tighten the old clamp with a pair of end cutters. Question to ponder: Was ethanol possibly the cause of the strainer disintegration or is this normal after 11 years? I have never used any additives or stabilizers. So I am wondering about the damn 10% ethanol the corn lobby has forced on us. I plan to replace the strainer every 12 months since they are only about $6 and the job only takes about 1.5 hours, (and besides I have nearly a whole tube of Hylomar for the filler flange left over) | ||
| Forerunner |
Wow, I just literally had the same exact thing happen to me on my '01. Was riding to lunch the previous Mon and she just died. Turned over strong but wouldn't fire. Rented a trailer and got her home. Pulled the pump(you're right, no big deal) and the tea bag was still on but disintegrating. Fortunately was able to 'backflush' the pump and when we hooked up the leads she primed. Stuck her in a pan of gas and ran her for a few seconds, seems to be working fine. Never saw an obstruction in the pump but the tolerances are so close in there it wouldn't take much. Need to order a new strainer and clamp. Gonna replace the filter while I'm at it. How many miles on yours? I've got 4,800... Nels | ||
| Crw |
Sounds like you were lucky with your pump, mine was frozen tight. It had probably ingested too much debris, since the strainer was just rattling around and disintegrating in the bottom of the tank. I was glad to find a reasonably priced replacement, the local HD Stealer said the pump was no longer available but they could get me a complete assembly (pump, strainer, regulator, low fuel sending unit, carrier) for around $450!! My '01 X1 has about 10,000 miles. Most of those miles were put on it the first couple years, I really should ride it more. I bought it new "old stock" in 2002. |
