Fuel Pump Alternatives

[SamWhited_imp]

Hi all; today as I pulled away from the parts place (bad timing, I should have just gone back in I guess) I couldn't get my bike to start. Hit the ignition again and it worked just fine. As I rode I started hearing a faint whine and after getting off the bike and sticking my ear all over the place it seems to be coming from the fuel tank, so I suspect it's time for a new fuel pump.

There are other threads on here complaining about the price of the Honda one ($599) so I had two questions:

First:

I'm assuming at that price it comes with the full pump and filter? There is a separate listing for the fuel filter (which is also expensive), and they seem to overlap, so I'm assuming I'd just need the pump part (16700-MGC-N21) and don't need to also buy the filter part?

Second:

Is there anywhere you know of that I can find this cheaper, or an aftermarket pump that fits? I'm really going to be in a major pickle if I have to get an OEM one or can't find it a bit cheaper. Thanks!

 

[dave]

Is there anywhere you know of that I can find this cheaper, or an aftermarket pump that fits? I'm really going to be in a major pickle if I have to get an OEM one or can't find it a bit cheaper. Thanks!
[/QUOTE]

I bought an aftermarket, made in China, fuel pump for my VFR800 a few years back. The actual price, including tax and shipping was $19.34. It was not an exact copy, but it was close enough that it fit right in, and it works fine. I actually bought a second one, for a spare (I have two VFR800s) and have it sitting on the shelf. This was two years ago, and it is still working fine.

I was surprised at how many offerings there were for fuel pumps on Ebay. If you do a Google search you can find even more.

When my friend, who is an auto mechanic, saw my fuel pump he told me the Honda Civic used the exact same pump, and he repeated "exact". So you can always check out places like Autozone, or Rock Auto for an automotive pump if you desired.

The pump did not come with the filter. I found a nearly exact replacement by doing a part number search on Google.

 

[Lord Popgun]

On the ST1300 board members have used aftermarket pumps. BUT, and this is a big one, the fuel tubing on them deteriorates rapidly, leading to another job. And getting to the fuel pump on an ST1300 is a major PIA.

Anyway, what they do if source the aftermarket pump and not use the tubing that comes with it, using good or OEM tubing.

I suggest you do the same if you find the pump.

OTOH, we have had few pump failures noted on the board. These pumps do whine. If you put your kill switch in the kill position and turn on the ignition you can hear the pump come on for a couple seconds and then shut off. It isn’t that quiet.

If it were me and I thought the pump was bad, I would do a flow rate test and pressure check.

Also, just taking a shot here, if you have had the tank lifted, lift it again and ensure the vent hose is not kinked or mashed, etc.

 

[max]

Hi Sam, Dave is correct, this pump is also used in many Honda vehicles and others as well i guess.

Good point with the breathing tube Popgun!

You would be one of the first to experience an acute fuel pump failure as far as i am aware, some pumps have done well in excess of 100.000 km's without servicing, the pump is submersed in the fuel which also acts as the lubricant for the bearings and brushes on the commutator.

A suitable test to see if the pump can deliver the pressure/amount required is to ride and open the throttle to see if the contribution is enough.

Another option is the fuel pump relay under the seat in the fuse compartment, it is possible that the relay has gone intermittent, to check just switch the relays and see if that makes a difference, here is what the pump looks like ( this one was neglected by a previous owner )

The way the fuel pump operates is; it primes the fuel rail at startup for a second or so, then switches off and runs continually once the engine is running.

Hope this helps and welcome to the forum

 

[SamWhited_imp]

Thanks all, that's great to know that a Civic pump will work, I don't know why but I assumed their bike parts would be completely separate.

I'll definitely test the relay first, that's a good idea as that's a lot cheaper to replace than the whole pump, although the whine that I'm hearing definitely wasn't there before this mornings ride and is definitely coming from the area of the fuel pump (this is not the same sound you get when you flip the kill switch, it's a high pitched whine like metal on metal).

I'm still searching around for aftermarket stuff and not finding anything, but I'm sure that the Civic tip will pay off. Thanks again!

 

[peterbaron]

Amazon.com : fuel pump honda cb1100

I may have a used one at work.
If it fits, you pay shipping only N/C for pump.

 

[tory_imp]

osias fuel pump

 

[Obleo]

Fella’s I can’t help but to be impressed by the helpfulness and smartness on this forum! You all need to pat yourselves on the back.

 

[peterbaron]

Amazon.com : fuel pump honda cb1100

I may have a used one at work.
If it fits, you pay shipping only N/C for pump.

Unfortunately, that fuel pump won't fit our CB, sorry :-/

 

[SamWhited_imp]

Good call on the relay; swapping the relays around seems to have fixed things, somehow. Weirdly, I am not getting any other sort of issues, so maybe there was just some corrosion and pulling them / putting them back in was enough to break it up. I really have no idea at this point, but for now I'm just glad it wasn't an expensive fix, thanks so much for your help!

 

[max]

Thanks for the feedback Sam, much appreciated here on the forum for the benefit of all who read these posts and want to know what the outcome is.

And Popgun's tip about the blocking of the vent hose ( if the fuel tank has been off the bike ) is worth checking out too, you could do that by simply opening the fuel tank filler cap and blowing in it to see if the vent is clear.

Often it's something simple, but not always simple to find, cheers:excited:

 

[The Gecko_imp]

On the ST1300 board members have used aftermarket pumps. BUT, and this is a big one, the fuel tubing on them deteriorates rapidly, leading to another job. And getting to the fuel pump on an ST1300 is a major PIA.

Anyway, what they do if source the aftermarket pump and not use the tubing that comes with it, using good or OEM tubing.

I suggest you do the same if you find the pump.

OTOH, we have had few pump failures noted on the board. These pumps do whine. If you put your kill switch in the kill position and turn on the ignition you can hear the pump come on for a couple seconds and then shut off. It isn’t that quiet.

If it were me and I thought the pump was bad, I would do a flow rate test and pressure check.

Also, just taking a shot here, if you have had the tank lifted, lift it again and ensure the vent hose is not kinked or mashed, etc.

More a question than a suggestion: when I read pump are whining, could it be that there is a lub problem? If Honda uses good tubing and other parts to accommodate modern fuels with more or less Ethanol, but hasn’t spend too much time and effort on the pumps, then using too much E85 or similar could cause these problems. It might also explain why others can do 100k miles without problems? Nonsense?

 

[the Ferret]

Not supposed to use E 85 in a CB 1100. It's only approved for up to 10% ethanol.

 

[The Gecko_imp]

Not supposed to use E 85 in a CB 1100. It's only approved for up to 10% ethanol.

I know, what I meant is one could choose even the 10% ethanol variety ost of the time, and somebody else never does .... and this could explain the different results ???