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"Oops, I Did It Again" Fuel Line

4K views 16 replies 8 participants last post by  rb_duc 
#1 ·
Well this morning a friend and I were to head down to Tallahassee Florida to have some warranty work done to his Triumph ST... Half way there, the fuel line in my bike let go... AGAIN!

The Tallahassee dealer (triumph & ducati) did not have a "proper" clamp and would not allow a standard hose clamp to be used, so they refused to work on it.. unless I left it there for when the part arrive.

So I'm out on the road hearing how he can't help me, tow truck already in route... so I do the next best thing... "Take me to the nearest NAPA auto parts store". I proceed to purchase allen wrenches, small gas can, cheap siphon, and a roll of paper towels and fix it in the parking lot. They lent me a screwdriver, needle nose and side cutters. All told it cost me $90 (tow-job was $70) And took about an hour.. Of which siphoning the gas took the most time. The dealer would have cost me $150 tow, plus $90/hr labor. So instead of $240, it was cheaper doing it myself by a long shot.

So I guess if you have not had a problem, don't say it can't happen. I'm going to take it apart one more time here at home and zip tie the mofo so the hose can't back off. The stub where it comes off is a slick plastic. The hose and filter, when attached create force that wants to back the hose off the fitting.





 
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#3 ·
I never got the chance to take it in for that recall... my bike broke on the 2nd day I had it... fixed it myself... now 4k miles later, it let go again. I'm suspect of the fuel pump outlet being one slippery basterd. I am 1098% sure I tightend that hose clamp well enough the first time.

The good thing is, I am planning on taking the bike on a 4hr trip and this would not have been good to happen along that route.

So are people flipping out over the matrix paint? I like the statement it says... "Imma Trinity Stalker"
 
#4 ·
I dont know Bill. I like it so thats all that matters. Try a bit of vaseline on the o rings before rammin em home. I,ve yet to see if mine blow the bolt after fitting them last week.
I may end up like Nikki Lauda.
May be a good thing ....:D

It looks very sad & sorry for itself on the 1st pic
 
#7 ·
If I had, I would have ended up at THAT dealer, leaving my bike, no way to get home... then they would look at my first repair and blame me for putting a standard hose clamp on the line, deny my claim, etc etc. followed by "You owe us a bag of money if you want the bike back".

I would rather not take that risk. Plus the Holier than Thou stance the dealer took on liability, refusing to fix it with a standard hose clamp, refusing to let me fix it by lending me tools. The folks at NAPA were great, they even let me use their work bench once I got the tank off the bike so I could pull the pump without scratching the paint on the tank.

Granted my first repair attempt was inadequate, obviously. I accept that, but I feel that something is amiss with the nature of the fuel pump line to the fuel filter.

I guess the only reason I bring the topic up again is to let others know, if you have to, you can do a field repair in a pinch. You can have all the tools in a kit, but the gasoline transfer and a place to work on the tank need to be considered.

Tools Needed:
  1. Hex wrenches (side panels/tank bolt/fuel pump flange bolts)
  2. needle nose pliers (to remove vent hoses)
  3. small hose clamp (ducati clamp is a one time use clamp)
  4. siphon hose
  5. side cutters (to cut zip ties holding fuel pump cable)
  6. zip ties (to secure cables again)
  7. temporary container for fuel
 
#8 ·
Sounds like a pain in the ass Bill but at least you got it fix and back home. Not thanks to your shitty dealer!

Every Ducati owner should have some mechanical skills because you never know when you'll need it..... :D
 
#9 ·
They are not my dealer... I bought the bike at NPR Ducati, Athens GA. Nice people up there. No dealer within a couple of hours of me, hence why there are no more than a hand full of Ducs in my area. No one services them here since no one knows how to work on them, which is sorta ignorant... it's just a another bike.

I believe the limit to expanding Duc ownership is stymied by the laws that prevent dealers from promoting sales outside of the county where their store is located. I'm not even sure if the Duc Truck can "visit" a market that does not have a dealer. There is no real reason why the brand should not be doing even better, if they could market it. Not sure if the law is different in other states. I think the Hyper Stunt show skirts this, since they dont "market" the bike.

Sorry to have strayed off topic :)
 
#10 ·
It is just a motor and two wheels but Ducatis requires a lot of specialty tools that are quite expensive so I can see why most shop won't touch them.

That's a bummer you have to travel so far, we have 3 Duc shops and BMS within the Denver Metro. But tell ya the truth I've never seen an advertisement of any kind for Ducati shop on tv or in magazines for shops around here.
 
#12 ·
Took the fuel pump out one more time... re-tightened the hose clamp. I don't think that what I originally said is true... I think it's just a fact of pressure and not the clamp slipping from the unit trying to pull itself off the connector. I was looking for somewhere to possibly zip tie it in place but if you start adding zip ties you have to balance that pressure and if not done right could cause more harm than good. I guess if anyone else has the same issue, it will gain importance. I still think the ridge on the outlet is not raised enough, which lets the clamp slip by.
 
#16 ·
So it would seem there are 2 recalls involving fuel lines. There's the one in the tank and there's this one:

Make: DUCATI Model: 1098R
Model Year: 2009
Manufacturer: DUCATI NORTH AMERICA Mfr's Report Date: MAY 15, 2009
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 09V170000 N/A
NHTSA Action Number: N/A
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE DELIVERY
Potential Number of Units Affected: 1549
Summary:
DUCATI IS RECALLING 1,549 MY 2009 1198, 1198 S, 1098 R, 848 AND MY 2010 F1098 STREETFIGHTER AND STREETFIGHTER S MOTORCYCLES. THESE MOTORCYCLES MAY EXPERIENCE FUEL LEAKAGE FROM THE FUEL LINE AT THE FUEL INJECTOR CONNECTION. THE PLASTIC FITTING BETWEEN FUEL INJECTOR AND HOSE CAN WARP OR BREAK WHICH COULD POSSIBLY RESULT IN A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO THE RIDER AND POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE MOTORCYCLE.
Consequence:
ANY DAMAGE TO THE FUEL LINE MAY LEAD TO AN INCREASED RISK OF FIRE OR AN UNEXPECTED LOSS OF ENGINE PERFORMANCE, THE THEREBY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED INJECTOR COMPONENTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 3, 2009. TO LOCATE YOUR NEAREST AUTHORIZED DUCATI DEALER, YOU MAY GO TO WWW.DUCATIUSA.COM AND SELECT THE "DEALER LOCATOR" OR YOU MAY CALL TOLL FREE AT 1-800-231-6696.
Notes:
DUCATI RECALL NO. RCL-09-003. OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .
 
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