Opened the garage door to my newly acquired 916 Bip this morning to quite a strong smell of petrol, and a small puddle on the floor, i lifted the rear of the tank and looked for any leaks around the pump area and sure enough there was a drip on the black fuel coupling - i'm hoping a new O ring coupling seal will sort it , but my question as a newbie to the 916 series is are these couplings the quick pinch release type like my old 999 or will the pipes be attached to the couplings by clips , its not easy to see and i don't want to break or snap anything - bike is a 1997 UK 916 Bip...i'll get some pics up tomorrow hopefully, all advice warmly welcomed.
They're in the U.S. but you can try emailing these guys: Gotham Cycles. They were very helpful when my 998 started pissing fuel...
Its easy to snag these rings popping the QR on/off. Buy spares. New couplings to be found here... https://www.tom-parker.co.uk/products/brass-and-plastic-couplings/2/fuel-line-couplings/61/
If youve got tank off, I'd check pipework on the fuel pump hasnt disintegrated due to ethanol fuel. You'll need another big green viton oring for that £10 from Ducati. I kid ye not. Robbing bar stewards.
Measure the ring inside diameter x outside diameter x thickness Google it and you will find a seal supplier, probably get a pack of 10 for near enough the same price as 1 from Ducati.
A 5 second Google finds Ducatimondo selling them at a fiver which if I needed one I would go for rather than waste anymore time to save a few more pence
I bought some from Polymax (www.polymax.co.uk) a couple of years ago; 87p each (plus VAT) I bought 12 as you get free shipping if you spend over £10 (before VAT), total cost was £12.53. The size is; 117.07mm ID x 3.53mm CS FKM (Viton)
To add, as with most Viton 'O' rings not supplied by Ducati, they're black rather than green but work fine. I fitted one when I changed the fuel filter in 2020 and it's not leaked yet.
Another option is to get rid of the brittle plastic couplings and replace them with stainless ones. These will last much longer. https://www.benzinkupplung.de/Ducati/kupplungssatz-38/ PS: They come with a pair of spare o-rings, so with these, you’ll be set for a while.
Check Shore hardness on non OEM O Rings. Too soft and they roll when detaching the coupling. Too hard and they don’t seal. Standard range is 65/70. Higher number harder they are. If supplier does not know what the Shore scale is find one who does! It is important. Seal colours are used as identification for assembly purpose Ducati may well use green. Multiple connectors often use various colours to prevent cross overs. Measure I.D, OD and wall thickness, all 3, less chance of getting it wrong on soft flexible rings and required use i.e fuel lines, hydraulic etc when ordering. Fuel line rings cost pennies, nice little earner when broken down into 5 packs etc. Many years ago I could quote the specs, now I can’t find my specs
Keep the one you take off and store it, you will find after a few weeks it has shrunk back and can be used again when you next take the pump out.Been doing this for the last 10/12 years with no problems.
I've done this several times but after many re-uses and at just £1 a pop, I felt it deserved a new one at the last filter change. And, now that I've still got 11 spares, I'm set for a (my) lifetime...
As an update it turns out that the leak wasn't from the couplings ,it looks like the large plastic nut on the base of the housing is the culprit, it was barely hand tight and even though i have read on here somewhere that it isn't advisable to tighten it i did very carefully tighten it with a pair of grips, and i will keep a close eye on it for future leaks. I also read on here that someone was making knurled alloy nuts as a direct replacement ,apparently the plastic ones are prone to cracking, can anyone point me in the right direction please?...also if i do change it for a new one how on earth do i get it past the wiring connector box?
Ah, I know what you are looking at. Thats the fuel sender, which alerts you when onto reserve. You have to remove the fuel pump to successfully replace it as its plugged in inside. My plastic nut cracked and pissed fuel everywhere. Fortunately I just put tank upside down and replaced it as I was doing the internal pipework and the pump unit itself. My pump had failed. But a tap on the desk and 12v shifted it. Was due to the perished pipes on ethanol. This had blocked the pump and the filter with black goo.
You need to remove the pins from the connector, it is fiddly but can (usually) be done without breaking anything. If a connector does break off you can get replacements cheaply enough although you'll need some kind of crimping tool to refit them.
Removed pump assembly from the tank today, all internal fuel pipes look good, inside of tank is clean and rust free and i will fit a new fuel filter before i re-assemble, i did remove and reinstall my old 999 pump into a carbon tank years ago, which is another story, i guess its the same for the 916 unit, new pump housing O ring, plenty of grease around the hole etc and carefully push fit it in. Also removed the fuel sensor and the plastic retaining nut had cracked around the side and there were signs of an earlier repair with some form of cement, i'm not sure whether to go with a new unit - Part number 59210142A - or try my hand fitting an alloy nut, i've got fingers like sausages and my eyesight isnt what it used to be so i dont really fancy it, has anyone actually done the pin removal pallaver before? ...and would cutting the wires and rejoining them after the new nut is fitted be an option? Back to the part number quoted above, it would appear that this part is visually different to the fuel sensor on my bike ,which is about 4 inches long and all black, the ones available to order are shorter with a light coloured end and with the wires running along a groove in the shaft ,has anyone fitted this part as a replacement for the earlier part? As Always any and all advice welcomed
De-pinning is easy. a basic set of tools is needed. Here is my set from China for about £3. does every pin I have ever come across. Stick the tool in, wriggle the wire and out it comes. YouTube has videos. The connector is AMP so if you search for that you will find something to show you how to do it.
Definitely worth fitting an alloy nut. I fitted one to my Monster as it was leaking and the plastic nut wouldn't tighten - it wasn't broken but the threads were a bit mangled. I also bought a spare for the 916 but not fitted it yet as I've not had the problem, good 'insurance' though. As above the pins are not too difficult to remove but be careful, you can replace them easily enough if they break though. I wouldn't cut and join as it's just somewhere else to fail in the future.
