Really how bad are the fuel pumps on these bike,.... Or is it something else?

Since I bought this 08 TE 450 I'm about to have THREE new fuel pumps in it! I bought it hardly used last October at 139 miles. I immediately put a new pump and steel automotive filter in it. It didn't run so it went to Uptite for an assessment. He cleaned the injector, and replaced my CA Cycleworks pump with something else new. He also added the PU kit with his own pipe and tune (told me he spent countless hours trying to reflash the stubborn comp); picked it up in February. I got two great rides on it, one good and then a miserable Sheet Iron 300. Midway through the ride I started losing power between 5k and 6k (oh and it'd die between idle and 2,100). At the end of the day that dead zone had increased to between 4,500 and 6,500 with an 8k limiter, ??? I'm pretty sure it used to be like 11 or something. Day two I could hardly get the thing started with 200 miles ahead of me. The condition didn't worsen until maybe 60 miles in when the bike just started choking out and died, then gave me the flashing neutral light. My buddy towed me down the hill to Ukiah where I was able to thankfully get a ride. Fast forward back down in LA I notice a blown fuse, replaced it and the bike started but resumed the original shitty performance (dead bike between idle and 2k, no power between 4.5 and 6.5 with an 8k limiter). Then I hit the forums looking for similarities, battery is totally charged and good, the wiring harness is nearly new, all new fuses and Uptite's great safety wire job has kept the pump more than in it's place. I then took it back down to the shop and he told me it's running lean and isn't getting proper fueling, bad fuel pump. How can one $100 pump not work sufficiently and now another has failed within a mear 361 miles? The current pump does prime but the bike doesn't like to start before 6+ priming cycles..... This thing is driving me nuts. Am I gonna have to drop $100 into this P.O.S. after every two or three rides or do I have a faulty computer or something?????? Oh and I stabilize the fuel I put in the thing and I personally have never messed with any ecu, tps, or idle speed settings.

Any feedback would be appreciated and if this thing ever gets up and running there's an 80% chance it'll wind up in the classified section. Here's a pic of what to look forward to:

Thanks

Id start by checking the CEL. Still on my original fuel pump.

I have 2 bikes with the same pump and Mikuni FI.

My 2010 Te250 has 150 hrs on it and it ate one pump early on. The dealer swapped it out for a used pump from a demo bike and it is still running on the original filter.

My 2012 TXC310 is still running on the original.

These are Chinese pumps and maybe they work out of the box or die right away.

I'd try another...maybe clean the injector again first.

Have you completely gone over the wiring harness from one end to the other? Crappy harness from the factory. I'm still on my original pump.

I haven't but I know Uptide did on the first go around (he found several things wrong). Does anyone in the LA region on here still have iBeat? I'd like see what's going on without having to pay hourly shop prices.

I had thought I did, maybe when I get back home in a week I'll go over it again.

Oddly I had a suspicion I had a bad ECU from the beginning. Uptite told me he spent more than 10 hours trying to reflash for the tune. But now looking at the service report he said "FB at 97, 100, 100 Cannot Reset" and also "Won't Tune". I don't know if that's just what he puts down to cover his ass from the EPA or what.

I did, Halls has a new one for $242.

Does anyone know which manufacture is the difficult one to deal with, Mikuni or Keihin? I think Uptite mentioned it was Mikuni..... Most likely the one I've got and the one I'm trying to avoid.

Also does anyone know if the ECUs from other year TE's are transferable/beneficial? Oh and has there been any advancement on adding a 12 hole injector to these bikes?

What kind of battery are you running?
http://supermotojunkie.com/showthread.php?154690-Bike-suddenly-started-running-like-garbage

david

I dont think the battery has any relation.. I think there is something damaging the fuel pumps. Its impossible it lasts so little(1 or 2 rides) I have a 2011 TE250 with the original pump and had no issues since new. Maybe as you mentioned before, the ECU could be defective. Try using another ECU borrowed from another bike and see how it behaves. Uptite maybe has another spare ECU

I had a lead/acid battery before then robbed a 12 cell antigravity lithium out of my Suzuki GS, it runs like shit with both. So a bit of an update, I bought a new fuel pump hoping that'd be the issue, nope. I pulled the throttle body and the injector was gummed up, cleaned it, reassembled and it barely will start without coaxing. Basically it's acting no different. The crazy thing is it's running so lean the the headers start to glow after only 30 seconds of idle. I'm nearly certain the factory shipped this bike out with a bad CDI. One question I've got is if I plugged a 2009 or 2010 TE 450 CDI everything would act as it should with the added benefit of having more tune-ability or am I doomed to have the 08. Oh and a CDI from a 510 will not work.....right?

how did you clean the injector? You should either send it out for a cleaning or buy a new one.

A Syrnge, some fuel line, two alligator clips, the battery out of the bike and some Berrymans carb and throttle body cleaner.



It went from completely clogged to a nice fine mist after a few cycles.

I don't think that the newer ecu's off of a keihin injection system would work. I believe they changed the dash in 09'.