Fuel Pump Filter/Screen Rehab: The Joys of Backyard Engineering

[Caribbean Rider]

A weakness in the fuel system is the fuel screen attached to the fuel pump. It's fragile and easily torn, even when light cleaning.

AND a replacement just isn't available that I've found.

I had to do some work to a fuel pump on one of our RX3's, and the fuel screen detached from the plastic connector:



When it tore I had an "oh spit" moment, and quickly found a replacement filter is not available through traditional channels. You have to buy the entire pump unit.

But I had a brainstorm. I've got a fleet of 10 V-Strom DL650's and stock numerous parts for them. And since the fuel pump screen frequently clogs because of our bad gas here in the DR, I have a bunch on hand.



And lo and behold, the external diameter of the DL650 filter and RX3 filter are the same, so I wanted to connect them somehow to use the RX3 plug with the DL650 filter. I also knew glue would not last long submersed in gasoline, so I had to come up with another plan.

So I ground the three nubbins on the inside of the plastic fitting on the RX3 filter flat, clamped the RX3 filter and DL650 filter together with wood clamps making sure they were completely flush and "welded" them together with a soldering iron using a plastic cable tie as solder.







Then I ground off excess melted plastic.

The connection is super strong. And since that part takes no mechanical force or pressure to speak of, I'm convinced the "weld" a permanent joint.

Plugged the "new" filter back into the fuel pump, and were good to go.

So don't panic is your fuel pump filter screen breaks. There are easy work-around's for a permanent fix if you can't access the OEM part or a replacement.

[Jay In Milpitas]

Now that's some good old fashioned fixery there.

[Lee R]