I will try and explain this as best I can. perhaps this isn't the correct part of the form either but I wanted to start somewhere.

The issue is this: Cold bike, either overnight or sitting for 3-4 hours. Turn ignition switch on, turn kill switch to run, fuel pump starts its usual whine but I here this buzzing like noise that borders on a rattling coming from the underside of the tank. I stops and the bike fires right up. There are no other issues while riding. The buzzing/rattling kind of noise does not exist if the bike is warm.

It's a 2004 Road Glide w/ stage 1 and a PCIII. Otherwise stock.

Any ideas? Bad fuel pump maybe?

Thanks in advance.

John

 

Sounds like a bad bearing/ bushing on the pump shaft. Maybe a clearance issue causing the shaft to vibrate. Only one way to find out unfortunately. Have you ever run it out of fuel or have a habit of running it less than 1.5 gallons before getting fuel?
Ron

 

I have run it down to .5 gallons based on the amount of fuel I've filled it with. But this started a few weeks ago getting her out of the garage for the beginning of the riding season. I always have put my bikes up with full tanks of gas and stabilizer. I have just run through the first full tank though it and filled it with fresh fuel. I figured once this noise started it's likely not going to get better. My concern is what is the likelihood of the pump failing while I'm riding? It is quiet/normal sounding firing it up when warm.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

Good chance it will get progessively noisier and give more warning before it fails, but you just never know. The problem with these and all fuel efi pumps is that they need sufficient fuel to cool them. .5 is a death sentance. While there were no signs at the time, it most likely speeded up wear in the bearing area. If it's a bushing type bearing the gas is acutally the lube for it as well . There is also a slim chance you have a pinhole in the feed line spraying fuel and that's the sound you are hearing, but I think that would be constant, with the exception of a full tank masking the sound.
Ron

 

rbabos,

I opened up the shop manual to see what I have and where it is. That's an ugly job... but sometimes a mans gotta do...

Thanks for the feedback and advice. I've always had carbed bikes in the past so EFI along with my first Harley has been an experience. I'll read through these procedures on removal and replacement and see if it's something I want to tackle. Otherwise it's a call to the strealer service department.

The sound remained the same with a full tank of gas.

Thanks again and ride safe.

John

 

I would get a second opinion on it before tearing into it as it is somewhat of a pain to do the first time. I have been wrong in diagnosing things before.
Ron