'99 FLHRCI fuel line disconnects

[krhnh]

1999 Road King Classis EFI (FLHRCI). Stock tank and lines.

This is the first time I've dealt with EFI fuel lines, so it's unfamiliar territory and I haven't been able to find any answers. I was replacing a snapped idle cable and the service manual called for partially removing (i.e. lifting) the fuel tank to access the cables. Following the manual, I ran the fuel out and dry cranked the starter to relieve fuel pressure. I've seen on later models that there's a quick disconnect sleeve that you push to disconnect the fuel lines from the tank, but my Road King doesn't have them. The factory service manual says to loosen the fittings (unscrewing them from the tank) and disconnect the fuel lines from the tank. Looking at the exploded diagram in the parts manual, there should be check valves on the inner end of the fittings that screw into the tank and nipples on the fuel line that snap into those fittings on the outer end. It looks like the fuel lines should just pull out of the fittings and the check valves keep the fuel from draining out. I assumed there's some sort of interference fit that holds the fuel line nipples into the fittings and loosening the fittings must free up the nipples to pull out. It didn't work that way. I loosened the fittings until a little fuel was seeping past them but the fuel lines wouldn't pull out. I loosened them more but a considerable amount of fuel was getting by them and the fuel lines still wouldn't pull out. The manual said a little fuel would leak, but not that much, so I stopped. Am I missing something here? I have no idea when these fuel lines were last disconnected, so I suppose they could be seized in the fittings but I didn't want to force things and break something.

Anyway, I abandoned the manual and just used the broken cable wire to fish under the tank and pull the idle cable through, but it's temporary. The replacement cable was a used one I picked up cheap because I'm looking at installing mini-apes and installing some new, longer Barnett cables. That means I will need to revisit this so I'm trying to solve this issue in the mean time.

Thanks ahead of time for any feedback.

[PC_Hater]

Well, I had a look in my 99 parts book and although your fuel tank has a different part number to the one on my FLTRI all of the rest of the gubbins looks to be the same.

I never had to remove the tank to change cables. After removing the low pressure fuel hose at the front of the tank there was enough room to lift the tank out of the way.

Fuel goes everywhere! So before you put it back fit one of those aircraft fuel line connectors into the hose.
And fit one onto the end of a long piece of hose so that next time you can use it to drain most of the tank.
You can buy cheap motorcycle fuel disconnects or if feeling paranoid expensive genuine aircraft fuel disconnects. Mine is a stainless steel hose and connector.

I can't remember ever having to use the high pressure disconnects unless removing the tank for engine top-end work or something. Even then, like you I might have had to just unscrew the high pressure connector from the tank. It was a long time ago, before I fitted the quick disconnect on the front hose. Or you could say it was enough of a pain I realised the disconnect would be ready for the next time!

[Coff 06]

Unsure of the 99.But later models you pull the outside sleeve down on the fuel connector and that releases it.       Coff 06

[Hossamania]

I think the '99 has two fuel lines with the push/pull disconnects, due to the MMI system, later Delphi have one.

[rigidthumper]

The 99 had threaded in fuel line fittings, with threaded in check valves just above those. Were prone to leak. HD even had a tool to tighten/R&R the check valves, after the fuel lines were unscrrewed/removed.
Pic

[14Frisco]

HD even had a tool to tighten/R&R the check valves, after the fuel lines were unscrrewed/removed.

Fuel Tank Check Valve Remover & Installer

[krhnh]

Yeah, my '99 with the Marelli EFI has two lines, a high-pressure feed and low pressure return as I understand it. I think the fuel pump just runs all the time and fuel not used by the injectors gets returned to the tank. Pingel makes a kit that I believe blocks one of the holes so you can install a petcock in the remaining hole if you do a carb conversion. The service manual tells you to disconnect the fuel lines, pull the plug wires out of the coil and then slide the tank back so the cross-feed will clear the coil. That's supposed to create enough clearance so you can raise the tank a couple of inches without removing the cross-feed tube. Not possible to do though without disconnecting the fuel lines to the injectors, I think. It seems obvious that the lines must pull out of the fittings or there would be no purpose for the check valves, they just won't come out.

I was definitely a bit nervous that the fittings would start leaking after I loosened and tightened them. There are O-rings involved between the screw-in fittings and the check valves. Rode it some and kept checking for leaks and it seems ok (knock on wood). It's just frustrating that the manual has no illustrations, just vague instruction to disconnect the lines and I can't even find a youtube video of someone doing it to actually see the process. I think it's eventually going to come down to draining the tank and doing some surgery. Sometimes I think I may be just as well off converting it to a carb or Delphi injection. It came with S.E. 204 cams in it. A shop with a scanlyzer told me years ago it's had a new fuel map downloaded for the cams. If (I mean when) the Marelli E.C.U. gives up the ghost, replacing it with a used one and finding a way to reprogram it just sounds like a daunting task. I'm not even sure any dealerships would do that anymore so I may be forced to convert it to something else regardless. When I rebuilt the cam chest I just put a new set of 204 cams in in it and called it good. That's how much I don't want to mess with that Marelli system.

[Rugby_fxdwg]

Yeah, my '99 with the Marelli EFI has two lines, a high-pressure feed and low pressure return as I understand it. I think the fuel pump just runs all the time and fuel not used by the injectors gets returned to the tank. Pingel makes a kit that I believe blocks one of the holes so you can install a petcock in the remaining hole if you do a carb conversion. The service manual tells you to disconnect the fuel lines, pull the plug wires out of the coil and then slide the tank back so the cross-feed will clear the coil. That's supposed to create enough clearance so you can raise the tank a couple of inches without removing the cross-feed tube. Not possible to do though without disconnecting the fuel lines to the injectors, I think. It seems obvious that the lines must pull out of the fittings or there would be no purpose for the check valves, they just won't come out.

I was definitely a bit nervous that the fittings would start leaking after I loosened and tightened them. There are O-rings involved between the screw-in fittings and the check valves. Rode it some and kept checking for leaks and it seems ok (knock on wood). It's just frustrating that the manual has no illustrations, just vague instruction to disconnect the lines and I can't even find a youtube video of someone doing it to actually see the process. I think it's eventually going to come down to draining the tank and doing some surgery. Sometimes I think I may be just as well off converting it to a carb or Delphi injection. It came with S.E. 204 cams in it. A shop with a scanlyzer told me years ago it's had a new fuel map downloaded for the cams. If (I mean when) the Marelli E.C.U. gives up the ghost, replacing it with a used one and finding a way to reprogram it just sounds like a daunting task. I'm not even sure any dealerships would do that anymore so I may be forced to convert it to something else regardless. When I rebuilt the cam chest I just put a new set of 204 cams in in it and called it good. That's how much I don't want to mess with that Marelli system.

I've put on a SE CV44 and never looked back. Runs a lot better and sounds way better.