What Kills Fuel Pumps?

My motorcycle's gas tank pump seized, forcing me to drag the bike up a 2km incline to the nearest mechanic. Good thing it failed while the bike was parked and not on the go (had shown a tendency to lose acceleration shortly beforehand, but never died).

Mechanic says he'll try to fix it if it's repairable, otherwise I'll order a new one from the internets and replace it myself.

I'm wondering though, what might have made it seize? The bike is five year old but has very little mileage on it, just 20k kilometres (been planning long trips every summer, and every summer fate conspires to keep me at home... grumble grumble). I'd like to know so I can avoid it in the future.

Dried out and siezed, old gas..?? Maybe a dash of lube would help (fuel stabilizer, kerosene, diesel fuel, 2 stroke oil, etc.?).

Tim

Is your bike running on 2-stroke? If so then maybe you're not using the right mix ratio or, if the bike is stationary too long, the 2-stroke oil is settling out.

Four-stroke; tank only contains gas.

Hmm... I did occasionally leave it unused for days/weeks at a time with very little fuel in the tank.

In-tank pump? or external?

Heat.
If you're like one of those cheapasses who only puts 2 gallon in their car instead of fillling it up, then the pump isn't submerged and kept cool, so expect it to not last as long.

In-tank.

as suggested keep the tank full.
and even if its four stroke, add a bit of 2 stroke oil.
fuel with no oil has not so good lubrication.
if you leave it parked for extended periods (like winter time) then allso fill the tank up.

Fuel with too much oil will evaporate when you leave it for a long time and leave your fuel system all oily.

Not good. But sitting for weeks (or even a couple of months) with a half to full tank should pose no problems, assuming you'll use it up fairly soon afterward.

However... if you only drive it occasionally and for short distances, there may come a point where gas in the tank is more old than new. If so, draining the tank every 4-5 months and refilling it with fresh fuel would be money well spent.

It's also possible you just have a wonky fuel pump. Personally, I'd rather replace it than hire someone (of unknown skill) to attempt a repair, as a new one is more likely to prevent problems on the road.

My two cents.

Fuel pump on a bike - that's just wrong

Of course in the good old days, bike wiring was pretty iffy and they tended to try to jamb everything they could in the headlight housing with lots of bullet connectors. Dunno if anything has gotten any better with the 21st century and electronics making it's way onto two wheelers, but I'd check to make sure the pump itself is the problem for sure.

Also, is there a vacuum valve (to shut off fuel when the engine wasn't running) still used with the electronic pump? Seen a cracked hose or warped air box to carb seal cause starvation.

idk where your at, but here in the us, with the new regs making all fuel contain at least 15% ethanol is destroying a lot of recreational vehicles. especially boats and jetskis. even the cars its supposed to go in. many of the materials that are designed to contain the gasoline and not break down, do not fare as well with the ethanol.

I've heard much about this in recent years - including E85 compatibility and retrofits, but our pumps here in Ontario have had "may contain up to 15 percent ethanol" stickers for decades.

Nothing in WA is ethanol blended

This. I've lost a fuel pump this way which wasn't a cheap fix. My excuse was that I'm a poor university student. Now I just fill up every 350-400km or so (according to my fuel tracking app; car is an old 1993 V6 Commodore 3.8L, not the most fuel efficient thing around).

Draget said: Nothing in WA is ethanol blended.

I'm not sure where WA is but if your talking Washington, as in the state, then you are sadly deluded. All gas here is ten percent blend. Check it out.
Here in the US we are fighting aginst fifteen percent blend. It is supposed to cause excessive heat in air cooled engines. Supposedly the new pumps can deliver either ten or fifteen percent blends. The EPA (?) has sent notice that bike riders shouldn't put in less than four gallons of gas in case the person before you was putting in fifteen percent gas, it can take a bit for the mix to thin back down to ten percent. Rights organisations are fighting this as many motorcycle gas tanks are smaller than four gallons.
My apologies for being off topic. I would agree, an in tank fuel pump should probably remain submerged to operate properly.

I'm in Western Australia

aka : BFE

the in tank pumps use the fuel as a source of cooling and lubrication.
An improper blend or getting moisture in the pump can cause issues.
Also running them dry can cause excessive wear and overheating.
the bit of 2-stroke oil might be something to look into as mentioned earlier.

Just don't add too much.

Also some fuel stabilizers have additives designed to help lubricate the system