Where is the Pressure Regulator?

So from the info I've read on other forum posts I think my fuel pressure regulator is bad. I have an 08 Wr250x and when I start the bike she cranks and combusts but you can hear the fuel struggling to keep up so she dies out eventually. I read from one posts that if you take the tank off and remove the fuel line that if it leaks out it's the pressure regulator. I'm not very mechanically inclined so I'm not sure where the pressure regulator is located. Is it inside the gas tank where the fuel assembly is or is it below heading toward the actual bike. If anyone can show me where it is or how to replace it that would be great.

The fuel pressure regulator is attached to the fuel pump assembly. It's about the size of a stack of quarters (20?or so?). Remove the tank and the pump assembly, pry the tabs apart and it pops right out with a pair of needlenose pliers. I replaced mine a few months ago with a Quantum Fuel item and developed a flat-spot / dead spot in the throttle around 50-60 mph; it still ran but had this strange driveability issue.... I swapped the oem one back in and the problem went away. I hate it when aftermarket parts cause a problem instead of fixing one....

The quantum pressure regulator was the part I had planned to buy to replace the OEM one that I assume is failing in my bike. The bike will idle but die out as if it's not getting enough fuel. If the Qauntum after market part will have an issue should I just buy a completely new fuel assembly? You said you put your OEM one back in and it worked fine, does that mean I should try to take out the OEM one that is in there now and clean it to see if it will work?

The pressure regulator cannot be cleaned; if it is not working properly it must be replaced.

Correct, if you disconnect the fuel line and fuel flows continuously, this means the pressure regulator is not working properly; however, if fuel does not flow, this does not mean that the pressure regulator is working properly.

The Quantum is the only aftermarket regulator that fits the WRR, but it is set at a higher pressure (55 psi) than the OEM (36 psi) one; this means that you will have to lower the fuel settings in whatever EFI programmer you are using. If you are not using a programmer, i.e. you are running stock, then the engine will be running extremely rich with the Quantum pressure regulator.

Thank you guys so much for the responses I really appreciate it. Since you guys seem to be way more knowledgeable than me on the situation would you recommend I buy a completely new fuel assembly or buy the Quantum regulator as well as a programmer for the bike?

Let's back up for a moment here: how do you know it's the pressure regulator? When my pressure regulator went south, the symptoms were different than what you describe.

You mentioned that you are not mechanically inclined; if you buy a new pump assembly or pressure regulator, are you confident you can replace them? What if the problem persists after you replace them? Continue changing components at random? Have you considered taking the bike to a shop and let them figure out what's wrong?

To answer your question, a new fuel pump assembly would be the most straightforward solution; it is not a good idea to get a programmer if you have not been using one.

FWIW, there IS a small screen behind the fuel pressure regulator. Mine was perfectly clean when I removed it. I contacted quantum and they refunded my credit card for the regulator, so that's nice.
I was unaware of any difference in fuel pressure, and I DO have a tuner on the bike; so that may have been the cause of the driveability problem. Either way, it's fixed now and that's all that matters. On a separate note, are you guys aware that there is a difference in fuel hose that is designed to be submerged in gasoline and regular hose???? That was the reason I had it apart in the beginning. I had replaced the fuel pump and the hose that came with the ebay pump must have had regular hose and it got soft from the outside in and failed. The more you know......

yophilly wrote:

On a separate note, are you guys aware that there is a difference in fuel hose that is designed to be submerged in gasoline and regular hose???? That was the reason I had it apart in the beginning. I had replaced the fuel  pump and the hose that came with the ebay pump must have had regular hose and it got soft from the outside in and failed. The more you know......    

Yes, hoses come in different grades depending on their particular resistance to various chemical substances.

Why would a fuel pump come with a hose since it is not needed to connect it to the assembly? And why would you change the original one if you didn't have a problem with it? Even the OEM fuel pump assembly does not come with a hose; the fuel hose that connects the pump to the injector is a separate item.

The aftermarket pump is a 'pump only' kit. It comes with a few different hoses and pieces/parts; I assume it fits a bunch of different vehicles. I assume the hose that was sent with the kit was non-submersible and failed after a short time...(2 months??), and the bike died out of nowhere. I found the problem and learned a lesson about submergible fuel hose. Unfortunately, I did not have the ability to purchase the correct hose immediately and I'm an impatient S.O.B....plus I ride almost every day....so I put another hunk of regular 5/16" fuel injection hose in there and ordered a foot of 'submergible' hose, as well as a fuel pressure regulator. Basically just because it was cheap and easy to do, I figured I would try it. Well, I did and no bueno....but nothing ventured nothing gained as they say.....

I have replaced a few fuel pumps in cars and atv's and I have always had to cut the original hose off the pump (most of the time it's convoluted hard-plastic type of hose). Then install the included piece of hose and clamps and whatever else you need to booger the aftermarket thing in there. I guess I was just lucky and the hoses included in the previous kits were the correct kind....Live and learn....

yophilly wrote:

The aftermarket pump is a 'pump only' kit. It comes with a few different hoses and pieces/parts; I assume it fits a bunch of different vehicles.

We're on different wavelengths here: the fuel pump does not attach to the WRR fuel pump assembly via a hose, it is a press fit into the fuel cage, so there is no hose to change when you replace the fuel pump. What hose are you referring to then?

I give up

Thanks for the responses once again. Johnkol, you make some good points about making sure it's the pressure regulator. I honestly don't know for sure I just read a forum post that eluded to the fact that if you had recently taken the tank off to do some work it could be a kinked fuel line: Later in that same post it said that if you remove the fuel line from the tank and the gas flows out continuously that it's most likely the pressure regulator. I had rode my bike one day and everything was fine until I stalled it in a parking lot, right after stalling she would crank but wouldn't combust. I assumed I had flooded the carb so I walked the bike back to my storage unit where I wasn't too far from. At that point I figured it might be a spark plug issue since it was turning but not firing. I replaced the spark plug and after doing so found that forum post that lead me to removing the fuel line to see if the gas came out flowing which it did. I'm not very mechanically inclined but was able to replace the spark plug, change the oil. and install the AIS block off kit by myself. When I look at the youtube "how to" for the fuel assembly I can do what I see on there. I had not wanted to take it to a shop since in the past I've been burned by a lot of mechanics saying it's one thing just to charge me more hourly. That's my own bias but I guess I could give it to a shop if I don't solve it here soon. The bike fires up and starts but eventually dies out unless I keep twisting the throttle to give it gas, if I don't twist the throttle she dies out in a few minutes or less. I could take a video if that would help identify the problem.

wasdon wrote:

I replaced the spark plug and after doing so found that forum post that lead me to removing the fuel line to see if the gas came out flowing which it did.

If fuel was flowing continuously, then this is a clear sign that the pressure regulator is not working. You can replace it with the Quantum regulator, but the bike will be running very rich; it will still run fine short-term, but it's probably not a good idea long-term.

wasdon wrote:

I assumed I had flooded the carb so I walked the bike back to my storage unit where I wasn't too far from.

The WRR does not have a carburetor, so there is nothing to flood.