Date:         Fri, 17 Jan 2003 16:19:36 -0600
Reply-To:     Jim Bryant <B10JPB1@WPO.CSO.NIU.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Bryant <B10JPB1@WPO.CSO.NIU.EDU>
Subject:      Re: ARG! HELP! fuel pump problems
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

On Thu, 16 Jan 2003,  Greg Marshall <earthboy@ROGERS.COM> wrote:
<snip>
>Had a new fuel tank put in the van in the fall, also put on a new to
me
>used pump, because mine packed up at about the same time th tank did.
>Everything was running fine until Monday.
>
>Monday:  Fuel pump started to whine and groan and van seemed starved.

I followed this thread through the various responses and suggestions
and didn't see that a solution was found.

My '84 had similar problems and I tried most of the suggestions and
some more.  One more low tech alternative is to reverse the lines
to/from the tank.  Usually, the right side hose from the tank goes to
the filter, then pump, then back to the engine.  On the left side is the
return line (after the injectors and pressure regulator).  When I had a
pump whine and fuel starvation I putzed around  with pumps and filters
and regulators trying to diagnose it.

During that process I used compressed air to blow "back" through the
supply fuel line to clean the sock inside the tank.  Fuel came out
freely after that...but only for a little while.  At the same time, I
was getting free flow out the hose on the return side, so I bought some
extra fuel line and swapped the lines so the left hose from the tank
goes to the fuel filter and pump.  The right one is now the return line.
 It has worked several years like that.

You can also bypass the regulator (for testing purposes only), run the
pump from a battery and see if the regulator is the only reason for the
whine.  Fuel should circulate freely through everything and go back to
the tank.

I also do without the stock fuel filter now and put in a clear one "off
the shelf" so I can get down under there and look at it and SEE how
clogged it is.

Just another 2 cents on the subject.

-Jim Bryant