Date:         Thu, 30 Aug 2007 09:09:30 -0700
Reply-To:     TinkerMan <tinkerman007@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         TinkerMan <tinkerman007@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Measuring fuel pressure
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Hello Volks!

I'm having intermittent stalling problems with my 1990
2.1L digijet (yup, I'm from Europe, where these were
manufacured till 1991 and called Transporters, or
Caravelles for the deluxe models. In the U.S. digijets
were sold only till 1985) wasserboxer, shortly after
starting.
The problem seems to occure more quickly in hot
weather. I'm trying to debug as per the Bentley manual
but don't have a fuel pressure gauge, and it's hard to
find one locally (non at Auto Depot, and I don't know
any professional shops), so I'm trying to improvise.
Here are a few ideas I've come up with:

1. An air pressure meter - these are quite common (the
ones with rotary movement, not the "pen-type"). Of
course I need to find one with a 3-bar scale and a
screw-on schrueder valve (the standard car wheel
valve) with adapter to the fuel pressure test point
(the screw on the fuel rail 'T' near the fuel pressure
regulator), so I won't have to hold it while measuring
(as needed with the cheap gauges which are
press-to-test types).
One option (don't laugh...) is a mountain bike shock
pump, which has an accurate 300PSI scale (I actualy
use it to measure 30-50psi, and it also has a safety
margin). I'm just wondering if the fuel that might be
induced into the meter momentarily can cause any
damage (I think not, since the input champer is
probably sealed from the mechanism, and there's a one
way valve from the pump itself).

2. Analog Electric Oil/Fuel pressure sender (a
commonly available unit used in some car), connected
with adaptor to the fuel pressure test point and a
ohmmeter (since I don't have the dedicated dashbord
gauge, but can look at the senders's graph).

Of course I'm aware that maximal fuel pressure can go
as high as 90PSI (=6.5bar, in case the pressure
regulator fails) hence the system must be able to
wistand that pressure, and that if one of the adapter
hoses pops out I'm risking a spurt of fuel and
potential fire risk (so will connect everything
securily with hoseclamps).
So I'd be glad to hear safery recommendations as well
as remarks on my ideas or even better ones
(prefereably inexpensive and easy to implement too,
using commonly available parts) to check the fuel
system.

Thanks for any help offered.
cheers,
TM


Cheers, T-man.



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