Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2007 20:18:00 -0500
Reply-To: Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Subject: Re: Measuring fuel pressure
In-Reply-To: <606053.94838.qm@web50112.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
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If you have a VDO oil pressure gauge set up in you van(if not WHY
not?), you can add another wire to a single pole double throw switch
near the dash somewhere and use a second OP sending unit tied into
the T connector in the fuel rail with the high pressure 7mm hose and
really good ss clamps. Some have said that the OP sender won't
handle the gasoline, but mine's been fully functional for a couple
of years now and no problems. You can flip the switch and see if the
FPR is working and I've even used it to monitor an "emergency" drive
where I had forgotten to fill up at the last gas station for 50
miles. Once the pressure starts to drop below the 29psi, it's time
to turn off the engine so the pump doesn't run dry and fill your fuel
lines with air making the restart that much harder. The only
disadvantage to this system is that if you are doing diagnostic work,
the gauge is up front, but I'm sure some willing assistant will
either read the gauge for you or you could dig out the
binoculars. Used OP gaugesif you don't have one) are cheap on ebay
and in junk yards. Many Golfs, Jettas, and Audi 4k and 5ks had them
from the factory and if your'e lucky, the sending unit might still be
on the motor. Still way cheaper than the Sear FP tester or the one
from Snap on.
DM&FS
>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.
>
>
>
>____________________________________________________________________________________
>Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your
>story. Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games.
>http://sims.yahoo.com/
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