Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 08:40:19 -0700
Reply-To: ksmale1@TELUS.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ken Smale <ksmale1@TELUS.NET>
Subject: Re: Noisy fuel pump causes
In-Reply-To: <ABC9C66D1193489F971F7921809A65F9@RON>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Hello All,
Brand new to the list. I hope I'm not contravening any protocols by answering
this way.
Firstly, I think Ron's advice is great. Here's my story.
I have an '84 as well. When I bought mine 8 years ago the PO gave me an extra
fuel pump with the van as the fuel pump was making the usual loud sounds. Soon
after, it did in fact fail while on a 3 hour trip, so I put in the replacement
he gave me. When I got home I removed and opened up the fuel filter - it was
full of dirt and rust. I then replaced the fuel lines to the expansion tanks
and started replacing the fuel filter every few months while I was driving the
van to try and protect the fuel pump, which had developed the loud noise again.
I recently did a Subaru conversion, and in the course of the conversion removed
and cleaned out the gas tank (which was quite clean) and replaced all the fuel
lines. Soon after I was on a trip and had some behaviour that seemed like the
fuel pump was on its way out (it was 8 years old by then) so I ordered a new one
and had it sent by greyhound close to where I was camping.
I replaced the fuel pump, and then found out on the trip home it wasn't the
problem (it was related to the speed sensor). I also found that almost
instantly the new fuel pump started making the noise again. So, now I have a
brand new fuel pump and an old 8 year old spare.
I guess the moral of the story for me is all I will be willing to do is the
relatively easy things to make sure I'm not getting crud in the pump like
replacing the expansion tank fuel lines and changing and monitoring the pre pump
filter. If the filter isn't getting dirty, I'm not going to worry about the
tank. In my experience the fuel pumps are very prone to developing the noise
suggesting cavitation even when things seem ok, but, they run for a long time
like that. I'll just always carry a spare pump and filter and put up with the
noise.
Of course, if I start burning out pumps every year, I may have to take more
drastic measures.
Sorry for the long post.
Cheers,
Ken
Quoting The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>:
> > Other than look at it I have done nothing yet.
> >
> > 1) Bad pump?
> > 2) Dirty tank? (looks like a new filter going into the pump)
> > 2) Does the pump have vibration mount?
>
>
> More likely than not (and especially if the pump has already been replaced),
> the pump is noisy because something is restricting its input. Dirt or rust
> in the tank is one possibility; a restriction in the line may be another.
> If so, the new pump will eventually burn up if you don't find the root
> cause. Since you have an '84, I assume you have a pre-pump filter (unlike
> some later Vanagons, which only have a post-pump filter). The fact that the
> filter looks good does not completely eliminate the possibility of some sort
> of blockage or foreign object that is too large travel through the fuel line
> to the filter. Remember, the tank is gravity fed; anything in it will tend
> to sink to the bottom.
>
> - Ron Salmon
> The Bus Depot, Inc.
> www.busdepot.com
> (215) 234-VWVW
>
> _____________________________________________
> Toll-Free for Orders by PART # : 1-866-BUS-DEPOT
>
