Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (March 2018, week 1)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Mon, 5 Mar 2018 00:30:14 +0000
Reply-To:     Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Fuel pressure too high
Comments: To: Rick Cooper <rickdcooper@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAG12ait2qrFinyw5-CD4czQKzNZ+wQ8nKPVtm3Dw4DnXc8nnaQ@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

You have a detective gauge. At 100 the engine would be running rich if at all. It would probably flood even filling the cylinders locking the engine or bending a rod.

Dennis

Sent from my Windows 10 phone

From: Rick Cooper<mailto:rickdcooper@GMAIL.COM> Sent: Sunday, March 4, 2018 7:01 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM<mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Subject: Fuel pressure too high

Hi Folks,

I've got an '86 Westy with a 2.1 waterboxer. I've been having no end of fun trying to diagnose a fuel supply problem and I'm baffled. I've searched the archives and tried lots of different things but, although some things improved the situation, I still haven't found a permanent solution.

The key symptom throughout has been a noisy fuel pump which gets very loud and sounds like a stuck pig when the situation gets bad enough that the engine dies. That doesn't happen until after I've driven it 5-10 miles. After driving say 3 miles, it's whining and after 5 or more, it is starting to die on acceleration, idle is okay for a while but eventually it will stall.

It's weird -- I'll be tootling along a 50kmh (30mph) and then no power, the tach drops back to 850. A short while (say 3-10 seconds), the tach will take off and I've got power again. It repeatedly does this except that the intervals between the losses of power decrease until ultimately the engine will simply not start and the fuel pump is screaming and growling when I try to start it.

I've got an '86 tintop with a 2.1 engine that I parked a couple of years ago rather than repairing a serious coolant leak in one of the heads. I swapped most of the Digifant components out of it and into my '87 (AFM, throttle, idle control valve and fuel pressure regulator). Replaced the plugs, checked the timing. Replaced the fuel filter. Nothing made much difference.

Did a fuel flow test and I'm getting about 750 ml in 30 seconds, Bentley says 500ml is good.

I first suspected rust from the fuel tank, so I pulled it off and cleaned it out. Not rusty but the gas obviously had water in it. Discovered that one of the plastic expansion tanks had a crack in it and the grommet around the valve at the top was shot; water was entering easily during our current rainy season here in Victoria. So I patched all of that up yesterday and have new grommets on order.

Today is warm and dry. Took it for a run and to pick up a fuel pressure gauge. It was about a 15 mile run, started out much better although the fuel pump still whined though less so. Just barely got home, it was starting the loss of power cycle again.

Tried out the fuel pressure gauge. At the fuel pressure test screw, I'm getting around 100psi! (the guage only goes up to about 70). Pressure is not affected by pulling the vacuum hose off of the pressure regulator, though the idle speed picks up slightly. The Bentley says it should be 29-36psi, depending on whether the vacuum hose is attached. Pressure at the return hose is the same -- around 100psi. After shutting the engine off, it takes a long time for the pressure to even begin to decline.

I suspected a blockage in the return line, but although it is has at times seemed hard to blow through, today it was fine and I could easily blow air into the tank.

Anyone have any ideas what might be going on?

Thanks, Rick

-- *Because **I want my vote to count.* *And I want my neighbour's vote to count too. * https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsecure.fairvote.ca%2Fen%2Fbc-referendum-vote-pledge&data=02%7C01%7C%7Cd311825210ad465c815808d5822c453e%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636558049007448908&sdata=fNGw54PM%2BFIovv3rsbZpXJdNQ8kArJAbqXVrKPNvfY8%3D&reserved=0


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.