Date:         Mon, 5 Jun 1995 20:16:13 -0600 (MDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Jack Reed <jackr@fortnet.org>
Subject:      Re: Fuel Pump

Hi Gerry,

On Mon, 5 Jun 1995, Gerald Skerbitz wrote:

> My fuel pump started howling and humming today.  I called a couple of 
> parts places (the dealers were already closed).  $149 (on sale!) and 
> $199.  Can anyone tell me what the dealer price might be or if these are 
> the same prices others are seeing around the country.
> 
> Also, is there a chance to repair the thing, or am I out of luck?

Alas, those things are sealed units.  They crimp the edges of the barrel 
to seal it's guts in.  Even if you were able to open it up and get 
everything repaired you'd probably crack the barrel when it came time to 
seal everything up.

Couple of things to check though:
1.  Have you picked up some bad gas recently?  I replaced the gas tank in 
the 81 without flushing it out first and ALL kinds of crud (dust, dirt, 
etc.) wound up in the filter (which I later sawed in half to inspect all 
the goodies :I ).  Because the pump had to pull against all of this 
deposited detritus it started howling immediately.  Pull the filter 
(after clamping off the gas line) and see if you can blow through it.  If 
it _seems_ clogged, (read:not like blowing through a very slightly 
constricted tube) replace the filter and see if the howling goes away.  
Even if it doesn't seem clogged it's a good idea to replace the filter to 
protect the new pump.  

If you decide to buy a new filter and compare the new/old side by side 
keep in mind that the "wet" filter will give more resistance that the 
"dry" one.

2. Sometimes a bit of crud will get past the filter and get lodged in the 
pump and cause all kinds of nasty noises.  Rap on the pump smartly a 
few times with the business end of a 19 mm wrench and see if the problem 
persists.  As I recall this is recommended in the Muir book.

3. My Rabbit pump only cost ~$100 at Checker with a lifetime warranty.  
You'll have to wait a couple of days while they special order it (more 
than likely) but it's worth it.  It's been in the car for a couple of 
years now with no problems.

I know, I know, it's not Bosch, but I'd rather be able to stroll in and 
get a new (if necessary) at no cost than to shell out double or triple 
the cost and then hassle with the guy that sold it to me for a 
replacement.  My peace of mind is more important than the cost since I 
don't mind changing these things when they fail (much ;) ).
What can I say, they have almost always failed close to home or given me 
plenty of warning when they are about to go out.

4. One more thing to try is to spin the filter off the car by hooking it 
direct to the battery with some looong leads so as not to ignite any 
residual gas with a spark.  Spin it with the inlet end down and see if 
any crud comes out.  If so, reinstall and see if noise has gone away.  
This is a little iffy as a check since you may not solve the problem but 
it's squirreled away in my troubleshooting algorythm so I thought I'd 
toss it out as well.

5. If you need the van as a daily driver and money isn't an issue ignore 
steps 1-4, buy a new pump and filter, install, and be happily mobile 8).

Jack