Date:         Wed, 19 Jun 1996 20:38:07 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Gentry <dennis@cpac.washington.edu>
Subject:      Re: intermittent engine cut-off

"David L. Leigh" <dleigh@nando.net> writes that he'd like to
replace the fuel pump on his '76 Westy, but was quoted $180.

My first piece of advice is to install an electric fuel pump
with a regulator instead of sticking with the engine-driven fuel
pump.  My '72 bus has happily run through 100,000 miles worth of
fuel pumped by a cheap (~$40) electric fuel pump, chosen at a
FLAPS by picking the smallest one that slightly exceeded the
fuel pressure and flow specs given by the Bentley Manual.

My second piece of advice is to check the bus out at high speed
before you do this.  If the hesitation is only at 35mph and not
faster, it's probably not a fuel problem.  Fuel problems usually
show up at higher fuel flows, like when you have it floored at
high RPMs in 3rd or 4th gear.  When the engine-driven fuel pump
in my '72 died, the symptom was that I couldn't go any faster
than 35-40mph on level road.  (Gravity flow was good for 35 mph,
I guess.)

Anyway, good luck!
Dennis