Date: Mon, 1 Sep 1997 11:23:05 +0000
Reply-To: "Dr. Theodore B. Hoekman" <thoekman@MORGAN.UCS.MUN.CA>
Sender: Vanagon mailing list <Vanagon@Gerry.SDSC.EDU>
From: "Dr. Theodore B. Hoekman" <thoekman@MORGAN.UCS.MUN.CA>
Organization: Faculty of Medicine, Memorial Univ. of Newf
Subject: Re: Fuel Pump
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Scott,
I too have an 82 Westy diesel with an '86 Jetta GLI gas transplant. Had a
similar saga with fuel pump noise. Had one pump failure, and replaced the
filter with only limitited success in reducing noise. One mechanic
commented that the feed pipe from the diesel tank was not really adequeate
for the flow rate needed for the Fox Fuel pump and the CIS-E injection
system to prevent vapor lock in hot weather.
Cutting to the chase, I decided to have the gas tank refurbished and
increase the size of the pickup and return ports. When I had this done by
a fuel tank rebuilder, they commented that the pickup line had some sort of
plastic liner which had deteriorated (no longer stuck to the lumen of the
pipe) and was likely collapsing under the negative pressure of the pump
draw. This was the cause of the increased resistance to flow, and the
laboring of the pump. Since the operation (In July) the pump has been
quiet as a mouse. The down side is that whatever the rebuilders did with
the new pickup line, when I get down to the last 1-2 gallons of the tank,
going around a corner briskly or up a steep grade puts a bubble of air into
the fuel circuit and I lose power until the gas sloshes back to the fuel
cup. Gives me a safe 200-220 mile cruising range a before the pauses
begin. The tank repairs cost me about the equivalent of $135 US, which
gave me a "rubberized" inner and outer coating to greatly retard rust
possibilities.
The three pieces of the fuel pump assembly are the fuel pump itself (wires
connected), a pressure regulator, and the tin can (fuel filter). The
filter is usually all that needs replacing, (Not cheap, probably > $15),
Fuel pumps are expensive lowest price I have seen for new is > $120.
Hope this helps,
Regards,
Ted Hoekman
Faculty of Medicine - Basic Science
Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John's, Newfoundland Canada A1B 3V6
http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~thoekman (709)737-6703
http://cme.med.mun.ca
>On 29 AUG 1997 Scott Durrant sdurrant@MOSBYCH1.COM wrote:
>
> I read a posting on the list earlier that said noise from a fuel pump
>usually does not mean it is bad. Before I go further, I have an '82 Westy
>diesel that has been converted to a '90 Fox gas engine.
>
> I feel in this case noise may mean it is time to replace the pump. The
>last couple of days I've noticed a buzzing, grinding noise, and sure
enough
>vibration can be felt on the 3 components that seem to make up the fuel
>pump.
>
> To the untrained eye there seems to be a pump that takes gas from the
>tank, then feeds into a condenser of some sort, that then feeds into a
>tin-can looking thing, that finally feeds the fuel to the engine. Is this
>a Vanagon pump or a Fox pump? Is the pump failing? One of the other two
>pieces? Should all three be replaced as a unit?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
Scott
>Durrant (scott.durrant@earthling.net) | ... send lawyers, guns Work Phone
>801.464.6205 | and money ...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
Dr. Theodore B. Hoekman - Faculty of Medicine
Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF Canada A1B 3V6
http://cme.med.mun.ca (709)737-6703
| 
