noisy fuel pump

Steve K · **Posted:** Sun Apr 08, 2012 3:05 pm

Mine developed an unusual and inconsistent squeal a couple of years ago-went for many years without a sound. I replaced the filter and the squeal never went away, so I replaced the filter, hoses (I read that ethanol could be breaking down old hoses), and that pump failed eventually. I put in a new pump, and replaced the other while I was at it last year and there was no noise. This year I started the boat a week ago and while warming it up the squeal started again. I am out of ideas.

DON'T IGNORE UNUSUAL NOISES FROM THE FUEL PUMP OR YOU WILL BE GETTING TOWED IN.

298VISTA2000 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:06 am

Steve K wrote:

This year I started the boat a week ago and while warming it up the squeal started again. I am out of ideas.

I had to replace both of my fuel pumps within a year of our marina making the mistake of switching to the government mandated ethanol. Even though my marina no longer sells that crap, my tech says to put in a quart of two stroke motor oil every time you fill it up to keep things lubed up.

ric · **Posted:** Mon Apr 09, 2012 9:15 am

298VISTA2000 wrote:

Steve K wrote:

This year I started the boat a week ago and while warming it up the squeal started again. I am out of ideas.

I had to replace both of my fuel pumps within a year of our marina making the mistake of switching to the government mandated ethanol. Even though my marina no longer sells that crap, my tech says to put in a quart of two stroke motor oil every time you fill it up to keep things lubed up.

Your tech is a retard. 10% ethanol in gasoline does not remove any lubrication properties of gasoline what so ever. It has been scientifically proven that you can run up to 85% ethanol in a standard gasoline engine without any negative lubrication effects. That's why they sell up to E85 for use in automobiles. Your fuel pumps died from being old. All fuel injected boats are designed for E10 from the factory.

Running two quarts of 2-stroke oil every time you fill up... lets say.. 150 gallons of a 190 gallon tank.... that's a 300:1 ratio. Automotive engines are not designed for that. You will clog fuel filters, foul plugs, gum up the carb, and if your engine has a catalyst--destroy it.

Steve K · **Posted:** Mon Apr 09, 2012 2:58 pm

ric wrote:

298VISTA2000 wrote:

Steve K wrote:

This year I started the boat a week ago and while warming it up the squeal started again. I am out of ideas.

I had to replace both of my fuel pumps within a year of our marina making the mistake of switching to the government mandated ethanol. Even though my marina no longer sells that crap, my tech says to put in a quart of two stroke motor oil every time you fill it up to keep things lubed up.

Your fuel pumps died from being old. .

You are wrong, at least in my case. As I said, the pumps were both replaced last year and now one of them is making the same noise the "old" one did before it failed.

ric · **Posted:** Mon Apr 09, 2012 3:11 pm

Buy pump from another vendor. Has nothing to do with E10.

Walt · **Posted:** Mon Apr 09, 2012 5:19 pm

Check/replace your fuel lines too... my thought is you are sucking air, resulting in pre-mature pump failure. My boat has run on E10 since day 1. The only engine issue I have had is a bad plug wire.

298VISTA2000 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 09, 2012 5:48 pm

ric wrote:

Your tech is a retard.

From someone who recommends using an automotive alternator in the engine well as opposed to a marine one, I will take that as a complement. Can you say KABOOM!!! LOL.

Steve K · **Posted:** Mon Apr 09, 2012 5:56 pm

Walt wrote:

Check/replace your fuel lines too... my thought is you are sucking air, resulting in pre-mature pump failure. My boat has run on E10 since day 1. The only engine issue I have had is a bad plug wire.

I replaced the fuel lines, but an air leak makes a lot more sense than a new pump giving me the same problem issues an 18 year old one did. Thanks for the tip, and I will double check everything, but I would think if I have an air leak I would have a fuel smell or leak when the engine was off.

Walt · **Posted:** Mon Apr 09, 2012 6:38 pm

Steve K wrote:

Walt wrote:

Check/replace your fuel lines too... my thought is you are sucking air, resulting in pre-mature pump failure. My boat has run on E10 since day 1. The only engine issue I have had is a bad plug wire.

I replaced the fuel lines, but an air leak makes a lot more sense than a new pump giving me the same problem issues an 18 year old one did. Thanks for the tip, and I will double check everything, but I would think if I have an air leak I would have a fuel smell or leak when the engine was off.

I am thinking leak on the suction side of the fuel pump. it may not be much... just enough to drain back to the tank when shut off; then when you start, it takes a second or two of turning "dry" before priming the lines. I went through and replaced all the fuel-lines and hose clamps on my '92 while converting from the automotive style fuel filter to the screw on that is more common today.

ric · **Posted:** Mon Apr 09, 2012 6:47 pm

298VISTA2000 wrote:

ric wrote:

Your tech is a retard.

From someone who recommends using an automotive alternator in the engine well as opposed to a marine one, I will take that as a complement. Can you say KABOOM!!! LOL.

If you read the post instead of taking bits out of context (do you work for MSNBC News??), I said to use the rear housing of the marine alternator on the automotive alternator. They are the same alternators, but the marine unit has a screen fitted on the rear housing making it ignition rated. No other differences, just the cover. This was verified by a certified marine mechanic because that's how they fix them.

298VISTA2000 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 09, 2012 10:40 pm

ric wrote:

They are the same alternators, but the marine unit has a screen fitted on the rear housing making it ignition rated. No other differences, just the cover. This was verified by a certified marine mechanic because that's how they fix them.

You mean the "flash arrester screen"? I wonder what your insurance company would think about you doing that and would they pay a claim on a bilge explosion due to the use of a non-ignition rated alternator? Yeah, my tech is a real idiot for trying to protect me and my family.

ric · **Posted:** Mon Apr 09, 2012 11:19 pm

The ignition rating is given to the flash arrester screen, not the unit as a whole. If that were the case, there would be no such thing as a "rebuilt" marine alternator and they would be illegal because every rebuilt marine (and new) use automotive guts with the different case. Purchasing a $30 automotive alternator and swapping cases is no different then buying a rebuilt marine alternator. Same thing. Same rating. 100% USCG legal and safe.

You've been sold some stories and dished out a bunch of money to a local marine mechanic that's told you a bunch of lies to make money off you. That's fine.. but don't go around putting other people down.

NEVER use premix in your gasoline that will actually do damage unlike E10. The worst thing E10 could ever mechanically ever do to a boat engine and all it's supporting equipment is if it's sat for 6 months and collected a bunch of moisture, it would make the engine run really bad due to the water in the gas. So add more gas or drain it, boat runs good again.

Why is E10 not recommended for older boats? Because it burns slower and requires a tad more fuel to run like E0. Carb boats can't automatically adjust for this like modern fuel injected boats. If you own a boat with a carb and want to run E10, you have to physically richen the mixture and advance the ignition to get optimal performance otherwise it will make the boat run sluggish and engine temps a tad warmer then normal. E10 does not eat seals or whatever. If your boat has a carb and it's been unrebuilt for 20 years guess what? Blame it running bad on E10 all you want, but being unrebuilt for 20 years is why it runs bad.

I'm done with this. I love this forum and I love boats, but my god... the myths and fake truths floating around the marine world run rampant.

Borchik · **Posted:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 1:18 pm

Actually E10 does cause problems for older boats....problems that may not occur for many years if non ethanol fuel was being used. The ethanol is not good for older carb kits, fuel lines and some older gas tanks. Boats produced from 1996 and on should have no problems at all, as per the manufacturers. However, Evinrude has said that the E10 fuel was indeed causing fuel injector problems on their E-tec motors, problems that have since been resolved.

LouC · **Posted:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 4:04 pm

Ric I hope you did not really mean that you can run E-85 in a normal car or boat motor, because that is absolutely false. Any flex fuel vehicle (ie can run on E-10 or E-85) has to have a fuel system with special materials to withstand the corrosive nature of ethanol. Why do you think that flex fuel vehicles that can stand E-85 cost more? And don't tell me it's just BS marketing because it isn't.

E-10 blending is not completely accurate. Yes current boats can tolerate it but to educate yourself and not just spout out nonsensical opinions, go and read the Mercury Marine report, on what happens to a modern outboard and sterndrive made for E-10, when you try to run E-15 in them. I have read it and it's not good. Higher exhaust valve temps and over long term that equals burned valves. Some of the engines didn't even last through the test. This was done because some EPA fools pushed by the argi business lobby were contemplating just forcing E-15 on us. Now due to the testing (finally some one listens to experts who know how to conduct experiments) it is ILLEGAL to use E-15 in pre 2007 vehicles.
This part is not MYTH or OPINION...facts from engineers much more knowledgeable than any of us.....
Testing here in LI has revealed that some of what is called E10 is actually E20, or worse. So guess why we have problems.

298VISTA2000 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:39 pm

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noisy fuel pump

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