Bad fuel pump AGAIN?! come on.....

Technologic80 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 05, 2013 7:38 pm

Last year I replaced the low pressure fuel pump on my PORT engine. It was hot to the touch and whining. Figured, might as well replace it before it sh*ts the bed out on the lake somewhere...

Btw, the boat had 90 hours on it when I bought it last year from good friends. Its a 1997. Marine gas always, but as you can see, with the low hours and sitting a lot, gas had to have went bad.

This year my STBD engine is acting up. Yesterday it wouldnt start. Well, it would... but would stall out right after it started and then it would just crank and crank and crank.... Finally after letting it sit for 10 minutes, it started up and I was able to get home. You could hear the fuel pump whining, and the low pressure fuel pump was SUPER hot to the touch.

I just replaced the fuel filter separators in May, they only have 11 hours on them. I took the STBD engine's off, drained it... there was literally nothing in it but gas. No debris, no water. I put a new Volvo Penta filter on. Ordered a new Volvo Penta low pressure fuel pump $$$$ but I dont want to throw parts at it as last year, replacing my low pressure fuel pump on my PORT engine didnt solve the cold starting problems I have with it. The STBD engine has never had problems starting or running, its new this year.

Any way to remove and test the low pressure pump? With the pump getting super hot to the touch and humming, does that indicate failure or impending doom?

Signed,
Do not want to throw parts at the boat until my wallet is empty

LouC · **Posted:** Mon Aug 05, 2013 7:50 pm

I wish I could help more but still running my stone age tech boat (carb+mechanical fuel pump), other than making sure the anti-siphon valve on the tank is not sticking and the fuel vent is open, and, checking for air leaks from the fuel lines (thinking of all the things that can cause fuel pumps to work too hard).
I think the root of problems with marine FI pumps is that, a marine system cannot have the pump in the tank (or not ) pushing gas to the FI system, because if there is a leak after the pump it will fill the bilge with gas in no time. Auto systems can work that way but not boats. Boats have to use a system whereby the pump sucks gas from the tank to the FI system and anything that restricts fuel flow will cause the pumps to strain. Are they the same pumps that were found to be painted in side and the paint was clogging up screens in the pump? Someone on the Hull Truth .com actually took apart one of those cleaned it out and it seemed to have worked. Screen was all clogged up.

Technologic80 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 07, 2013 8:32 pm

Ok so today I replaced the low pressure fuel pump. No more whining/buzzing and now the low pressure pump doesnt get scorching hot to the touch.

Its starting "funny". Since its fuel injected, it's always started up with gusto. It would rev up to 1400rpms or so and slowly settle. Now when you crank it, it kind of hangs at 500rpms then kinda idles up to 1000rpms and back down.

Im thinking something else is up...maybe the high pressure pump is on its way out. Its times like this I miss my carbureted marine engines... any other time I love the EFI but got it can be a PITA.

Winter Sux · **Posted:** Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:16 am

Chances are your ECU compensated as your old pump was crapping out. Give it a little time for your ECU to re-learn now that your pump is back to normal.

ric · **Posted:** Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:52 am

The VP pumps are garbage. Next time have a GOOD mechanic install an aftermarket fuel pump and never worry about it again.

Winter Sux · **Posted:** Thu Aug 08, 2013 10:42 am

My garbage fuel pumps are the factory originals with over 700 hours on them.

rpengr · **Posted:** Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:56 pm

Are the Electric Fuel Pumps on carburated models known to have any problems? No problem with mine so far (knock on wood).

230 Mike · **Posted:** Thu Aug 08, 2013 2:20 pm

Winter Sux wrote:

My garbage fuel pumps are the factory originals with over 700 hours on them.

LouC · **Posted:** Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:08 pm

It really sounds like a supplier issue because some have trouble some don't. But enough do that its safe to say its not an isolated problem.

Winter Sux · **Posted:** Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:23 pm

Good point Lou. Next time I'm at the boat I'll see if I can find out the actual manufacturer. They kinda look like a Carter pump to me. I must admit I am anal about NOT using ethanol and even treat my fuel with Star Tron just incase. Maybe ethanol is crapping out so many pumps?

ric · **Posted:** Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:58 pm

Hey some people have no issues with their XDP drives either

LouC · **Posted:** Thu Aug 08, 2013 6:43 pm

Honestly the boat companies should be able to source pumps that can run ethanol with no problem. When was the last time you had to replace an electric fuel pump in a vehicle? We have had nothing but E10 here for years and we have two 15 year old vehicles with the OE pumps still running fine. I know the boat pump lives a harder life but still, this is not unknown stuff, after all Volvo was also in the car biz too and not only that their cars had FI way back in the old days...but as I recall...those early European FI systems did not play that well with American gas...we felt lucky to still have our Quadrajets back in the 70s, at least they always RAN.....

298VISTA2000 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:27 pm

My tech says to put about a quart of two stroke in your gas tank every time you fill up. Helps keep things lubed up because gas is sh!t these days.

Technologic80 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:45 pm

What a night!! :evil:

I had this genius idea... why not remove the HIGH pressure fuel pump and make sure the inlet screen isnt clogged, etc.
What a freakin mistake. The high pressure pump is behind the throttle body, to the left, and the floor would have to be unscrewed and lifted in my 97 Vista 278 to get "full" access. Read: easy access.

I went out there at 5:30 and just got inside. Verdict: Screen was squeeky clean :roll:

I used my mechanics stethoscope to listen to the pumps and my high pressure is much noisier than the low pressure one but maybe thats the nature of it?

Also, had to run to West Marine to get new o-rings, fortunately they had the exact size I needed. Of course, in a multi-pack for $4.39. Ill save the extras for next time...

FWIW, I found an Airtex equivalent of my fuel pump with a 1 year warranty for $71. I bought it and will keep it onboard as a spare, because one of my two engines high pressure fuel pumps is sure to sh*t the bed soon. My port side, I suspect, has been acting up for a while which makes my cold starts difficult. And my starboard side I think acted up last Sunday, when the starboard engine would stay running after overnighting on the lake.

:shock:

My arms look (and feel) like I had a date with a tree shredder :shock:

Technologic80 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 9:15 am

To add insult to injury, I just discovered that the o-rings that WORST marine sold me are the wrong ones. The o-rings that came off the fuel pump were brown, West Marine sold me black o-rings out of their plumbing section that the sales guy "promised" me they were fuel safe :roll:

Went on the web and ordered the VP genuine brown, made for fuel o-rings.

That means I have to take it apart again!!! :evil:

www.iFourWinns.com

Bad fuel pump AGAIN?! come on.....

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