I put this also in the tech section, but I have a few TPI questions at the end...
Okay, so I broke at the track again... car was stumbling while I waited to go up to the tree, and stalled out after my second run. I finally got it started after letting it sit for 5 mins or so, but it still wanted to stall. If I kept the RPM's constant, and near 3000 RPM, the car would work fine. As soon as I dropped in RPM, or, if I jerkily played with the gas pedal, the car would stumble, cut out, almost stall, etc. I actually had the car floored (thinking it flooded), and the rpm's bounced around 300-400.
The fuel pump sounds like a very large & ticked-off hornet, I've never heard it sound louder! The thing almost sounds like it'll explode- it's definately not it's normal "hum".
I got home (driving with two feet, brake & gas, and using 2nd gear and neutral), and put a fuel pressure gauge on it after the car cooled. With the key "on" and engine "off", after the pump primed, I got 33-35 steady... stock should be 40.5-49 PSI.
Can this be anything else besides the pump?? I haven't bothered to check the regulator or anything because of that loud pump noise; I don't see how a bad regulator would make the pump scream. I just replaced the Fuel Filter (as part of a major tuneup, all filters covered) on July 7th, a few weeks ago. I don't think it's related to anything else (ignition, vacuum, bad gas, etc), because the car runs strong at 3000+ rpm. I doubt it's a leaky injector, because the pressure holds.
I last replaced the fuel pump July 5, 1997. When my original pump died, it went out with a quiet "gurgle"- sounded like a sick motor- not a loud "scream".
That raises another question... I had put a Borg-Warner "lifetime" pump in, along with a new in-tank strainer. Should I return it, and get another BW pump for free, or, should I spill the cash for a genuine Ac/Delco one?
TPI Question #1: You know that high-pressure hose between the fuel tank and car body? Is that available from GM (or parts stores)? Or is that an out-of-stock someone-has-to-make-me-one item? I didn't replace it last time, and it had some cracks in it. I might as well replace it while I'm under there.
TPI Question #2: Last time, I re-used my stock pulsator. I've heard since that those things leak at the o-rings, and they should be eliminated. (I wondered why that length of hose came with my new pump!) For those of you that skipped the pulsator, what kind of clamps do I use? I kept that hose and it's clamps from the Borg-warner box; the clamps are like nothing I've seen before. They're not adjustable at all; they're closed metal rings with a bump on the side. I expected to see those self-tightening "springy" clamps; you know, the kind you'd expand by squeezing with pliers- but these have no way of loosening. What kind of clamps did you use?
Thanks in advance! I hope to do the job this Friday & Saturday... at least I've done it before so I won't have to figure anything out.
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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!
Okay, so I broke at the track again... car was stumbling while I waited to go up to the tree, and stalled out after my second run. I finally got it started after letting it sit for 5 mins or so, but it still wanted to stall. If I kept the RPM's constant, and near 3000 RPM, the car would work fine. As soon as I dropped in RPM, or, if I jerkily played with the gas pedal, the car would stumble, cut out, almost stall, etc. I actually had the car floored (thinking it flooded), and the rpm's bounced around 300-400.
The fuel pump sounds like a very large & ticked-off hornet, I've never heard it sound louder! The thing almost sounds like it'll explode- it's definately not it's normal "hum".
I got home (driving with two feet, brake & gas, and using 2nd gear and neutral), and put a fuel pressure gauge on it after the car cooled. With the key "on" and engine "off", after the pump primed, I got 33-35 steady... stock should be 40.5-49 PSI.
Can this be anything else besides the pump?? I haven't bothered to check the regulator or anything because of that loud pump noise; I don't see how a bad regulator would make the pump scream. I just replaced the Fuel Filter (as part of a major tuneup, all filters covered) on July 7th, a few weeks ago. I don't think it's related to anything else (ignition, vacuum, bad gas, etc), because the car runs strong at 3000+ rpm. I doubt it's a leaky injector, because the pressure holds.
I last replaced the fuel pump July 5, 1997. When my original pump died, it went out with a quiet "gurgle"- sounded like a sick motor- not a loud "scream".
That raises another question... I had put a Borg-Warner "lifetime" pump in, along with a new in-tank strainer. Should I return it, and get another BW pump for free, or, should I spill the cash for a genuine Ac/Delco one?
TPI Question #1: You know that high-pressure hose between the fuel tank and car body? Is that available from GM (or parts stores)? Or is that an out-of-stock someone-has-to-make-me-one item? I didn't replace it last time, and it had some cracks in it. I might as well replace it while I'm under there.
TPI Question #2: Last time, I re-used my stock pulsator. I've heard since that those things leak at the o-rings, and they should be eliminated. (I wondered why that length of hose came with my new pump!) For those of you that skipped the pulsator, what kind of clamps do I use? I kept that hose and it's clamps from the Borg-warner box; the clamps are like nothing I've seen before. They're not adjustable at all; they're closed metal rings with a bump on the side. I expected to see those self-tightening "springy" clamps; you know, the kind you'd expand by squeezing with pliers- but these have no way of loosening. What kind of clamps did you use?
Thanks in advance! I hope to do the job this Friday & Saturday... at least I've done it before so I won't have to figure anything out.
------------------
-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!
...back to the top! Someone's gotta know something about this! 
(Yes, the same fuel pump setup for my 2.8 V6 MPFI is for the V8 TPI's...)
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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!
(Yes, the same fuel pump setup for my 2.8 V6 MPFI is for the V8 TPI's...)------------------
-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!
Senior Member
TPI question #1: yes you can get them from the dealer. I just got a set of fuel lines for my TPI swap.
TPI Question #2: You can use some small heater hose clamps, you know the ones you tighten with a screw driver or 1/4 socket.
TPI Question #2: You can use some small heater hose clamps, you know the ones you tighten with a screw driver or 1/4 socket.
Great, thanks! Hey do you happen to have the part # for that rear tank-to-body fuel feed line? My dealer wants me to "come down" and show him which hose I need, I guess he doesn't believe me when I tell him "high pressure feed hose from tank to body"- and I don't feel like hopping a ride down there to have him say "oh, nope, don't have one."
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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!
------------------
-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!
Member
What does the fuel pressure do when it dies? Or actually I should say what does it do right before it dies?
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Mike C
88 Iroc 5spd
355 TPI, AFR 190s and lotsa other mods
April feature ride at Sethirdgen.org
[This message has been edited by MikeC.86Roc (edited July 27, 2001).]
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Mike C
88 Iroc 5spd
355 TPI, AFR 190s and lotsa other mods
April feature ride at Sethirdgen.org
[This message has been edited by MikeC.86Roc (edited July 27, 2001).]
Well, I found that body-to-tank hose by calling another dealer... problem was, he'd have to order it, and it would've come today (Tuesday). Of course I was doing the job Friday & Saturday.... that's alright, it looks like I can still get to it with the tank up. There's a weird fitting that connects to the hard line that goes to the engine, though... the "tank side" of the hose is a regular flare nut fitting; while the "body side" looks like it just squeezes the hard line. Anyone know anything about getting that part on or off? The damn thing is almost $50 according to the dealer.. who would've thought 8 inches of hose could be so expensive? I guess nobody replaces them!
The pump is in... and I must've been very tired that Wednesday night when I checked pressure. I checked it again Friday- it was 23-25 PSI, NOT 33-35! So the car went up and the pump came down- not without a fight, though. I snapped a bolt on the panhard rod- I used an old rear control arm bolt in it. I ordered two new ones; they came today. (I put the GM part #'s and prices in the suspension board, by the way.)
I scrapped the pulsator, and put the piece of high-pressure hose (included with the pump) on in it's place. I found "fuel injection clamps" at Pep Boys. They look almost exactly like the clamps you mentioned, camaroguy99, but they seem to give a 360 degree seal... don't know if it's just marketing BS, but I bought 'em, and cranked them on. I noticed the pump is a bit louder as it primes (before I crank the engine), but otherwise, I can't notice it.
The car's got more kick again... I wonder how long my fuel pressure was down. I think I'm going to make a point of checking FP at every major tuneup so I'm not caught off-guard again!
MikeC, as far as I can remember, as it died, it stayed constant.. maybe the needle flickered down a bit, but not much. I do remember the neeedle jumping quite a bit as the car stumbled to life, and then staying low as the car tried to run.
Oh yeah- I pinched the return line at the regulator and checked the pump for max pressure- it came near 28 PSI... a normal pump should give 60. Five minutes after seeing that, I was sliding the floorjack underneath the axle!
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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!
The pump is in... and I must've been very tired that Wednesday night when I checked pressure. I checked it again Friday- it was 23-25 PSI, NOT 33-35! So the car went up and the pump came down- not without a fight, though. I snapped a bolt on the panhard rod- I used an old rear control arm bolt in it. I ordered two new ones; they came today. (I put the GM part #'s and prices in the suspension board, by the way.)
I scrapped the pulsator, and put the piece of high-pressure hose (included with the pump) on in it's place. I found "fuel injection clamps" at Pep Boys. They look almost exactly like the clamps you mentioned, camaroguy99, but they seem to give a 360 degree seal... don't know if it's just marketing BS, but I bought 'em, and cranked them on. I noticed the pump is a bit louder as it primes (before I crank the engine), but otherwise, I can't notice it.
The car's got more kick again... I wonder how long my fuel pressure was down. I think I'm going to make a point of checking FP at every major tuneup so I'm not caught off-guard again!
MikeC, as far as I can remember, as it died, it stayed constant.. maybe the needle flickered down a bit, but not much. I do remember the neeedle jumping quite a bit as the car stumbled to life, and then staying low as the car tried to run.
Oh yeah- I pinched the return line at the regulator and checked the pump for max pressure- it came near 28 PSI... a normal pump should give 60. Five minutes after seeing that, I was sliding the floorjack underneath the axle!
------------------
-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!