Aftermarket Fuel Pump Mounting Issues
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:14 am
Ludwig's electric fuel pump often made such a racket where it used to be mounted that Colin and I moved it atop the transaxle in 2010 or 2011 or sometime. It made a lot less noise there (or, better, its noise was much less readily-transmitted to the cabin from there).
Last weekend we found ourselves idling at the shoulder on an onramp in SW Montana for a diaper change, maybe for 10 minutes. Everyone dry, I accelerated to get back in the flow when the engine gave me a brief but definite hiccup, toward the top of 3rd gear (ca. 47-50 mph). It instantly recovered so I blamed it on bad gas [Question: Is there such a thing? I mean, the gas wasn't old, but maybe it was an off-brand or batch? Maybe I put in the wrong octane? I always go for the cheapest, the 87 or whatever.] There were no other problems the rest of the hundred or so miles home.
Fast forward to this weekend. On the way home, on the hottest day of the year so far (low 90s), same situation: idled for awhile during a pit stop, stumbled while getting up to speed. Except this time it was much more pronounced right off the bat. It stumbled at the top of each gear, excepting 4th which I didn't get into; I pulled over to see if it was overheating. It didn't seem to be; the fan shroud was plenty warm but not exceedingly so. I pulled out the dipstick with no trouble. After sitting for a while I gave it another go and after a couple hiccups it seemed to resolve itself so we kept on barreling toward home. It was running fine, 65-70 mph, until I had to downshift to get over the last major pass of the trip. It stumbled like crazy and this time I couldn't limp it forward.
Terrified that I was cooking this pretty-new engine, I went out back but again, it didn't feel or smell hot. Thinking the stumbling felt as though we were simply running out of gas, I went to look at the fuel filter(s). Well well well. The first thing I see is that the fuel line coming out of the tank is rubbing on the axle, which has worn through a good part of the cloth. "Why is it hanging that low anyways?" I thought. Because the fuel pump has liberated itself from its perch atop the transaxle, that's why. The only things holding it on were the fuel lines and its wiring.
Not of a mind to wait on a busy interstate shoulder for it to cool down enough to really crawl underneath and wrestle with it (again, on a busy interstate shoulder), especially with the family, I made the call to have Ludwig make it the rest of the 38 miles home on the hook (flatbed actually).
I'm not sure why I posted this since I don't have any questions yet (except the bracketed one above). I suppose I did because I'll have some after I take a closer look at everything this week.
Last weekend we found ourselves idling at the shoulder on an onramp in SW Montana for a diaper change, maybe for 10 minutes. Everyone dry, I accelerated to get back in the flow when the engine gave me a brief but definite hiccup, toward the top of 3rd gear (ca. 47-50 mph). It instantly recovered so I blamed it on bad gas [Question: Is there such a thing? I mean, the gas wasn't old, but maybe it was an off-brand or batch? Maybe I put in the wrong octane? I always go for the cheapest, the 87 or whatever.] There were no other problems the rest of the hundred or so miles home.
Fast forward to this weekend. On the way home, on the hottest day of the year so far (low 90s), same situation: idled for awhile during a pit stop, stumbled while getting up to speed. Except this time it was much more pronounced right off the bat. It stumbled at the top of each gear, excepting 4th which I didn't get into; I pulled over to see if it was overheating. It didn't seem to be; the fan shroud was plenty warm but not exceedingly so. I pulled out the dipstick with no trouble. After sitting for a while I gave it another go and after a couple hiccups it seemed to resolve itself so we kept on barreling toward home. It was running fine, 65-70 mph, until I had to downshift to get over the last major pass of the trip. It stumbled like crazy and this time I couldn't limp it forward.
Terrified that I was cooking this pretty-new engine, I went out back but again, it didn't feel or smell hot. Thinking the stumbling felt as though we were simply running out of gas, I went to look at the fuel filter(s). Well well well. The first thing I see is that the fuel line coming out of the tank is rubbing on the axle, which has worn through a good part of the cloth. "Why is it hanging that low anyways?" I thought. Because the fuel pump has liberated itself from its perch atop the transaxle, that's why. The only things holding it on were the fuel lines and its wiring.
Not of a mind to wait on a busy interstate shoulder for it to cool down enough to really crawl underneath and wrestle with it (again, on a busy interstate shoulder), especially with the family, I made the call to have Ludwig make it the rest of the 38 miles home on the hook (flatbed actually).
I'm not sure why I posted this since I don't have any questions yet (except the bracketed one above). I suppose I did because I'll have some after I take a closer look at everything this week.