Think I need a new fuel pump but have some questions.

[Totally 80s]

Went to start the car today and it wouldn't turn on (cranked but wouldn't start). Sprayed some starter fluid into the fuel distibuter and it started briefly then stopped. Listened for fuel pump heard nothing. Jumped rpm relay and heard nothing.

I notice that a lot of people replace the baffle and hoses and all that when replacing the pump. My question is why (assuming your hoses are ok). Why do you change all that stuff inside the tank? What is breaking or going wrong inside the tank?

I'm sure there is a great reason I just don't know a lot about fuel tanks.

Has anyone bought Hervey's set up and been disappointed?

[Ron]

Just preventive maintenance. Basically, if the rubber is not real soft (smudges) and the plastic is not hard, you can probably wait until next time. Checking would mean taking it apart before ordering, of coarse.

I'd get some fairly heavy wire and jump the pump straight off of the battery before assuming it was bad....

[nullset]

Went to start the car today and it wouldn't turn on (cranked but wouldn't start). Sprayed some starter fluid into the fuel distibuter and it started briefly then stopped. Listened for fuel pump heard nothing. Jumped rpm relay and heard nothing.


Did you check the voltage at the fuel pump? Make sure you have something close to 12V there when the RPM relay is jumpered.


I notice that a lot of people replace the baffle and hoses and all that when replacing the pump. My question is why (assuming your hoses are ok). Why do you change all that stuff inside the tank? What is breaking or going wrong inside the tank?


Because rubber hoses that live in gasoline 24/7 tend to get brittle, and fiddling with them leads to them breaking.

While you've got the tank open, why not spend the extra $5-10 on fuel injection hose to go ahead and replace them? It makes good sense to replace everything you can while you're in there.


Has anyone bought Hervey's set up and been disappointed?

I wouldn't recommend his modified baffle, but I don't have it. Hervey tends to say "well it works in my car so it must be okay for everyone else's". Buyer beware.

--buddy

[Totally 80s]

I just pulled the top of the fuel pump off the car and decided to triple check the voltage. I was getting 12.5 volts with the ignition turned on to the pump. I decided to jumper the rpm relay again and what do you know the darn pump was working again. plugged the rpm relay back in and the car started right up.

This worries the hell out of me because I don't know what the problem was. The pump and hoses looked in good shape. It's like first I wasn't getting any power to them and then i wiggled something and got power? I don't know.

How long to rpm relays last?

[Ron]

Clean and tighten the electrical connections on the pump...you'll have to wait until it happens again...or throw part$ at it.

[Totally 80s]

I am going to order a back up pump and rpm relay just to be safe.

If I purchased a stock fuel pump is this something that can be dropped in, swap the hoses and put back together? Or does the pick up screen or something else HAVE to be replaced?

[stevedmc]

I wouldn't recommend his modified baffle, but I don't have it. Hervey tends to say "well it works in my car so it must be okay for everyone else's". Buyer beware.

My tuna fish can works fine. DMCH is about to start selling fuel pumps with a similar type of baffle as well.

[Totally 80s]

I would love to hear of anybody that purchased the new tuna can style baffle and disliked it. It is definitely a simpler design.

[WelmoedJ]

I would love to hear of anybody that purchased the new tuna can style baffle and disliked it. It is definitely a simpler design.

I had the Hervey "tuna can" setup in my first D: no problems ever.
I have this Hervey setup in my current D for over 3 years now: no problems.
I know some firneds that have the Hervey setup and are content with it.

If you want a new RPM relay and your old relay is the original black one, contact Bitsyncmaster and purchase his new all solid state RPM relay.
Have it in my D too and it hasn't failed me (over 20k miles now).
I know may owners who have B's relay to the fullest content.

[Ron]

If you want a new RPM relay and your old relay is the original black one, contact Bitsyncmaster and purchase his new all solid state RPM relay.
+1

[sean]

I would love to hear of anybody that purchased the new tuna can style baffle and disliked it. It is definitely a simpler design.

Only problems I've seen and heard of is when you let the car get down to 1/4 of a tank then decide to challenge some mountain chicanes. Keep the tank at half or more and you dont have this problem, of course it also defeats the purpose of the baffle...

[Totally 80s]

I don't have the original rpm relay. What is the cost of the solid state?

[WelmoedJ]

I don't have the original rpm relay. What is the cost of the solid state?

Now you're confusing me.
In your initial message you mentioned your car did not start and therefore jumping the RPM relay.
If you didn't have an RPM relay how did you make your car work?

The RPM relay has more than one function (besides powering the fuel pump).
Makes me wonder how you have been driving without that relay.

Shine a light on this peculiarity, please....

[Totally 80s]

I have an rpm relay but it's not the "original" one that came with the car. It was replaced about 8 years ago.

[WelmoedJ]

I have an rpm relay but it's not the "original" one that came with the car. It was replaced about 8 years ago.

If it's also a black one, it could be OK for exchange.
I suggest you contact Bitsyncmaster as he can tell you if the one you have can be used for exchange.
If you contact him by mail, do attach a picture of the relay you have (bottom view and top/side view).
That may help him to decide.

[jawn101]

If it's also a black one, it could be OK for exchange.
I suggest you contact Bitsyncmaster as he can tell you if the one you have can be used for exchange.
If you contact him by mail, do attach a picture of the relay you have (bottom view and top/side view).
That may help him to decide.

I believe when I got mine from him he said he could work with any compatible relay but preferred the Bosch ones as their contact terminals tended to be very high quality.

I love the solid state relay, it's improved starting under all conditions in my car (lucky bonus) and makes a nice peace of mind upgrade for anyone.

Plus Dave is a gentleman and a scholar and deserves some kind of medal for customer service, innovation, knowledge and execution.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I believe when I got mine from him he said he could work with any compatible relay but preferred the Bosch ones as their contact terminals tended to be very high quality.

I love the solid state relay, it's improved starting under all conditions in my car (lucky bonus) and makes a nice peace of mind upgrade for anyone.

Plus Dave is a gentleman and a scholar and deserves some kind of medal for customer service, innovation, knowledge and execution.

Thanks for the kind words. I've only found one type of RPM relay "core" that will not work with my new circuit board. That one NG unit is the light "olive" green one that is sold overseas. It has a different connector footprint and will not fit my new board.

I think the best pins for connectors (not counting gold plated) are tin plated. Then would be the brass followed by bare copper. For the RPM relay being inside the car, the plating is not really an issue. The flat type pins are less susceptible with corrosion since the mating pin will scratch the corrosion off when mated.

[Farrar]

Have you checked that the inertia switch has a solid connection? If it's not good, then your fuel pump could occasionally lose ground that way.

Farrar

[Canon20DFan]

I went through 4 OEM fuel pumps and baffles; the only thing that works and is tolerant of less-than-perfect voltage at the pump is Hervey's Superpump. The Rube Goldberg OEM baffle is a nightmare.

[outatym2001]

If I purchased a stock fuel pump is this something that can be dropped in, swap the hoses and put back together? Or does the pick up screen or something else HAVE to be replaced?

Yeah, if you want at any time you can swap the fuel pump and reuse the two rubber hoses inside the tank.
There is no need to replace anything else although when I replaced my fuel pump the hoses in the tank were very soft when I squeezed them so I replaced them at the same time.
Regarding the pick up rubber hose with all the bends you do not want it to be super soft or it may eventually collapse when the pump draws in fuel.

I also changed the rubber boot and the rubber boot cover since I was in there and the rubber was obviously old and the boot will appear slightly swollen from sitting in old gas for so long.
I only changed the pick up screen at the end of the fuel pick up hose since I was in there but it wasn’t necessary. It will last for a long, long time since it is plastic.

[dhaney]

Only problems I've seen and heard of is when you let the car get down to 1/4 of a tank then decide to challenge some mountain chicanes. Keep the tank at half or more and you dont have this problem, of course it also defeats the purpose of the baffle...

This happens to the stock configuration too... most annoying when you are driving in a spirited manner at the apex of turn on a twisty mountain road hit the go pedal and... nothing happens except sputtering because all the fuel has sloshed away..

Dan

[sean]

This happens to the stock configuration too...

Never experienced it until I installed a Hervey baffle.

[stevedmc]

Never experienced it until I installed a Hervey baffle.

DMCH's new fuel pump has a similar baffle to Hervey's and Bill's tuna can. I wonder if Houston has actually tested their baffle's in mountain driving.

My tuna can did fine driving up the mountains to Ron's house, but I will admit that I made sure I had a full tank of gas before driving up there.