Fuel pump and Fuel Filter issues this holiday

Relating to fuel tanks, long range, fuel type, fuel filters and other fuel related queries
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Alex Roux
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Fuel pump and Fuel Filter issues this holiday

Post by Alex Roux »

I had a busy holiday, so I am not too sure where to start this story.

In the first half of my holiday, I still had to do some work off line.
But my laptop's motherboard crashed, and had to buy a new one in George.

The second half of my holiday the Patrol started to stutter a bit on acceleration.
It progressively got worse, lost complete power, and then on our way from Harmanus to Gansbaai, the enjin stopped completely.

This was awkward. The mechanics are super busy, and all their support staff are on holiday too.
There were a few possible causes, as I had it:
1) Fuel filter clogged
2) Petrol pump dying
3) Weak electrical connection to the petrol pump (since the usual constant humming sound of the pump was now fluctuating)
4) Sparkplugs are done (they had done about 70,000), and although the platinum ones are supposed to cover about 100,000, the hard life in a heavy Patrol that frequently does trails, can shorten this by this much.

The easiest one to rule out was the filter, since it is the easiest to replace.
That done, the post-mortem showed that the filter was completely clogged in sand (there is a lesson in this that I will add at the end of this post).
But the pump still did not work. Having checked that the electrical connection worked (after taking out the drawer system), the Gansbaai mackie applied his 5 pound hammer to the tank and the pump started to work again (it is a bit like shocking someone's heart back to life again).

By this time I already got back from Midas with a new petrol pump.
But there was happiness, the car drove again.

The next day we drove off the Riebeeck Kasteel to visit other family.
The way back (over the Franschoek pass) was torture.
The car had again no power.
The last bit of the mountain pass I drove in low range and first gear, and only just got over the last peak. This was painful.

Stopped the car. Rested a bit, and started the car again, having applied the same shock treatment to the tank with the stone - the pump started to work again.
This we did a few times until there was only about 40km still to go, then the pump died completely.
I suspect the damage had been done to the pump having forced fuel through a clogged filter for too long....

But I had one more ace up my sleeve.
This was the external pump installed on the firewall, exactly for a situation like this.
It is not a safe solution, given the location of the pump. The pipe fittings were not right though.
I.e. the fuel pipe from the back was too small to link into the entrance of the external pump (I should have checked this before!).
So I ended up using a section of the hose pipe on the water tank of the drawer system, with its one connection to connect the fuel pipe with the external pump.
(and applying some lip ice from one of my passengers as a lubricant to force the pipe onto the connection!) I had some spare clamps.
After 20 minutes of roadside bush mechanics, were on our way again.

This was obviously not a good solution to drive the long way home with (1500km).
So my 31 December afternoon was spent taking out the drawer system (again), and replace the Bosch fuel pump inside the tank.
Wife and I tested the replacement driving through the "Hemel and Aarde" Valley. My car finally performed like a real v8 again!
This job also included a "phone a friend" session with Graham.

Something I spotted is that the internal fuel pump system includes a small little filter, more or less the size and shape of a teabag. It inserts at the bottom of the pump.
My pump did not have one on, which may in part explain why it was clogging up the filter as much as it did.
Be that as it may, I then realised that the small tea-bag filter made the whole sender unit too tall to fit into my tank!!!
No wonder there was not one inside.
But all I had to do, was to cut a bit off from the nozzle of the small tea-bag filter. It still fitted at the bottom off the pump, and now the whole sender unit, with tea-bag filter fitted inside the tank.
Happiness, finally.

Moral of the Story:
We drove through Kaokoland in July.
This is the global capital of dust and sand.
I had a new filter before the trip.
The dust and sand most likely entered the tank through the breather pipe?...
I should have pre-empted this situation by replacing the filter directly after this trip.
And perhaps even travel with a filter.
They are much cheaper than the pump to replace, and much easier too.
The pump died because it was battling against a clogged filter.

Will add a photo later
Last edited by Alex Roux on 03 Jan 2017 20:39, edited 1 time in total.
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Alex Roux
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Re: Fuel pump and Fuel Filter issues this holiday

Post by Alex Roux »

The picture of the sender unit is below.
The old and new pump can be seen.
Once the sender unit is out, the replacement is simple. The power point just clips in, and then the pump itself is clamped, as well as the outlet onto the fuel pipe.

The pain is taking out the drawer system, and secondly sealing off the gasket, to avoid a fuel leak.
Petrol as a tendency to leak if not properly sealed off.

I unfortunately forgot to take a picture of the tea-bag filter that clips in at the bottom of the pump.
Sender Unit.JPG
Sender Unit.JPG (765.04 KiB) Viewed 5441 times
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Re: Fuel pump and Fuel Filter issues this holiday

Post by ricster »

Alex, you are really becoming a master Patrol mechanic !!!... Well done bud !!
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Alex Roux
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Re: Fuel pump and Fuel Filter issues this holiday

Post by Alex Roux »

Yes, a few years ago I would not have dreamt of doing this.
I still have lots to learn though.
I wanted to chamge the spark plugs as well, but on my car these sit really deep underneath a rail and each with its own wire plug. So I will leave that for the master to do.
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Re: Fuel pump and Fuel Filter issues this holiday

Post by Wilkie »

Well done Alex....!!!!
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Re: Fuel pump and Fuel Filter issues this holiday

Post by Peter Connan »

Well done on keeping going.

I have a different opininion on why the pump died: all the sand in the filter passed through the pump first.
These pumps don't like that.

I had four fail on me in quick succession in my Lotus, before I changed to an external pump where I could fit the filter between the tank and the pump. Each time the pump went to Bosch as a warranty, and each time the claim was rejected. On the last one I said I wanted to see. One single grain of sand the size of builder's river sand had screwed up the pump completely.

The trick now is that you have sand in your tank, and you somehow need to wash this out...

I hope your tank has a drain plug?
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Alex Roux
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Re: Fuel pump and Fuel Filter issues this holiday

Post by Alex Roux »

I am not sure about the drain plug, but at least I have the little tea bag filter in this time, that should help.
I like the idea of an external pump as it is easier to replace, and the sealing of the gasket would not be an issue anymore either.
But then I suspect one needs to manufacture the outgo pipe to be at the bottom of the tank. The external pump I know does not like sucking air.
The return pipe I assume would have to remain at the top.
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Re: Fuel pump and Fuel Filter issues this holiday

Post by Wilkie »

Ja I think Peter is correct in saying that its the dirt going through the pump that kills it.....
every time you replace a fuel filter its dirty and murky and that is after its been through the fuel pump.... :think: :think:
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Alex Roux
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Re: Fuel pump and Fuel Filter issues this holiday

Post by Alex Roux »

Wilkie wrote:Ja I think Peter is correct in saying that its the dirt going through the pump that kills it.....
every time you replace a fuel filter its dirty and murky and that is after its been through the fuel pump.... :think: :think:
Okay, but if the pump is that sensitive to dirt, then what is the point in having a filter after the pump?
The fuel should then already be as clean as a whistle when it reaches the pump, right?
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Re: Fuel pump and Fuel Filter issues this holiday

Post by Jorrie »

Wel gedaan Alex!
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