Re: Repeatedly Running On A Low Tank?

> >>> While it might be mounted throught the top of the tank, I believe >>> in >>> most cases the pump is actully near the bottom of the tank. I >>> looked at >>> my shop manual for the Camry and it appears that the fuel pump >>> stack is >>> set up so that the pump is mounted directly on top of the pick-up >>> sock. >>> This implies it is almost always surrounded by some fuel unless >>> level >>> in the tank is very low. Here is a picture of a Camry Fuel Pump >>> assembly - >>>
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imagekey=977329&imageurl=http%>>> >>> Ed >>> >>> >>> >> why is everyone so hung up on immersion? gasoline isn't exactly >> the >> greatest cooling liquid because it has a low specific heat >> capacity. >> what's important is circulation /within/ the pump, not /without/. > > So on one hand, you're saying gasoline flowing through the pump is > enough > to cool it, and then you say gas isn't efficient enough at cooling? > > Stop and think...maybe that's why they put them in the tank.

I think the chief reason they are in the tank is to prevent vapor lock. If the pumps are external they have to pull fuel through a line from the tank to the pump. This "suction" lowers the fuel pressure and can lead to vaporization in the lines, followed by vapor lock, and bad things. By placing the pump near the bottom of the tank, there is very little pressure drop from the fuel inlet to the pump, so little chance for vapor lock.

You could pull a line off the bottom of the tank to accomplish the same thing, EXCEPT, this would be a bad idea since everything in the bottom of the tank would go directly into the bottom opening. In the real world, the pump is slightly off the bottom, allowing water, rust, dirt, whatever to fall to the bottom and not be picked up.

My sister had a 1986 Jetta. It had two fuel pumps, an internal and an external. The external pump was a high pressure positive displacement pump needed to feed the Bosch CIS fuel injection system. The in-tank pump feed the external pump. She had the in-tank pump fail twice. Both times it was in hot weather. The car would start fine in the morning, but the first time you stopped in traffic during the heat of the day, the car would vapor lock and stall.