repeated fuel pump failures

In Aug. 2001, I put a 258 reman in my '89 Wrangler. I installed a new fuel pump (direct-replacement mechanical) at that time.

About 15-18 or so months later, it failed. It appears to have failed, again, today. My wife had it at work, 30 miles from home, and she drove it about

50' before it quit.

A couple of the guys she works with messed with it, and they said there wasn't any gas being pumped into the carb when they tried to start it. When they poured a little gas into the carb, it would run a couple of seconds, then quit. They did it several times, same result. I know there is gas in it. It only has about 70 miles since I last refilled it.

My questions- just bad luck on my part, or could there be a problem that is causing it to fail?

Second question- how difficult is it to switch over to an electric pump, and what is involved?

Thanks, Larry

Reply to
Retiredff
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Retiredff did pass the time by typing:

Dunno about your mechanical pump, but an electric just requires a bit of plumbing. Namely a return line and a pressure regulator. But apart from that it's straight forward. Did one for my 82 C-10 Chevy when the pump lobe on the camshaft wore out.

Reply to
DougW

Thanks, Doug.

Reply to
Retiredff

Reply to
L.W.(ßill) Hughes III

Don't forget to check the fuel inlet valve in the carb ( needle & seat). Fairly common for those to stick and real easy to check. The fuel line screws into it on the front of the carb. Take the line loose at the carb, put a hose on the end of the line, point the hose into a container that will safely hold fuel and crank it over. If fuel pumped out of the hose, the needle & seat is the likely cause.

Chances are you'll jar it loose when you take the line loose, so it may start working again, but I'd put a new one in anyway. Used to be able to get them separately, but you might have to buy a carb kit.

Don't know if anyone here is familiar with Tomco carb kits, but they use a ball & disk setup instead of a needle & seat. We started using those years ago when a change to our fuel formulation caused an epidemic of 'no gas in the carb' problems. The tip of the needle was swelling, and sticking in the seat. I've never seen one of the Tomco ones stick closed.

Reply to
bllsht

I thought that filter was only on the fuel injected motors, Bill. Can anyone confirm this? If it is there, then it has never been replaced (16 years and

309,000 miles), and I can see that it might present a problem.

Thanks

Reply to
Retiredff

When I get up there Saturday, I'll check it before replacing the pump. I'll also print this out so I can look into that mod, once I get it home.

Larry

Reply to
Retiredff

ROTFLMAO!

Wow!

The fuel filter on the 258 is supposed to be changed every year or more often if you drive in mud and dusty off road.

I 'usually' can get a year out of them, but I always carry a spare under the seat.

The filter has two outlets and sits up by the carb. The center outlet goes to the carb and the 'top' outlet goes to the return line. The return line must be at the top or gas will syphon back to the tank when it sits causing real 'bad' cold start issues.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Retiredff wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

I don't think the fuel filter is the problem. Its been replaced three times over the last three years, last time just a few months ago. And, it is on the correct way.

The worst part is that the Jeep is sitting 30 or so miles from home, and I can't get to until Saturday to even try to figure it out.

Reply to
Retiredff

Ahh, so you 'have' changed the filter!

Man the thought of someone getting away with 300K miles on a 258 gas filter was just too funny...

Those filters are a pain. They plug up a lot on me because I get dust and mud around my gas cap. Some falls in the tank every time I open the cap and makes it's way to the filter.

If it is the pump going bad, change suppliers, that one has a bad run of pumps.

Mike

Reply to
Mike Romain

One other thing to watch is for a plugged up air filter on the gas tank which will do a nasty imitation of running out of gas.

The tank can build up a vacuum and the carb up and runs out of gas. If you crack the gas cap open and it starts back up that would be the trouble. It is a $2.00 filter that fits on the bottom of the charcoal canister.

Mike

Reply to
Mike Romain

Good point. Replaced recently. But, that would not explain the sudden dying, refusel to start unless gas is poured into carb and then dying after that gas burns up, and then starting and driving like there was nothing wrong with in.

The only thing that makes sense to me is that there was something in the filter that clogged it, then dropped down and out of the way after it sat awhile.

Reply to
Retiredff

Reply to
L.W.(ßill) Hughes III

That would be a good easy way to start off.

Like i mentioned, I go through at least one filter a year. Went through

3 fast recently when I put a new used tank in. My 4th is sitting under the seat waiting.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Reply to
Mike Romain

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