Road Trip Gulf Coast to NorCal

[HawkRod]

I had an issue with low fuel pressure in my Road Runner. It turned out that the builder of the tank did not use the proper clamps (for high pressure fuel injection) INSIDE the tank. There is a small hose from the fuel pump to the top of the tank, and I was leaking fuel from those connections. Since it was inside the tank, you could not see it, but it caused low fuel pressure conditions and the car wouldn't run.

Just throwing this in for consideration. Here's the link once I found the issue:
https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopa...-the-restoration.65096/page-37#post-910271221

 

[Dennis H]

Left it at shop. Didn’t trust it to happen again with the boss along. Again, if it’s a connection, relay or hose issue, why did the second pump run for almost 2 thousand miles. I gonna check the first failed pump - the Aeromotive and start there.

 

[Darius]

Remember all the hassle I had with my pump?? It turned out to be a ground wire that only had a few strands left making the connection. It would do that, just stop running and after a while start right back up with no issues.Once we determined that, it worked for a while and then acted up again. ( recall trip when I had on/off switch in trunk...side of road fix). That issue was resolved with a relay for more consistent power to the new pump.No problems since and you KNOW how I drive! Could be something like that.
Thankful for the existence of AAA!!!

 

[themechanic]

I'm sorry to hear about all those gremlins on your trip. But it was nice to be able to spend some time with you while you were here. I'm happy that you made it home safely, too.

 

[biomedtechguy]

Glad you made it home Dennis, and that I had the all too limited amount of time to hang around y'all.
EFI seems to be great until it isn't.
Waiting to hear the definite cause(s) of the Aeromotive and the Ballman's
AC/Delco fuel pumps failure. At this point, I think that there is something else that caused the problem, OR affected the fuel pumps, causing them to stop working.
Any bad connection or undersized/overworked circuit would cause resistance, resistance with current present causes heat, heat causes resistance, and that snowballs until not enough current can pass. That is what I would focus on.

 

[Dennis H]

UPDATE, real info here. Talked with Ricks Tanks, Hector, says since my purchase they have retrofitted the feed lines inside the pump. Lines INSIDE THE TANK HAVE BEEN DISINTEGRATING AND TURNING BLACK AS DESCRIBED by the first guy who lowered the tank in Wiggins, Louisiana. Speculating that it got the ball rolling for the first problem. Says remove them and he will turn them around in 2 days. Everyone else (Chevys) drive 2 ******* miles to a car who and the pump lasts for years. Another pioneering effort here.

 

[Dibbons]

What material are the lines made from, and why the deterioration?

 

[Dennis H]

So, the black soup in the bottom of the tank was from the fuel line that disintegrated. Internal. Never seen by installer. This started the sequence, first pump fail, second pump fail. Relays, power, grounds. Nah. Doomed to fail from the first mile.

 

[Dennis H]

What material are the lines made from, and why the deterioration?

Don’t know. Yet.

 

[Darius]

So are they sending you new lines and YOU get to replace them, after draining and dropping the tank? Or are they swapping you a new tank with upgraded lines and you send them the old one to retrofit? Sounds like this company could have some real 'issues" to deal with.

 

[Dennis H]

So are they sending you new lines and YOU get to replace them, after draining and dropping the tank? Or are they swapping you a new tank with upgraded lines and you send them the old one to retrofit? Sounds like this company could have some real 'issues" to deal with.

Told me to send them for replacement. They should have a method to notice customers.

 

[Dennis H]

If not for inadequate fuel lines, no other disabling problems occurred.

 

[Dennis H]

Not getting much from Ricks. Says go to O’Reillys to get a nylon repair kit for the internal lines to the pump hat so as not to ruin the next pump. I’ve recommended Ricks to at least 15 people. Wish I could remember who.

 

[33 IMP]

Please take no offense, but word of your troubles, and my own experience confirms my humble opinion....i already have daily drivers with in-tank pumps, i think all new car manufacturers are doing that, but... I will NEVER build a car with an in-tank pump.

 

[69a100]

So, the black soup in the bottom of the tank was from the fuel line that disintegrated. Internal. Doomed to fail from the first mile.

So it flows like a cancer through the whole system!

 

[Dennis H]

As said before, it’s always fuel.

 

[threewood]

Glad you all made it home. How did the shop not see degrading fuel lines when they pulled it out and replaced it?

The internal lines I received with my Holley Sniper tank/pump are the hard-*** plastic lines that needed to be heated to fit over the nipples. Only 2 of em, about 6" long.

At least the root of the problem is known.

 

[Dennis H]

Good question. I couldn’t figure out the black goop he described in the bottom of the tank except for blaming bad fuel. Had to buy 86 on occasion etc.

 

[HawkRod]

Dennis: I feel bad for you with the issues - that sucks. Not just the hassles, but delays and costs too.

****, now I'm ready to drop my tank and check mine. I might have to put that on the "maintenance" list before my trip next year. I's been 4+ years now with no issues, but you never know until you look.

Like others said, at least you know the issue and can now fix it for good.

Good Luck!

Hawk

 

[themechanic]

UPDATE, real info here. Talked with Ricks Tanks, Hector, says since my purchase they have retrofitted the feed lines inside the pump. Lines INSIDE THE TANK HAVE BEEN DISINTEGRATING AND TURNING BLACK AS DESCRIBED by the first guy who lowered the tank in Wiggins, Louisiana. Speculating that it got the ball rolling for the first problem. Says remove them and he will turn them around in 2 days. Everyone else (Chevys) drive 2 ******* miles to a car who and the pump lasts for years. Another pioneering effort here.

Thanks for working out all the issues for those of us considering EFI later down the road, Dennis. ;^)