Ok, so back to the fuel pump stuff. All has been going well. New pump and filter on just over 5 months and almost 800 miles. Driving around the ranch earlier, pump started making a loud humming noise. Decided to try to make it home. Well I made it home, but the farther in to the trip, the more I could notice it trying to feed gas to the motor. Not sure if the filter may be plugged or pump is quitting on me. Any suggestions besides changing filter first?

 

What brand fuel pump is this?

It is unlikely related to the filter, but if the filter needs changing or if you can't remember when it's last been changed, change it; very easy and inexpensive on a 1990.

As for a noisy fuel pump, keep a close ear on it. I've found that some pumps are a bit noisier than others. But none should be real loud. If the noise "increases", you had best replace it as it could be a sign of an impending failure.

Good luck and keep us updated!

 

replaced filter same time i replaced pump. my neighbor, who is actually pretty smart in this stuff, told me that since the jeep had sat for 6 years prior to me buying it, now that I've been running it, it is probably knocking junk out of the lines and plugging up the filter. changed pump and filter 7/25/15 at 198,051 miles. we are now at 198,803 miles. pump is an airtex. purchased all the bosch stuff to replace, but when i pulled the unit, it was an airtex. so i went back with that. it did get very loud. my wife could hear me turn down the street 1/4 mile before i got to the house. gonna change filter tomorrow and run some fuel cleaner through it

 

Shoddy fuel pump is singing it's death song, don't worry about using the snake oil, nothing gets "knocked loose" from driving it.

 

I'm betting that your problem is a premature failure of your Airtex fuel pump. Not unusual, but unfortunate. I won't recommend nor will I install an Airtex fuel pump in an XJ.

 

Eh, what's going on here? Turbo, you are normally very sharp, but you are completely wrong on this one. A vehicle that has sat for 6 years can have nasties in the gas tank that get knocked loose with the sloshing around of driving. Rust, usually.



He's probably hit the nail on the head. When you get that filter off, blow through it to see if it's clogged. Then split it open and check for rust. If it's clogged up with rust or sediment, you have a different kettle of fish.

In that case, you must deal with the rust or sediment at the source (the gas tank), or you are going to be doing pump changes every few months.


If it's clean, well, it's probably just Airtex quality showing its colors.


If it's rusty, do yourself a favor - just replace the tank. Don't mess with trying to clean it out. It's almost impossible to get it done well enough to call the problem solved.

 

thanks for all yalls input. i wouldn't doubt it is the airtex. i didn't want to go with it, but at the time, it was kinda the only choice. i may end up changing the tank if its the pump anyway. i have heard of plastic tanks. any good? if I'm gonna swap, might as well be good one. and pumps. what do y'all suggest? I'm gonna pull the filter in the morning and see whats up. if its that interesting, i will post pics. either way, i will give some feedback.

 

Polyethylene tanks don't rust. Period. They are pricey, though.

On the other hand, the original steel tanks have lasted a long time.

As for fuel pumps, the most knowledgeable folks here consistently recommend Bosch. There might be others that are good.

 

then i will go with another metal tank. as long as i keep using it, fluids will keep moving and prevent rust.
as far as the pump, can i find a whole bosch unit? retrofit with newer model?

 

Napa has the pumps. I used one in my 88 with no issues.

Do this while you're at it.

http://cruiser54.com/?p=249

 

Thanks cruiser. Yeah, the tank has rust. A lot. Gonna replace the filter for now, and order a new tank/pump.






Just from pulling the filter

 

Yep. There's the problem. Sitting unused is really hard on vehicles, in many different ways.

 

Well I replaced the filter for now, but I know it will get plugged again. Now to shop for tanks. Any suggestions on where? If price difference isn't too much, I will go with polypropylene, unless y'all suggest steel?

 

If I were buying a tank, I'd go with poly if I could afford it. If not, well, steel and I don't know what name brand to recommend.

Maybe some others can chime in.

 

Can you get plastic tanks for pre 1997?