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In-Tank Fuel Pump Adventure

Posted: Thu May 09, 2019 5:09 pm
by Renodemona
Greetings! I have been running FiTech for about a year now and had no issues with it, in fact was very happy. However a couple weeks ago the fuel pump died. It was an in-tank unit from Novak using a Delphi pump. After dropping the tank and taking he sending unit out I discovered that some wiring had its insulation rubbed off and apparently shorted out. Insulation repaired and pump seemed fine. I reinstalled and sure enough off we go again...or so I thought.

10 miles down the road pump dies again. So clearly either something in the wiring was more damaged than I thought or the shorting made the pump unhappy enough to fail. After reading through several forum threads and talking with Dr Marneus I've gone ahead and ordered the Tanks Inc PA-series in take pump. So, now I begin my quest to modify the tank to install the pump which will hopefully provide many years of fuel delivery. Stay tuned for pics of me messing up a fuel tank!

Re: In-Tank Fuel Pump Adventure

Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 6:01 am
by will e
My 81 and 82 had an access panel to get to the sending unit and wiring without pulling the tank. Did the older jeeps not have the access panel? Can they be modified? I would hate to have to drop the tank any time I needed to replace a fuel pump.

Re: In-Tank Fuel Pump Adventure

Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 3:25 pm
by Renodemona
will e wrote:My 81 and 82 had an access panel to get to the sending unit and wiring without pulling the tank. Did the older jeeps not have the access panel? Can they be modified? I would hate to have to drop the tank any time I needed to replace a fuel pump.
They did not until 1980 I believe, something about the axles or transmission hump or something. Still working today will share pics when I finish up!

Re: In-Tank Fuel Pump Adventure

Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 9:16 am
by babywag
Renodemona wrote:Greetings! I have been running FiTech for about a year now and had no issues with it, in fact was very happy. However a couple weeks ago the fuel pump died. It was an in-tank unit from Novak using a Delphi pump. After dropping the tank and taking he sending unit out I discovered that some wiring had its insulation rubbed off and apparently shorted out. Insulation repaired and pump seemed fine. I reinstalled and sure enough off we go again...or so I thought.

10 miles down the road pump dies again. So clearly either something in the wiring was more damaged than I thought or the shorting made the pump unhappy enough to fail. After reading through several forum threads and talking with Dr Marneus I've gone ahead and ordered the Tanks Inc PA-series in take pump. So, now I begin my quest to modify the tank to install the pump which will hopefully provide many years of fuel delivery. Stay tuned for pics of me messing up a fuel tank!

Did you contact Novak to see about a replacement?
Pretty unusual for a pump to fail after that short a timeframe.
Got enough juice and proper wire/gauge/connections back there?
Repeated fuel starvation and heat will kill a pump in short order as well.
Fitech fuel pump pwm setting may be a factor as well? Some pumps aren't pwm compatible.

Re: In-Tank Fuel Pump Adventure

Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 11:51 am
by Stuka
Renodemona wrote:
will e wrote:My 81 and 82 had an access panel to get to the sending unit and wiring without pulling the tank. Did the older jeeps not have the access panel? Can they be modified? I would hate to have to drop the tank any time I needed to replace a fuel pump.
They did not until 1980 I believe, something about the axles or transmission hump or something. Still working today will share pics when I finish up!
The sending unit was in a different place, and I think it was one of those things they added down the road as a dealer request.

Re: In-Tank Fuel Pump Adventure

Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 10:26 pm
by Renodemona
babywag wrote:
Renodemona wrote:Greetings! I have been running FiTech for about a year now and had no issues with it, in fact was very happy. However a couple weeks ago the fuel pump died. It was an in-tank unit from Novak using a Delphi pump. After dropping the tank and taking he sending unit out I discovered that some wiring had its insulation rubbed off and apparently shorted out. Insulation repaired and pump seemed fine. I reinstalled and sure enough off we go again...or so I thought.

10 miles down the road pump dies again. So clearly either something in the wiring was more damaged than I thought or the shorting made the pump unhappy enough to fail. After reading through several forum threads and talking with Dr Marneus I've gone ahead and ordered the Tanks Inc PA-series in take pump. So, now I begin my quest to modify the tank to install the pump which will hopefully provide many years of fuel delivery. Stay tuned for pics of me messing up a fuel tank!

Did you contact Novak to see about a replacement?
Pretty unusual for a pump to fail after that short a timeframe.
Got enough juice and proper wire/gauge/connections back there?
Repeated fuel starvation and heat will kill a pump in short order as well.
Fitech fuel pump pwm setting may be a factor as well? Some pumps aren't pwm compatible.
The wiring had the insulation stripped in a couple places either from installation or from banging around inside the tank. Either way I wanted a different solution. The "kit" is a stock fuel pickup with the sock replaced with an impeller style fuel pump from Delphi. They have discontinued that particular product, in fact the tech guy I called to find out why my order was taking so long said mine was the last one they put together. Its not a great design. I verified with Novak that it was PWM compatible. I don't think it was the pump itself that failed, but the signs of motion within the tank convinced me to go another direction.