Fuel Pump Noise

["John Hofstetter" <hofs@domain.elided>]

Digesters,

Unlike some of you, I've had very good luck with the Holley fuel pump
that came with my EFI kit. I've felt obliged several times to point
out that my pump has pumped faithfully for 70,000 miles or so, and no
problem. Well, on the way home from Death Valley, the last 10 miles or
so before reaching home, the pump began making a load noise and the
Scout started acting fuel starved. I've ignored it for quite a while
now as we've been traveling.

A couple of days ago, I put on a spare Holley that I carry and the
Scout ran fine for about 10 miles and then started running poorly and
the fuel pump was again making the loud noise. I swore at Holley,
promised to tell the digest that the Holley haters were right, and
decided to buy a Ford pump in the morning and call Holley and give
them a piece of my mind, even though I can't spare any.

Impulse!  I wonder what that glass fuel filter that I checked the
other night in the dark looks like in the bright light? Some of you
may remember that my son and I had made some modifications in the 33
gal Northwest fuel tank just before Tulare. There in the light, that
glass fuel filter was full of crap, mostly flakes of stuff that must
have come off the tank when we were pounding on it. I changed the
element, and it runs beautifully with no complaining from the pump.
Sorry Holley, expect no phone call from me tomorrow.

Now you ask, why couldn't you see that stuff on that white element the
night you looked at it. Well, partly because it was dark and I was
using a crummy flashlight, but mostly because I didn't think to look
at it until I had changed fuel pumps. In changing the pump, I released
the pressure in the filter and shook it around, and I'm pretty sure
most of the crap must have dropped into the end of the filter and
stayed there until after the new pump had run for a while. This is a
pre filter and is placed between the tank and the pump, so it gets
most of the dirt and crap.

My youngest son asked me why I use that glass filter, but I was
telling the digest a while back that these glass filters were the rage
back when I was doing some drag racing in the 50's, and as with the
Mallory products, I've never gotten over liking them.

Bottom line for all of this: blocked access for the gas to get to
electric fuel pumps causes said pumps to scream for help.

John H.