Fuel pump problem on carbed 308

Hi,

I have this question posted in Technical but have not gotten any responses, so I will try to see if anyone here can help. By the way I have searched a lot for the answer to this but have not found anything that is just like my symptoms.

First, the car is running great. So I cannot point to any real performance issues.

However, over the last 6 months I have noticed an increasingly worrisome noise coming from the fuel pump before starting the motor. The pump is about 4 years old with about 1500 miles on it. When new, it had a constant chatter hum coming from it. Now, the hum will go for a few seconds, then stop, then start again. The amount of time it stops is increasing in frequency and length. In other words, it almost sounds like it will just stop pumping at some point in the near future. Unfortunately, with the motor running I cannot (never could) hear the pump so I can't tell if the stop/start syndrome continues after I have started the motor.

I have checked voltages at points along the path through the fuse box and at the pump. They seem ok. I have not yet checked "loaded" voltage, that is with the pump running. I will do that next. The fuel filter was cleaned out at the time the pump was replaced. There are no known leaks in any of the fuel circuits.

So, does anyone have experience with this situation? Could it, indeed, be a voltage problem? Could it be a plugged fuel filter or a plugged/partially plugged fuel line
or the strainer in the tank?

I hate to just start replacing parts until I have a reasonably good handle on what could be happening here.

Thanks for any help,
Mark

 

What brand of pump is it?

On my GT4, it uses a BCD/Corona pump and at one time, mine started to make a horrible, but intermittent grinding noise. It turns out the bearings for the armature were worn out and it would rub on the field magnets causing the grinding noise.

I replaced the motor portion with a unit from Superformance in the UK and no noises or problems since.
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I had always a noisy (original) pump. During a longer drive on the Autobahn on a hot day, I had to stop at a fuel station. Very noisy pump, car started but the engine stopped 500 m later. Now pump did not work at all and was very hot when touched. Waited 20 minutes on the emergency lane (scary), car started and went back home. Since I did not have time to care, my dad went to a (good) garage and they exchanged the pump with a Pierburg. Less noisy, works fine, not expensive.

Regards
Harry

 

Mine is noisy when it's COLD....like as in winter cold. I don't drive it in the winter, but sometimes I'll pull it into the driveway to put another car on the lift for a couple hours. When I start it up and the pump is in below freezing temps, it makes a loud buzzing sound which goes away in a couple minutes. WEIRD. Normal temerature days, completely different sound.

 

Can you provide a part number and cost information for the replacement unit? The pump on my 308 is making noise and it would be nice to be able to replace it before it goes into failure mode.

Thanks,
Steve

 

ttt

Anyone know the part number for the replacement pump???

 

It looks like they don't carry it anymore :

http://www.superformance.co.uk/a-308/carb.htm

Maybe email them, or give them a call to check availability...

I got my motor unit from them, but this was about two or three years ago.

 

Peter,

Would you happen to know if the pump's impeller is of brass construction? I'm picking up trace amount of a brass colored material in my carb screens...and don't know if it's coming from the pumps, or just from sloppy maching in the new needle vavles I just installed.

Thanks,
David

 

David - Do you have Facet pumps in there now? I just bought one so I'm curious.

Thanks,
Rich

 

Rich,

No...I still have the original BCD Corona pumps that the car came with. No issues with pressure, volume or noise; they work great. I'm just trying to speculate on the source of my "brass particles" in the carb needle housings.

David

 

I'm going to try to find a source to rebuild my BCD pump. Will update this thread when I do.

 

I wasn't as lucky as Peter, My pump impeller spun free of the shaft (not really repairable).

 

Would be gob-smacked to hear confirmation its from your new float needle valves.
Its possible Weber QC has slipped since my day but it would need to have slipped a long way to get to that point.

 

Well, sadly, the service kits are no longer made by Weber...and aren't the quality they once were. The next step is to filter the fuel return line thru a "coffee filter" into a jug...and look for machined "brass particles". If present, in sufficent quantities, then the pumps are the only likely source.

David

 

I use the Facets.....I don't have the part number handy though....I will try to find it and post.

 

Hi, I'm curious if you every found a source to rebuild your pump. I need to do mine...Thanks, Matt

 

No - looked around and found that every one and his brother can rebuild a mechanical pump, but not electric pumps. Might have something to do with factory sealing of the electic motor from the vanes that pump the fuel

 

Don't worry about that pump. Simply replace it with the facet. Costs less than $100, is a half-hour job only (remove left wheel and wheel well, undo the two hose clamps and two 13mm nuts that hold the pump down, unhook the 2 electrical wires, and repeat in reverse order with the new pump).

And DRIVE your car more often!!! 1500 miles in 4 years is killing for any car, let alone a thoroughbred like a Ferrari... Want to save your car? Better to do 10,000 miles per year than 400....

(P.S. I believe it is the "silver top" facet that you need. It's been a while since I've replaced mine, and it's currently not exactly around the corner)

 

Yep, I reckon you should just repalce it also. Pretty cheap part really.
Or if you like try checking the earth lead to the pump and make sure it has nice clean connections, plus try running separate flying lead for the +12 volts and see if that makes a difference.
If neither of these make a difference then you can tick off that it is an electrical problem and just replace it.

Steve

 

No re-routing of any lines, ect. Bolt on and go. Cheers JMN