Gentlemen: I am searching for the in-tank fuel filters on a 86 TR, one for each tank. Nobody seems to have them and one parts place in England had a used pair for only $500. They cost $40 when new. A few places list the part but after ordering the response is their parts list needs updating and they don't have the filters. Part number 122790 replaced by 136592 which is NLA. The fuel tanks are aluminum but the pump connection ports are steel and mine were badly rusted in the inside. I made two ports and an original is at the top. So before I spend a few days making some out of brass , anyone know of a source? Thanks a lot guys. Jeff Pintler 89 348tb, 86tr,99 360 3-pedal, 05 S-160 bobcat Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Another option is to mount an aftermarket "fuel sock" or "fuel pump strainer" onto your existing pipe fittings. If you internet search on those terms, you should see some options. IIRC, a previous FChatter posted a thread doing that on his BB/BBi. The actual "strainer" portion of yours look a little worse condition than mine, but both of mine had also come off and were just laying inside the tank. After they dried out, I noticed they had shrunk down enough to now fit tightly over the pipe (wouldn't surprise me if this is related to E10 fuel that the original material wasn't intended to see). I was able to get some NOS parts back then at a non-crazy price, but it wouldn't surprise me if my new strainers have fallen off again .
Ok gang, here is a follow-up. After ordering about five sock type filters from ebay, I was inspired by old British motorcycle intank filters and made a filter out of brass. Actually I made a bunch of them using two different mesh sizes. The only change I made was decreasing the filter stop diameter by 0.020" so the thin wall brass can be bent slightly around the stop washer so they will not slide off the steel tube in the tank. They work great and should last the life of the car. The second shot is after use for a year. Jeff Pintler 86 TR Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Jeff, Looks really good. Can you provide more detail on your construction technique and materials? This is a mod that many will need to do. Much appreciated!
vincenzo; Thank you. I have detail drawings that I can dig out. You need to have a lathe to make the brass caps and turn down the stop washer on the steel tube assembly (so the filter fits in the tank opening). and frankly, the hardest part was sourcing the brass mesh. i used amazon and it took months to find the correct stuff. If there is enough interest, I may make some. Here are some more pics showing the slight crimp to retain the filter and the larger mesh size. Jeff Pintler 89 348tb, 86tr, 99 360 3-pedal Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Jeff, If you can supply the finished product ready to screw into the tank, at a reasonable cost, count me in. Presumably, you would sell the screen as a unit ready to solder on to your customer’s bung. That would work as well. Please keep us all posted! PS: Without internal structural support, how do you ensure that the screen does not collapse while under suction?
Hi Jeff, I am impressed with your skills and product. I have an 86 TR that is blowing fuses on the right fuel pump, I have replaced both pumps and same problem so I think I would like to purchase 2 of your tank filters in the smaller mesh. Please let me know here or [email protected]
Pete have you done any further diagnosis on your issue? I wouldn’t think changing these filters would solve your problem. Do you have copies of the wiring diagrams? If no PM me and I’ll send them to you. Jeff
Jeff, no I do not have any reliable wiring diagrams. The car runs great until it blows that right fuel pump fuse. I thought it was either a wire shorting out between the pump and the Dave Helms Fusebox conversion or a clogged line in the tank which was restricting the gas flow causing the Fuel Pump to overheat and blowing the fuse. It did the same thing with the 36 year old pumps. I replace both thinking it was time anyway but it did the same thing with the New Fuel Pumps installed. I have cleaned all the connections and Grounds. I should have changed those filters when I did the pumps and after seeing the rust in your tank filters I figured I would change them to eliminate one possibility. I have checked the wiring harnesses' for breaks etc. but it is buried. Did you drain your tanks with the left Furl Pump? If you would sell me two of your filters I would appreciate it and thanks for your help!
In addition to supplying +12V power to run the fuel pump for that bank, the fuel pump fuse also sends +12V power to the 2-pin O2 sensor internal heater and the AAV internal heater for that bank -- so you might just try unplugging those items during warm-running to see if that resolves the fuse blowing problem (during warm-running, when things have already heated up, unplugging those items should have no effect on the engine running) and/or confirm the O2 sensor heater wiring is not touching/melted onto an exhaust pipe. But be forewarned that they labeled the fuel pump relays and fuel pump fuses in a very misleading way for who's who -- what they call the RH fuel pump relay and RH fuel pump fuse gets its fuel from the RH side of the fuel tank, but it actually supplies fuel to the LH (7-12) bank of the engine. And same on the other bank, the LH fuel pump relay and LH fuel pump fuse are for the RH (1-6) bank of the engine.
check if you have the right fuel pump relais in the fuse box. change the 2 fuel pump relais and see what fuse will blow
Thanks Steve, I didn't know that. The car is in storage for the Winter now but I will try that when I get it out. The Dave Helms conversion runs wires threw the relays if I remember right. That right left thing is confusing so I'm going to pull the right Fuse and mark the Pump it controls then see where the lines go. I hope it's a melted wire on the 02 sensor's. I had no idea they were linked.
turbo-joe, as I told Steve with the Dave Helms conversion wires run right thru the relays if I remember right. I have had this car 18 years and I remember when I first got it I was hot wiring, per the Shop Manual those relay connections to get the fuel pumps to run and replaced a few of those relays when they were bad. Thanks.
Per romano's point, you can also just swap the fuel pump relays and see if same fuse blows (problem not related to the relays) or if the other fuse blows (problem related to one of the relays). Also would give you a chance to give each relay a gentle shake to listen if something is obviously loose/broken inside and rattling around. It is a bit baffling why they named them RH & LH based on where the fuel for each comes out of the fuel tank rather than a more functional 1-6 and 7-12 for which bank they serve. I hope Dave used some sort of functional labeling on his relay relocation board (but haven't seen one in detail).
Steve and Romano. I can't do that because with the Helms Fusebox there are wires running thru the relays and they can't be switched. They drilled holes in the Relays for the wires.
Fuel pump relays are still used in the Helm's modification -- they are just (somewhat inconveniently) relocated onto the backside of the fuse-relay panel (and are a different case style with an integral mounting flange): Image Unavailable, Please Login (And I see that the added relays are unlabeled so you'd need to figure out who's who.) Any relay cases in the front side positions with holes and wires added (aren't working relays and) are just how he's connecting to the female spades on the PCBA to send the signals to the added relays.
Thanks Steve, I will look at it when I get the car out in the Spring. I must say with the 02, relays and the fuel filters I hope one of them will solve my fuse blowing problem.
Wow, it is unfortunate that these threads always diverge to stuff unrelated. The reason the fuel tanks are opposite the engine half the is to save an extra foot of hose criss-crossing under the pumps or keep the pump inlet lines short. What I did was make an arrow under the relay indicating the side of the engine it pumps, it works better than marking the top of the relay since the relays can be swapped. And then you want to use a jumper between contacts 30 and 86 when testing the pumps (better than pressing down on the cis plenum plate and adding fuel into the intake). An easy way to check for seized pump: get a small 12 battery and wires and fuse and power each pump directly (there is a plus and minus on the pump and make the sparks on the battery terminals). Unless you've been stuffing newspapers into your fuel tank, you are probably not going to have plugged in-tank fuel filters. Also: I found giant warts of rust on the inside of my tank ports and lots of serious pitting. FWIW. Jeff P 86 TR, 89 348tb, 99 360 3 pedal
Giant warts of RUST would not plug up my tank? After looking at those rusty filters you pulled out of your tank the first thing I thought was my car could have that crap in the tanks. Sorry if my comment and the people who tried to help me were unrelated and offended you but you will get over it. I do not stuff newspaper or anything but high test in my tank and thanks so much for your help. FWIW
That brass mesh is same as used on fuel funnels of old. Lets fuel thru but water drops magically stay in filter material of funnel. The plastic skeleton filter is same as 330GT and I suspect all other cars of that period. Had to replace mine as car just ran out of fuel high speed, high demand.
Steve, I finally got my car out and I did have a short where the O2 wires were grounding out on the lower Valance. I installed new O2 Sensors and took the car for a long ride and no Fuse blew. Thanks to you and the others who offered help. I had no idea the O2 Sensor and Right Fuel Pump were on the same fuse. Once again you saved the day.
Thanks for the feedback of the cause -- was it a sharp metal edge cutting into the wire, or just a wire chafing thru the insulation from rubbing against a flat metal surface?
It was the insulation rubbed off and grounding out because the wires were looped, because of length, and a little loose. They were rubbing on the edge of the Vanance which is quite sharp. The new ones are clear. Thanks again Steve.
