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Repeated fuel pump failures

kmcculler

New member
I've got an old VP AQ131D that keeps burning through fuel pumps at a rate of about one a year. It usually goes bad while setup for the winter (I run the fuel out when off season). I'll buy a new one and slap it on, everything will work fine until next spring... this has happened about 3 times now.


The pump will still function when I start it back up as long as I stay under 3k RPM but I get this mad surging at WOT. The surge will go up to about 4500rps then down to just under 3k and back up. When I open it up it will run fine for about 10/15 seconds before the surging starts up.


I've checked the plugs, cleaned out the carb, hooked in an external tank with fresh gas and different fuel line and got the same thing. I recently found that when I had the external tank hooked up I could squeeze the priming bulb while it was at WOT and it would run fine.... I let go of the bulb or slow my squeeze and it goes back to surging.


Any ideas what could be burning up these fuel pumps year after year?
 
Ok, that's definitely something I haven't thought of yet. I'll give it a shot, but why would a new fuel pump temporarily fix the problem?
 
i can only speculate.....that the new pump was able to supply the needed fuel supply, but as the pump got some hours on it and wear, the fuel pressure/volume diminished slightly. i would definitely take a look at the float level.
 
Sorry for the late reply, lost internet for a few days.

Adjusting the float worked great! Thanks for the suggestion. Took the boat out this weekend and ran it wide open for quite awhile with not a surge felt at all.
 
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