[Scales]

Gday guys,

Im back at work at the mines again and I was just reminiscing about my massive fuel pressure problem i had a few months back and how i discovered how bad the stock fuel filter location is in the jim and how expensive it would be to replace.

Since this would be something everyone would eventually have to do, and a lot of people have probably ignored. I have an Idea to replace the entire Jim fuel pump assy with a similar unit from something like a commodore or similar and put an inline filter up in the engine bay (like a normal car manufacturer not seeking money all the time would)

this is the sort of pump im looking at


so im wondering if anyone has their fuel tanks out at the moment and could get some dimensions for me? or have any ideas for a solution to this overlooked problem?


I have considered gutting the filter out of the stock pump also, but really dont want to attack a 300$ filter assy with my dremel when its working fine atm.

[atari4x4]

did you get pics of the top of the tank when you had it out, eg the mounting flange where the assembly drops in?

[Scales]

yep



dont have a pic of the tank, wasnt really looking at the tank at the time. theres a metal ring that bolts down around the lip of it holding the whole lot in.

the filter is somewhere in that black plastic mess. the beige tube sticking out is the fuel feed from the pump.

oh and im looking at this for matches
http://www.acdelco.com.au/PDFs/Flyer_AC ... -03-09.pdf

[zuk85]

how long had it lasted before it stuffed up anyways??

seems like too much drama for something that if lasts more than a couple years, shouldnt be any problems with changing once a blue moon.

[Scales]

well i got 90k on clock. but you never know when your going to get some shit fuel (wasnt what i had go wrong btw, had a buggered O-Ring)
After all the dicking around i did with it, I would much rather improve the system. And im sure the next poor sod who has no choice to change the filter will agree with me.

Preventative maintenance > Reactive maintenance every time.

just the way i am. If it cost 100 bucks for a brand new pump that i can use a 5 dollar generic filter from supercheap that i can tell the condition just by looking at it..... thats a huge win in my book

[Moag]

Scales, definitely think this is a must do mod...

Agree that it's going be a "what the F#$% am I'm doing moment" but think it might be doable for a crazy bugger like me.

But then common sense kicks in considering it's my daily driver.

So I'm keeping my eyes open for a old replaced one to do the experiment on.

My thoughts as to the easiest way would be drilling a hole vertically up through the base of that cylinder looking thing on the left side.
This is where I think the filter bit lives and ream the guts out.
Block the hole and fit a inline filter somewhere that is easy to access.

Anyone got a buggered one they are willing to part with for the cause?

[Scales]

glad you agree moag!

do you think the drilling mod would be more benificial than a swap with a like pump?

[steak_knife]

Possibility's a endless, even if you replace the pod with one a filter can be replaced on.
Most newish Efi car's run these pod's as it IS a swirl pot in one nice lil unit, so get's rid of any starving at low fuel round corner's.
Will just be a mater of finding one that fit's/seal's well...

From the pic's I have seen tho, the filter is replaceable.....

[Scales]

steak_knife wrote:

From the pic's I have seen tho, the filter is replaceable.....

being the guy who took the pics and held it in my hand...... i cant see how, hence starting the thread....

besides even if it were replaceable hypothetically, we want to REMOVE it entirely and put a new one in the engine bay.

[steak_knife]

Just had another thought..... some a return-less pod's, so the pressure reg is part of the pod, so may not be any good for your need's...

Just something to look out for...

[steak_knife]

Scales wrote:

steak_knife wrote:

From the pic's I have seen tho, the filter is replaceable.....

being the guy who took the pics and held it in my hand...... i cant see how, hence starting the thread....

I'm talking about a part's breakdown that was posted in your other thread... .

[Scales]

ah righto, yeah it does look like it from the diagrams, but when its in your hand, its all plastic sealed up. In the pic i took a few posts up, the filter is definatley in the black plastic portion somewhere, my gut feeling is on the left hand chamber in the pic.

as for the pumps with regs built in, yeah i thought of that, but if we get a pump that has 3 barbs on it we should be safe.

the other secondary thing i am considering is the fuel guage situation. but that shouldnt be a huge problem i think.

[steak_knife]

Scales wrote:

ah righto, yeah it does look like it from the diagrams, but when its in your hand, its all plastic sealed up. In the pic i took a few posts up, the filter is definatley in the black plastic portion somewhere, my gut feeling is on the left hand chamber in the pic.

as for the pumps with regs built in, yeah i thought of that, but if we get a pump that has 3 barbs on it we should be safe.

the other secondary thing i am considering is the fuel guage situation. but that shouldnt be a huge problem i think.

It's the whole top plastic bit

just goggled, & your thread's are at the top

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Suzuk ... el-Filters
They any help??

[Scales]

um theres no listing for fuel filter on that link

[steak_knife]

Scales wrote:

um theres no listing for fuel filter on that link

No but it does say to contact them, no online listing....


I've just read through a manual i have & it doesn't have a breakdown for the pod, just remove & replace procedures..
Can't even find the part no...

[Scales]

welcome to my nightmare lol..... its a terrible design, it wouldnt be a problem if suzuki didnt want nearly 2k for the entire assembly.

[steak_knife]

Scales wrote:

welcome to my nightmare lol..... its a terrible design, it wouldnt be a problem if suzuki didnt want nearly 2k for the entire assembly.

I spent 6yr's working in a dealership on Suzuki's

[Scrawny]

Most late model Toyotas run this kind of setup now. Everything is plastic so it can take Ethanol and damn expensive They have removable filters tho

[steak_knife]

Scrawn wrote:

Most late model Toyotas run this kind of setup now. Everything is plastic so it can take Ethanol and damn expensive They have removable filters tho

return-less???

[Scrawny]

[Scales]

no is a good thing, we want a return.... fyi that pump i was looking at was from a commodore.

[Gwagensteve]

Lots of cars are now return less and you may find that sourcing a n appropriate unit is very expensive.

I think the answer will be to weld a flange in to the top of the tank to take a pump unit from, say, an efi vitara, and then you can run an external filter. It might be preferable to have a new fuel tank made to take the vitara pump at the same time. It's never going to be a cheap exercise though.

Steve.

[steak_knife]

Scales wrote:

no is a good thing, we want a return.... fyi that pump i was looking at was from a commodore.

They are spring loaded, to hold the pod on the bottom of tank, so you may have to mod the height a lil

[stocker]

Are they anything like the vitara Pump assembly... I realize the bits have a separate level indicator

[TZAR]

What about gutting it, then running a facet lift pump with a cheap $5 filter then into a VL inline pump then into a high pressure $25 filter.

Facet pump $free ( scab from wreckers from car
$30 worth of filters
VL pump $5

hoses and clamps and stuff $20

$55 and your done.

[Scrawny]

steak_knife wrote:

Scales wrote:

no is a good thing, we want a return.... fyi that pump i was looking at was from a commodore.

They are spring loaded, to hold the pod on the bottom of tank, so you may have to mod the height a lil

This is always going to be a problem if using a setup from another tank. Toyota also has a very painful plastic threaded ring to hold it in the tank, which is also plastic

[Scales]

just had an idea to plug the hole where the orig pump goes and put a plate over it with some welded on fittings etc and put a inline pump but then the problem of the fuel guage comes into it then.

[Gwagensteve]

TZAR wrote:

What about gutting it, then running a facet lift pump with a cheap $5 filter then into a VL inline pump then into a high pressure $25 filter.

Facet pump $free ( scab from wreckers from car
$30 worth of filters
VL pump $5

hoses and clamps and stuff $20

$55 and your done.

I'm going to assume this isn't a joke. (?)

Whilst that's the cheap and nasty way to setup an EFI fuel system, there is no way that it's going to be anywhere near as reliable as the setup that Scales has now. It's twice as complex, noisier, and puts a whole lot of stuff under the car that can come loose, get whacked by a stick, or otherwise give problems.

Additionally, some work would have to be done to ensure that the stock regulator could control the volume being delivered by the VL pump. If not, then you'd have to add an aftermarket reg into the mix... possibly update the return line, and all this to eliminate one fuel filter?

Doesn't make sense.

The simplest option is really to ensure the rubbish doesn't get in the tank in the first place. If you are/were refuelling from somewhere where the fuel is suspect, why not use a funnel with a coffee filter in the funnel?

Otherwise I can't see a solution to having to cut the pump/sender and gauge flange out of another tank and welding it in to yours.

Steve.

PS interesting - like the air filter thread, it's another example where Jimny's weren't really designed for anything other than urban use.

[Scales]

RE: regulator. not really concerned about that at this point, can always get an aftermarket adjustable one to get the 40 or so psi required at the rail, and besides would test the pressure once the new pump was fitted to ensure was good to go.

starting to think the easiest way would be like moag says and find a donor pump from somewhere and go to town on it with a dremel or something to find out the best way to get the guts out of it then re-fit it.

maybe cut the whole black portion away from the top flange and get a plastic welder to join it again.... im thinking out loud really

[Gwagensteve]

Personally I think i'd avoid plastic welding on a fuel tank component.

I wouldn't use an aftermarket regulator unless some performance mod forced me to. I have one in Piggles and it likes to "wander" in pressure. It's just one more thing that you shouldn't have to worry about.

Steve.