Not Getting Enough Fuel

[BigTerminator]

So my car ran all summer without issue and on the last day of summer (at Univ. right now) the car lost power. As soon as I pressed on the gas the car ran extremely lean and was getting bogged down. It actually had more power being easy on the gas then going pedal to the floor.

I do have a Vortech SC installed which adds complexity to the fuel system. The fuel pump still primes at startup but it only builds about 5 psi versus the 30 I was getting normally. If you keep priming the pump it slowly builds more pressure so the pump is not completely dead but obviously there is an issue. Could it be a regulator? A clog?

I can only assume my car has the original one installed. I also have an inline Vortex pump as well as its own fuel management unit, and 40lb fuel injectors.

So what do you guys think the issue is? Should I replace the fuel pump assembly? Is that the most likely cause of my issue?

And if it is the fuel assembly would you recommend getting the Walbro 255lph fuel pump assembly, Part# TU227HP-2? I know the 1998 models had a weird fuel system and this pump is designed specifically for the 98's.

Thanks!

 

[ZeroDCX]

It seems you've already diagnosed your issue. I would be looking to replace your fuel pump. The Walbro 255LPH is a great replacement pump. With that you could get rid of the inline fuel pump and FMU to simplify the fuel system setup while supporting more power. This would require an actual tune though (SCT/Quarter horse w/ BE, etc).

Regarding the FPR that could be a contributor as well. But I wouldn't see it slowly building pressure with repeated priming if it were the case. It's either consistently working or not working from my experience. I would replace your fuel pump first and foremost.

Good luck!

 

[Tillerman77]

Might be off base here, but when was the last time you replaced the fuel filter?

 

[ForcFed93]

I agree with the above. Now would be the time to do a real fuel system and not the band-aid system that the SC kits use.

Get a good 255/340lph pump, a nice AFPR, and tune it. FMU's, BAP's, in-line pumps, etc. are all failure traps.

 

[BigTerminator]

So it seems as though my car does not have the inline fuel pump. Not sure what pump is actually in the car. I am just going to grab the Walbro 255 pump.

I can't justify making major changes that will require a tune. The car barely pushes 5 pounds of boost. A dyno tune costs $500. I am simply looking to get my car back in working order. If I ever overhaul the engine and run much more boost then I can start looking into redoing the fuel system. Thanks guys.