280i. 1982 Rust in fuel line..

[mrzigazaga]

Petrol from tank is clean.. Rust appearing in fuel entering engine, Could a fuel filter help and can it be put after the swirl pot.. If not where to get swirl pot. I know they do an alli one but that is well exspensive... Cheers

[ed_crouch]

Yeh, you can either get an ally one, or you can put a pre-filter before the pump, but it'll have to be a good filter, probably a fifty quid bullet filter from www.fuelsystem.co.uk.

You cant use any old filter at atmospheric pressure because the flow rate of the filter is highly important - a normal filter when used at low pressures can make the fuel cavitate because the pump is drawing fuel through it rather than pushing it through at high pressure.

Even then, the filter will block regularly and the element will need cleaning. If you have rust going through your fuel pump, thats a bad thing.

Bad news, but new swirlpot might be in order...

PLus of course if you just filter the crud out, youre masking the problem, and eventually the swirlpot will rust right through and piss fuel everywhere.

Edited by ed_crouch on Saturday 17th July 20:05

[mrzigazaga]

Would it be just the swirlpot causing this prob as ive seen ally ones for £50. But im unsure of the type or fitting, Any sugg,, Cheers

[ed_crouch]

If you're SURE its not coming out of the tanks, then the rust must be coming from either the swirlpot, the pump (almost impossible), or the inside of the fuel filter.

In fact, I wonder if it IS coming from the filter which will be located AFTER the pump for the reasons I mention above. That would also explain why the fuel pump hasnt failed yet. Electrical fuel pumps really really really hate particulates.

weiqwehqehqehwlejrgballs Excuse me, I've just realised - so you have tanks -> swirlpot -> pump -> filter -> supply lines down the sill -> fuel rail in engine bay?

If youve got rust in the fuel at the engine, its almost certain to be coming off the inside of the filter can because if it was coming out the swirlpot, the filter would entrap it...

Stick a new filter on it.

[jeff m]

The fuel fiter is very important on a CIS car, the Fuel Distributor does not like cr@p.
Check out the price of a new Fuel Distributor

The fuel filter is located at the front of the car under the bonnet/hood. 5 minute job.
The parts list gives a part number of FRAM G3744, but I got a Bosch one from my Porsche guy. ($75)

Change the filter with the car cold as it will/should have residual pressure so expect a small mess. Engine will need a couple of cranks to start after changing.

I recommend changing the filter whether you do the swirl pot or not.

Edit to add Somehow I did not see Ed's post so just do as he suggests.

Edited by jeff m on Saturday 17th July 21:26

[ed_crouch]

Well, Im coming at it from a 390SE perspective, so some domain knowledge of the V6 fuel system is always good!

[mrzigazaga]

Cheers guys.. Are you saying that i would need a fuel distributor and a filter or are they the same thing.. Sorry if this is a dumb question, Will it need bleeding out or can i run it straight after fitting.. Thanks,

Edited by mrzigazaga on Saturday 17th July 22:24

[ed_crouch]

New fuel pump - maybe the tanks are dishing out rust? If you're SURE its not the tanks, bang a new filter on it. The filter is not the same as the fuel distributor. You'll be wanting a new filter. Shouldnt be more than a tenner or so? Fuel distributor AFAIK is a mechanical high pressure fuel pump, and they're probably approaching a grand each...

[Grady]

The distributer (or metering unit) and the filter are two different things. The distributer is upstream of the filter, the black box with all the little black hoses - you don't want to have to mess with or replace it. The filter should be mounted below the metering unit and is fed by another hose at the bottom of the filter. As said, changing the filter is easy and the fitting are different sized so you can't get it backward. But IIRC, it is an over and under job.

[mrzigazaga]

Thanks guys, Much appreciated.. Will get on it tom if i can locate a filter.. Will keep you informed

[James MK]

I had a similar problem a few years back. Dead fuel pump. Dead replacement fuel pump. Turned out to be debris from the swirl pot which was then replaced (had to get one made up).

This only helped for a few months. Two more dead fuel pumps and I became suspicious of the tanks themselves (having been taken out and resealed earlier). Maybe debris from the welds was finding its way in, maybe because I was using a lead additive that needed a full 10 gallon fill up every time (meaning I had to run the tanks right down every time)?

In the end I had a second filter put in line before the swirlpot which seemed to do the trick.

[mrzigazaga]

Cheers for the help chaps, I had a go this morning at replacing the fuel filter, I couldnt get me hands on a fram but got the original part whish is slightly bigger, Anyway put new filter on but should of re fitted new washers as when i tightened it to stop a leak the alli nut on filter sprouted a whole.. Took ages and will try again tom.. Also the air cover which sits over the fuel distributor has a holAlso could anyone recommend plugs, Leads, Coil, rotor arme in it and it looks like a breather has been capped and there is a pipe missing from fuel distributor, Is it a vaccum pipe ?..The front of the air box looks like its missing, The bit that goes from air filter box towards front of car... Any recom on plugs, leads, coil, rotor arm.. Many thanks.

[jeff m]

mrzigazaga said:

Anyway put new filter on but should of re fitted new washers as when i tightened it to stop a leak the alli nut on filter sprouted a whole..

Get the correct crush washers. (although I often use crush washers twice)

mrzigazaga said:

.. Any recom on plugs, leads, coil, rotor arm.. Many thanks.

http://www.tvrwedgepages.co.uk/maint_parts.html will help