roadrunner

I am not sure what was happening, but I was having a problem with losing fuel pressure after getting on it. If I drove gently and hardly hit boost, it would be fine. If I jumped on it for more than a second or so, in a few minutes time I would hear the fuel pump making sucking noises, as if it was running out of fuel. If I kept driving it, it would eventually stall, but would restart immediately and the sound would be gone.

I knew I had a fuel leak somewhere because there always was a faint smell of it when I opened the rear hatch. I thought the fuel pump was going out and went to replace it when I found that the return line was wet, with a drip about every 30 seconds. That line was a bitch to put in (another story), but in the two weeks since I replaced the return line, I have yet to get the sputtering, even after very hard driving. My only thought for this happening was that the leak would spray fuel in such a way as to soak the fuel pump electrical connections, and with all the gunk there would partially short it, but I don't know how it could do this without setting everything on fire. Any thoughts?

I'm only reporting this in case someone else might come across this problem...

roadrunner

Update on this problem...

Fuel pump noises came back after 1 week, and fuel pressure damper sprung a leak, so I replaced the fuel pump and damper. Fuel pump noise still present. Replaced the fuel filter and the noise was still there. During test drive, I got on it hard several times and then there was no more noise, but it was having trouble idling, and developed a misfire a few blocks from home. I tried to start it the next day and again a few times a week later, but it wouldn't start. I verified spark and fuel (at least by feeling the pump while someone was cranking it for me).

Then while cranking, it stopped, as if the timing was way too advanced. I pulled the plugs and found cylinder 1 full of fuel - fuel hydraulic lock. I then tried to clear the cylinders while cranking and found gas shooting out of the vacuum connection on the pressure damper, due to a broken diaphragm, which was new. I'm now waiting for a new pressure regulator and damper. The return line I verified as being clear so I'm hoping it was a bad regulator, and that I didn't break anything when it hydrolocked.

roadrunner

Installed new fuel pressure regulator and damper today. Checked compression and got 90, 60, 90, 90 psi -- not too good. Tried firing it up and it was sputtering for a few seconds, with a metallic thud on each revolution. Tried cranking again then it stopped. Pulled the plugs and they were wet but the cylinders were not filled like the last time. I tried to crank it to clear the cylinders but the engine will not turn. I put it in gear and I can't even turn it backwards. I think I may be done with this car...

Zero10

Hmm, 90,60,90,90.... mechanical thud... sounds like a bent rod.
Not that big of a deal to fix. Never say you're done with the car

Plugs are wet because you're not getting enough compression to properly ignite the fuel. Or at least that's my guess.