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Fuel delivery issue?


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My car would turn over but wouldnt start. I have a 87 subuaru dl with the 1.8 spfi engine. I tested the fuel pump and it was getting power but wouldnt work so I went to autozone and got an airtex universal fuel that was rated at the same gph and psi as the subaru one except it cost 61 dollars instead of the 235 that the subaru cost. Now my car starts but it dies after 1 to 5 seconds and I can make it keep running if i play with the gas pedal but it wont idle on its own. So me and my friend that helped me put it in think it could be a couple issues. The airtex fuel pump is about twice as long as the subaru one so when we were putting it the line that goes to the engine is a little bit kinked and we were wondering if that would have any impact on how much fuel gets to the engine. Also the airtex fuel pump came with a fuel filter attached and we didnt remove the subaru one in the engine bay so we were wondering if having 2 fuel pumps in line before the engine would be restricting the flow of fuel at all? Any advice on anything else I can check?

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Yes, a kink in the fuel line will cause volume/supply issues. Also, make sure you replace the factory fuel filter. Fuel pumps most often die because the filter is plugging up and the pump is being overworked trying to push the fuel passed a plugged filter. Eventually just burns it up. No, two filters will not cause a problem unless one or both is plugged. You also need to check for codes. A bad temp sensor, TPS or MAF/MAP can create similar symptoms.

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Thank you for the fast reply we'll try to get a 90" fitting for the fuel pump tomorrow and see if it helps the kink because it'll look closer to how the factory pump worked... Also how would you check for the check engine light codes I know there should be some diagnostic connectors either inside or in the engine bay but I'm not sure how to read them in the subaru.

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+1 to the MAF, TPS, and CTS - MAF can be cleaned with a squirt of carb cleaner - undo the small clamp that connects to the air box and on the roof of the rubber you will see a tiny little element - don't touch it, just spray it off with the carb cleaner.

 

If your sensors are bugging out, you should get a check engine light. If you get a check engine light then there is a bunch of info here on how to find and read codes, I think even under the 'repair manual' section.

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Okay so I think I figured out the first issue I had. I work at Autozone and our computers said that for the spfi 1.8l motor I can use a fuel pump that produces 4 psi and has a gph flow of 15. So that's the one I installed last night and no bueno!!! Earlier today I stopped by the local Subaru dealership and they told me that my fuel pump should be producing between 30 and 50 psi and that Autozones parts catalog was wrong. After cruising around on this awesome website of all knowing Subaru gods I discovered that you can use a fuel pump from a mpfi Subaru. So after arguing with my manager about weather the Subaru dealership is right or our system is right I ended up getting a generic fuel pump that's supposed to be able to fit the turbo Subaru among other things and that's rated at maximum of 90 psi but I was told that the fuel pressure regulator should be able to tone it down to he necessary level. When me and my friend installed it and primed it no bueno it would not pump gas... So we disconnected the fuel line coming from the tank and no fuel came pouring out. So my buddy thinks that we can take a turkey baster and fill the lines around the pump with fuel so it would start pumping and pressurize the system? Are we on the right track or have we completely and totally disgraced the usmb forum by being such total noobs!!! Any help would be greatly apreciated.

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Lesson to learn: Parts stores' listings for Subarus are grossly inaccurate. the usual proble arises from the overlap of models with EA81 and EA82 engines, and the listings either make no distinction of jumble them.

 

4psi is a carb pump in any pretty much car. 40+psi is EFI territory.

 

I have no personal experience, but I would think that there is no need to prime the pump with a turkey baster. It is IIRC below the fuel level in the tank, and even then it should be able to lift the fuel to its intake... unless it is the wrong type of pump and it requires priming.

 

Are you sure that you installed the pump so that both the flow direction and the wiring will pull from the tank and push to the engine?

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Thank you guys for all your help. So I got it fixed the fuel pump they gave me didnt have a label for the + and - so after we got it primed we had to switch the leads around and now it's Alive!!! Next projects are gonna be the clutch and the heater core!!!

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