My solution for fuel pump problems on 5.7 Gi and Gxi Penta

[jmhere]

Re: My solution for fuel pump problems on 5.7 Gi and Gxi Penta

So is there another solution my Volvo mechanic can do to fix the issue by replacing parts with factory approved fixes?

 

[rodregal]

Re: My solution for fuel pump problems on 5.7 Gi and Gxi Penta

I suggest the following;

Make the Volvo recommended update to the fuel pressure regulator, in which you replace the input screen with a spacer. The fuel injector input screens are more able to deal with the black paint without blocking fuel flow.


On a regular basis remove the high pressure pump and inspect/clean the input screen. Doing this will prolong the life of the HP pump. It is straightforward to do.

Listen closely to the engine so if your HP pump starts to whine, you quickly remove it and clean it's input screen. If the screen is clean, you are likely going to need to replace the pump very soon.

Minimize running the engine at idle, because the stock system overheats the gas and stresses the high pressure pump at light load, especially so at idle.

Make sure that the cooling water flow through the fuel pump assembly is unobstructed, to reduce fuel overheating.

If you do buy a new fuel cell/assembly, make sure you get the latest version, because Volvo have stopped using the black paint on the inside. I have not personally verified that Volvo have done this, but I have seen enough reference to this to believe it is true.

I hope this helps!

 

[boatguya1]

Re: My solution for fuel pump problems on 5.7 Gi and Gxi Penta

Having seen 2 boats burned to the waterline this season, one with burned children, I caution anyone to think twice prior to modifying the fuel or electrical systems in the engine compartment.

Please be safe, I don't have the stomach for treating burned children until medical help arrives.

Rodregal, are you opening yourself to a lawsuit if someone buggers up the mod you're suggesting? As a professional mechanical/electrical engineer would the courts think you should know better than to suggest this?

 

[rodregal]

Re: My solution for fuel pump problems on 5.7 Gi and Gxi Penta

Thank you for your advice.

I am offering free advice here, and it is important that anyone reading the information I provide take full responsibility for their own actions.

As always, the first requirement is to be safe.

 

[jmhere]

Re: My solution for fuel pump problems on 5.7 Gi and Gxi Penta

Thank you for your advice.

I am offering free advice here, and it is important that anyone reading the information I provide take full responsibility for their own actions.

As always, the first requirement is to be safe.

Thank you for your replies on the volvo approved fixes for this problem. I am in the process of taking delivery on 03 boat with twin 5.7 Gi engines and one had what seamed to be this very problem. The mechanic did a a screen replacement, and was able to keep the engine running with comments of everything is good now, however i am not sure if the whining has gone away. Hope to find out soon with a good outcome as I take delivery. If not does anyone have the PN and/or link to the Volvo service bulletin outlining the process and the replacement HP pump without paint & spacer? I would like to get one ordered and on stand bye before my 100 mile trip back to home base.

 

[mimi9000]

Re: My solution for fuel pump problems on 5.7 Gi and Gxi Penta

The controller I have installed maintains a constant voltage at the high pressure pump.

As the pump load increases, it takes more amps from the voltage controller, at constant voltage. In the stock installation, as the pump demands more amps, the supply voltage goes down a little because of resistance in the supply wires.

I have not measured the voltage setting on my setup.

What I am monitoring is the fuel pressure at the injector rail. And when I set up the voltage controller I experimented with higher and lower settings. I adjusted it to have a small amount of recirculation through the fuel pressure regulator at idle (which you can feel and hear) , and then carefully load tested it at gradually increasing loads, to make sure that the fuel pressure never dropped below the specified level.

It helps that the pressure regulator lowers the fuel pressure at maximum load from Volvo. The injectors are programmed to stay open longer at high engine load to counteract the reduced pressure.

I hope I have addressed your question..

Best
Rodregal

I bought the step-down regulator. Can you tell me what else i need to buy to be able to control the voltage to HP fuel pump, and how to hook up these items?

 

[bruceb58]

There is no way I would do this mod.

I agree with DonS:

Re: My solution for fuel pump problems on 5.7 Gi and Gxi Penta



Good question, any time I have found hot pumps, there was a problem with the supply of the fuel to the pump. Air leaks in the system before the pump, partially plugged pickup tube or anti-siphon valve
In my opinion this voltage regulation is just covering up the real problem. But, since it sounds easier than finding the real problem, they all want to try this.
Way too many Volvo's out there running without this problem.

 

[four winns 214]

I've been running a V-P 5.0GxiB installed in a 21' Four Winns deckboat for seven years and have not had any problems like the ones described here. On the other hand, I have a colleague that has the 5.7L version of my engine installed in a 23' FW deckboat and he's replaced pumps at least twice in the same seven years. This is a real head scratcher for sure. I'm going to direct him to this thread.

 

[Willybeen]

Today I took my 02 gxi 5.7 out after about 5k in service work and it started up and ran flawlessly for the first hour or so. We parked at the sandbar and when it was time to leave the starter turned the engine over furiously but it wouldn't fire. I put the boat in neutral and revved it, and th boat started right up. (from now on I have to do this in order to get it to start) anyway, I heard a whining coming from the engine on the ride back that eventually took care of itself. when i got home, I tried to recreate the noise and I did, it's the fuel pump.

Is it likely something that I can take apart and clean and fix or do I need to bite the bullet and spend the 700 on a new fuel cell assembly.

Also if I do that, what else if anything should be cleaned or replaced to prevent it from ruining the new one.

Thanks
William

 

[jerryjerry05]

The original post is OLD
You should start your own and use the old post as a reference.
Usually the only fix for a bad pump is replace it.
But look around you might find the parts cheaper.
Sierra and some others might have a cheaper pump.
Why it went bad? Any water in the filter?
Some blame Ethanol for damaging the fuel pumps and plastic pieces???

 

[Walt T]

Very interesting. From what I understand you don't need the potentiometer or the microswitch, you just need to reduce the high pressure pump speed to a prescribed setting as you described. A simple large resistor should do it wouldn't you think?

 

[ibretus]

Just adding an extra inline fuel cooler would solve the problem with out messing with the pumps