Vapor Lock. Lengthy anecdotal response.

walt taylor

New member
May 22, 2000
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>

> 1. Install another electric fuel pump close to the fuel tank,
> probably a 5 to 7 psi one.

We have a switchable electric pump immediately after (in terms of fuel
flow) the tank switch. We have never needed it unless something adverse
happens to the fuel delivery system.
>

> 3. I already have vents at the rear corners of the motor box. I am
> considered putting in some 4" dryer ducts behind the grille to force
> more air into the motor box area.

We have a 4" duct from the grille that does a 90 degree turn and blows
on the distributor. Without this duct, Ron and Gina's neighborhood tends
to eat our ignition modules, when towing car trailers in the summer.
This failure once perfectly mimiced fuel delivery problems, and since we
*did* drain about a half pint of water out of the filters, and
commiserated with two other vehicles that had come to rest on the
roadside with water-filled injectors after filling where we did, we
wasted about 6 hours trying to "fix" the fuel system before we finally
changed the module.

Last July, we got about two quarts of water and mud from what looked to
be a brand-new station in southern Colorado (no extra charge). We left a
trail of clogged fuel filters from Pueblo to Salt Lake City. Our tank
selector switch never again allowed enough fuel through to pull the
trailer up a long grade. We also had to install a new carb deck gasket
before the GMC ran good again, since the backfires ate a chunk out of
the previous one.

I don't know if it's true of all, but our GMC *always* first announces
any malaise with a backfire. Consequently, we are very experienced at
changing manifold and carb deck gaskets.

We have about an inch of urethane under the floor and hatch in the
engine bay, and Reflectix above the floor. We use a large A/C condensor
for an auxiliary tranny cooler, and the biggest, most dense radiator
core we could install. We have stainless, uncoated headers, and are
usually towing 4,500 to 9,000 pounds of enclosed trailer, so we do make
some heat in the engine bay.

We have almost always run the original quadrajet, with the original fuel
delivery, except for two of the biggest fuel filters we can find in each
line from the tanks, the auxiliary electric pump after the tank switch
(for emergencies), and a third filter before the mechanical fuel pump. I
have usually not had the quadrajet's inlet filter installed. We have
been running many times in near 120 degree temps, and up to 11,000'
AMSL, but I don't really know what the worst case for
altitude/temperature is that we have seen. Our GMC has gone from central
Texas to at least Phoenix on I10 every July or August (or both) for the
last four years.

Walt Taylor
Austin, TX
'75 Eleganza
 
I still do not understand why you (and others) do not run the electric pump
all of the time?? It is not a power problem because the alternator
supplies the power, should not be a safety problem if you wire them
correctly, so why not run them all the time so you never have a vapor lock
or a lack of fuel ?? All of the modern cars run their electric pumps (in
the tank) all of the time. Why do you want to think about a switch on the
pump ?? Not to be pushy, just want to know.

gene

>>
>
>> 1. Install another electric fuel pump close to the fuel tank,
>> probably a 5 to 7 psi one.
>
>We have a switchable electric pump immediately after (in terms of fuel
>flow) the tank switch. We have never needed it unless something adverse
>happens to the fuel delivery system.
>>
>
>> 3. I already have vents at the rear corners of the motor box. I am
>> considered putting in some 4" dryer ducts behind the grille to force
>> more air into the motor box area.
>
>We have a 4" duct from the grille that does a 90 degree turn and blows
>on the distributor. Without this duct, Ron and Gina's neighborhood tends
>to eat our ignition modules, when towing car trailers in the summer.
>This failure once perfectly mimiced fuel delivery problems, and since we
>*did* drain about a half pint of water out of the filters, and
>commiserated with two other vehicles that had come to rest on the
>roadside with water-filled injectors after filling where we did, we
>wasted about 6 hours trying to "fix" the fuel system before we finally
>changed the module.
>
>Last July, we got about two quarts of water and mud from what looked to
>be a brand-new station in southern Colorado (no extra charge). We left a
>trail of clogged fuel filters from Pueblo to Salt Lake City. Our tank
>selector switch never again allowed enough fuel through to pull the
>trailer up a long grade. We also had to install a new carb deck gasket
>before the GMC ran good again, since the backfires ate a chunk out of
>the previous one.
>
>I don't know if it's true of all, but our GMC *always* first announces
>any malaise with a backfire. Consequently, we are very experienced at
>changing manifold and carb deck gaskets.
>
>We have about an inch of urethane under the floor and hatch in the
>engine bay, and Reflectix above the floor. We use a large A/C condensor
>for an auxiliary tranny cooler, and the biggest, most dense radiator
>core we could install. We have stainless, uncoated headers, and are
>usually towing 4,500 to 9,000 pounds of enclosed trailer, so we do make
>some heat in the engine bay.
>
>We have almost always run the original quadrajet, with the original fuel
>delivery, except for two of the biggest fuel filters we can find in each
>line from the tanks, the auxiliary electric pump after the tank switch
>(for emergencies), and a third filter before the mechanical fuel pump. I
>have usually not had the quadrajet's inlet filter installed. We have
>been running many times in near 120 degree temps, and up to 11,000'
>AMSL, but I don't really know what the worst case for
>altitude/temperature is that we have seen. Our GMC has gone from central
>Texas to at least Phoenix on I10 every July or August (or both) for the
>last four years.
>
>Walt Taylor
>Austin, TX
>'75 Eleganza
>
Genef -- 77PB/ore/ca
GMC MOTORHOME INFORMATION
mr.erf
http://www.california.com/~eagle/
 
>
> I still do not understand why you (and others) do not run the electric pump
> all of the time??

Too stingy to buy replacements.

I've been doing it that way (don't you hate it when a reply starts like
that?) for at least 300,000 miles of tow vehicle operation, without
wearing out an electric pump. I think I would have gone through several
in full-time operation.

My GMC doesn't seem to need the auxiliary pump if the delivery system is
fully functional. I've never had vapor lock or fuel starvation unless
something is wrong. I like having the auxiliary to cover up other
problems and keep running, if possible. With full-time electric
operation, I wouldn't know I had a problem until the auxiliary quit or
the problem got severe enough to defy both pumps.

Our behavior seems pretty strange to some of our friends. We've towed
from Austin, TX to Atlanta, GA over a weekend without taking off from
work. We've towed to British Columbia, driving more than half the nights
(and adding 1500 miles to the trip) to enable more sightseeing with the
kids during the day. We like to have redundancy and spares on board. My
15-year-old borrows the aviation phrase to describe us as having
"back-ups on the back-ups". I'd rather play with a switch if that will
increase the odds of keeping on running.

Didn't it say to switch your auxiliary pump on one of Moses' tablets?

Walt Taylor
Austin, TX
'75 Eleganza