happy hours

I took boat out yesterday (99 Volvo Penta 5.0GL) with a 4 barrel carb I recently installed. Boat started ran fine on muffs and soon after I left the dock and tried to get on plane it shut off, stalled and felt like ran out of fuel. Removed spark arrester and carb acted dry when wife moved throttle (accel pump). Messed with electric pump and removed carb feed line. Cranked and at first no fuel, then on 2nd or 3rd time got fuel out of line so reinstalled fuel line and boat started and ran fine. Ran about 10 minutes and stopped to do plug reading. Re started and ran a short while and acted same way, stalled and felt like it ran out of fuel. Had wife try to start numerous times while I held hand on pump to see if it was running (I did not have test light with me) I could not feel electric pump vibrate (not 100% sure if I should, but seems like I should be able to feel it run). Same deal, removed fuel line and tried to start several times, after a couple tries got fuel and reinstalled line, started and I returned ramp. Got boat home started and ran fine while flushed. The fuel pump went bad a couple years ago right after I purchased boat but that time it failed totally. I removed pump and ran it on the bench with battery and WD 40 and seems OK. My question is, do you think the pump is failing and not starting properly intermittently. Would the pump have less flow restriction with open line and think that could make any difference to unsticking? Is removal of the line a non-factor, just allowing me to see if pump is running? Although it was maiden voyage with carb, it does not seem like it is float level or anything since it runs perfect and is new carb.....but???? Sure is hard to troubleshoot things that are intermittent. What do you think buy a new pump?

JJS2007

Trade it for BLACK.

hoozeyurdaddy

It sounds like fuel pump is bad, but I would check the sys. leading to the pump, antisiphon valve,air leak in sys., fuel filter, if all that looks good, buy a pump. you may want to look at aftermarket, cheaper and better.

bobl

The Volvo electric pumps are run from the alternator. It must be charging for the pump to run. When in the start mode there is a bypass that provides voltage to the pump. I've seen a bad alternator cause fuel pump problems many times on Volvos.

Bob

happy hours

The alternator is about a year old and has been OK, not that really means anything . I thought of that charger circuit/alternator feed too while out there and looked to see if it was charging and I am 99% sure it was, granted I did not have a test light on the water to make sure pump was getting 12V, then my job would be easier. There is a relay too in the mix, I suppose that also could be culprit.

happy hours

I finally got off work early enough today to mess with it some. I remembered I had bought a spare relay for the fuel pump along time ago so I installed it. I found some corrosion in the relay plug so that might be culprit. I also wired a LED lamp on the dash to the pump relay so I can tell it is getting voltage. (I had a LED for low oil pressure/over temp so stole that and used a relay to reverse the polarity. I guess at this point I just gotta try it.

happy hours

Update: It was either , corrosion, the relay or the pump,, I replaced all three while it was down.
Then I wired a LED to the pump voltage and ran it for around 5 hrs to troubleshoot with no problem,.
I have put about hrs. on it since and all good.