Hey everyone. This is going to be a long and interesting story. For those of you who have fuel pumps that make noise, I suggest you read on. I just had a Walbro TU429 ($138 from fuel-pumps.net, special order) installed in the Jimmy. I was having the rear, front left and part of the front right brake lines replaced (the rear one required the tank to be dropped) because of rust (NOT leaking), so I had them replace the fuel pump also since I had 94k on this truck.
The night before I ran the tank down to a quarter to make it easier for them to remove the tank. They certainly appreciated that when I asked them on the phone a couple days earlier if I should do that. The next morning, it was hard to start and the pump sounded weaker than normal, which NEVER happened before. It always made a whining/humming noise since I bought the truck at 58k, but it kept changing pitch and volume for a week or two before the repairs. I drove it to the shop with no problems. I heard from the waiting room the mechanic kept cranking the engine for some reason. When I thought that something was wrong, I ran outside to see what was up. The mechanic asked if there was a trick or something to start this truck. I said, no because the only thing that would make it not start would be the alarm, and that would stop it from cranking in the first place (the fuel pump was not connected to the alarm and there were no problems with Passlock) and the alarm was deactivated. I asked the guy to stop cranking it and cycle the key a couple times between Lock and On. NO FUEL PUMP PRIME/NOISE. I just said (after realizing what just happened there): "The fuel pump is not making the noise that it normally makes when I turn the key on. I can't believe that it just did that." The fuel pump basically fried itself in the right place at the right time in the parking lot of the right shop when it was there for an appointment to replace it. They were nice about it and shocked that it happened how, when and where it did. It took 4 mechanics to PUSH it into the bay.

Someone must have put a rabbit's foot in my truck because I drove it on a long trip the night before 2 hours each way and then I drove it some more back on the interstate after I got back in town to run the tank down (but not dry) and it didn't fail. I did it with the windows and sunroof open and A/C compressor on to make the car even more of a gas guzzler and help it along, but it actually didn't do anything. I was still getting in the mid 20s MPG at 50mph, which is unheard of for this truck.

I do have some questions about all this:

1. I can't hear the new pump at all from the driver seat or outside the truck. It seems a little eerie because I am used to hearing the whining of the OEM pump (which was sometimes louder than the engine). Are all Walbro tank kits this quiet or do I have a defective pump? The tank is full right now, so could that be a reason? I heard that the 255L was supposed to be noisy, but this is an OEM replacement tank kit with a stock spec pump.

2. I never ran the tank below 9gallons used on the trip computer (1/2 tank) before unless I had to, then I never ran it below 11 gallons used (between 1/3 and 1/2 a tank, NEVER lower than that.). Did I make the old pump fail by letting it go to 1/4 of a tank the night before? It was sounding weak when I did that as if the battery was very low. Could I have caused other damage by doing that like with the injectors? By the way, they did replace the fuel filter when they replaced the pump. The old filter was replaced in March of this year at 88k.

3. Do the Walbro TU429 kits have any improvements over the OEM pumps that make them last longer?

4. Obviously I should still have the fuel filter changed often, but is there anything different I should be doing with the new pump? Should I still keep it above 1/2? Should I still use Lucas or Techron additives?

Is there anything else I should be concerned about with this? I am taking a long road trip again and the last thing I want to do is have a breakdown since the last long trip I took my brakes failed in New Jersey (caliper boiled brake fluid) and I have been replacing stuff since May (all calipers, rotors, pads, 1 brake hose because the front left almost caught fire) because of it because the last mechanic who worked on it used cheap parts and didn't pick up on the caliper starting to fail when I complained twice about a groaning noise coming from the same wheel (left rear, with the destroyed caliper) as a made a turn. Also my AAA membership is canceled, so even more reason to make sure everything is fine.

Thanks.

 

I don't know what to say about the timing of your fuel pump going out other than the mileage at which it occurred. The OEM pumps on these trucks usually never last over 120,000 miles tops. The failure of your pump doesn't surprise me given the mileage, maybe a little premature but not a drastic deviation from the norm.
Its too bad you didn't ask some questions before you had the repairs made. I'm sorry to say but you should have went with either an AC delco pump (OEM) or an airtex. You'll find that they are priced 150-300 dollars more than most others but there is a reason for this. Search this forum and see what you can dig up about the different fuel pumps available for these trucks.

 

I heard that Airtex only last a few months, so I avoided them. I heard that Walbro is highly recommended and I haven't heard of any of them failing unless the tank had alot of junk in the bottom or it was a counterfeit pump from China. I didn't want to go with AC Delco because of the high price and also because I heard that they were made with lower quality and that they need a new wire harness just to install them.

Just in case it matters, the truck has burned 2 gallons since it was replaced and now the pump is making a "hissing" noise when I turn the key on or off, but the pump is still silent when the engine is running. Sometimes it takes just a little bit longer (like 1 second) to start if I am doing a cold start, which wasn't happening before the old pump started to fail. Could the old pump have released junk into the filter or injectors or could I have a bad pump?

 

I posted a video of the noise I was talking about. It is on YouTube. Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyzCHRxjthI

Please read the video description also.

 

That is a noisy pump. I put one one in a ford exploder that sounded similiar, but gradually got quieter and never failed me.
Was it like that right away or did it get louder. If it became louder, you may have a problem beginning.

 

It was completely silent when I had it installed. Barely any noise. The relay under the hood was louder than the pump. After I had it installed, filled the tank and used 2 gallons, it started to make this noise. It isn't that loud as it sounds and it only makes this sound when I turn the key on or off. I can just barely hear it from the driver seat and just hear it when I am standing outside the car and I reach in and turn the key. It is not nearly as loud as the OEM pump, which made a continuous whine whether it was key on/off or when the engine was running. When I heard about fake pumps and other problems, that was when I got concerned. I haven't heard anything bad about the retailer or the brand, so that is why I bought it. It was special order and it took a week to get even though I ordered overnight shipping from the retailer because they had to order it.

 

It almost sounds like something is loose, but my exploder pump sounded really close to your sound and it worked fine. I bought it at Oreillys auto and I cannot remember the brand right now.
Keep tuned in to it and listen for any changes and go from there. I too, would be concerned, especially if it was my main source of transportation.

 

What could be loose? So maybe I am overreacting to this? This truck is my main mode of transportation. It is crucial that it is in good condition because I have to drive to classes every day and there are no tolerances for absences. I also take long trips with this truck. Also, I bought this pump from fuel-pumps.net. They mentioned about Walbro forgeries on their higher performance pumps (255L pumps). I figured since it was from them and the pump was an in tank stock OEM replacement that it would be a very low chance of being counterfeit. The list price was around $177, but it was on the site for $138 + shipping for a special order item. I found other pumps from $200-500. I thought that since I was comparing the pumps apples-to-apples and I am getting the same product for alot cheaper, it is a good deal. The fact that it was silent when it was first installed and then this noise started concerns me.

 

I read about how there are alot of counterfeit pumps on the market that are very similar in appearance to a real Walbro, but have a different sound. Based on this sound, could I have ordered a forgery even though I ordered it from a site that is well known and they not only know about forgeries, but they have a whole part of their site talking about it and how they promise that they will not sell forgeries? This was a special order item for $138 (the page says it is usually $177) and like $50 for overnight shipping once they received it from wherever they ordered it from (I don't know if it was from Walbro or China). The site I ordered it from was www.fuel-pumps.net. The model is TU429. I didn't see anything online that they are selling the fake pumps, but I am concerned about this one because I am going on a long trip in a week and a half and I cannot afford a fuel pump going out. Especially since I no longer have AAA. Does anyone else have any advice or ordered a Walbro in tank OEM replacement unit before? Thanks.

 

it almost sounds like the fuel pump like inside the tank that connects to the sending unit.. via rubber hose, is leaking when you first turned it on, whether its from the clamps, or a hole in the hose, almost like its spraying the inside of your gas tank, when you first turned the key..

but then again, at my age im hearing things too.. and i had a similar problem with my blazer.

hope this helps


Ck1500