Sure seems to me like it would be worth investing 30 minutes to run the van
off a can of gas, so the main fuel tank is not in the picture ...
as a test to get an idea if that's the case.( restricted fuel pick-up in
tank causing the noisy fuel pump )

doesn't cost much,, doesn't take long, might reveal very useful information.
Like, what's not to like about that  ??!!

supposing it makes no difference..it's still noisy running off a can of gas
( this is basic what I call 'substitute and bypass' diagnostic strategy -
you take the main tank out of the picture to see if that eliminates the
noise ) ...........

supposing it doesn't make any difference - still noisy.
then at  least you can say 'it's probably not the tank, therefore the tank
is probably not trying to clog at the fuel pick-up , therefore I'm probably
safe to go on my trip, as far as the fuel tank is concerned.'

seems totally logical in my mind !
I recommend a ratio of time/energy invested in diagnosis versus energy
invested in pursing 'a part' of about 90/10.
Maybe 80/20 ....but quite often it's not 'a part', and it's something dirty,
clogged, corroded , etc. And many of those things respond to cleaning,
lubing, treating etc.

and may The Vanagon Gods smile on all your  vanagons !

Scott
www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "The Bus Depot" <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 2:51 PM
Subject: Re: New fuel pump and filter - still noisy!

>> OK, after installing a new Bosch fuel pump and filter it's
>> still buzzing!  I want to go camping tomorrow, is this
>> buzzing the sound of imminent failure?
>> What is it?
>
>
> Assuming this it is actually the pump that is loud and not just vibration
> being transferred to the frame (did you replace the rubber mounts?), it
> indicates some of some sort of blockage - dirt, rust, or a kink somewhere.
> There is no doubt that this will shorten the lifespan of the pump. The
> only
> question is how short. Also, not knowing exactly what is causing the
> supply
> problem, it's hard to know if (or how quickly) it could worsen. So
> unfortunately it's hard to say if you've got two days or two years. If it
> were me, and it was too late to troubleshoot before leaving for my trip,
> I'd
> probably cross my fingers, bring a spare pump and a AAA card, and dig into
> it when I got back.
>
> - Ron Salmon
>  The Bus Depot, Inc.
>  www.busdepot.com
>  (215)  234-VWVW
>
> _____________________________________________
> Toll-Free for Orders by PART # :  1-866-BUS-DEPOT