It's not neccessary to remove the screw from the fuel pressure testing
port to bleed the fuel lines.
It's a contiuously circulating fuel system .
Just cycle the key several times to pre-run the fuel pump and fill the
lines with gas.

a glogged return line would make things weird ..though I have never
actually seen that on a vanagon.

Fuel pressure regulator comes to mind.
- which  is what determines the fuel pressure of course..
as long as the tank, pump, and lines are doing what they're supposed to do.

On 10/31/2013 7:22 AM, Max Wellhouse wrote:
> .1990 GL  2.1 with 260k + (120k on a boston bob overhaul)
>
>  I've been keeping a fuel pressure gauge signal going to my VDO oil
> pressure gauge(toggle switch to change sources) and for several years it
> read right between 29-36psi  just like it should.  Then about a year ago
> it dropped down to fluctuating to a reading like 17-20 psi.  The engine
> still started and ran okay, but within the last couple of weeks, i've
> run the gas tank past empty on two different occasions and had to
> reprime the fuel lines and bleed the air out of the lines from the test
> port screw.  That seems to be the onlywlay to restart a totally dry fuel
> system.  The second time it ran dry, repeated attempts to bleed the air
> etc. have proven to be unsuccessful i ngetting it to start again
>
> I realize that running the fuel pump with ho fuel for lubrication is not
> good for it, and my spare used pump when installed leaked fuel out of
> the crimp at the top, so that wasn't an optio.  Before I spend mega buck
> on a new pump, I;'d like the list's thoughtson where I go rfrom here.
> Could the fuel pressure regulater be causing these issues of no pressure
> at all?  Is there a chance there's still vapor lock" in the injection
> lines downstream of the test port preventing fuel from getting to the
> injectors.  The engine will cough when ether is briefly shot into the
> air horn, so it's not an ignition or compression issue.  i have a known
> good used regulator, but I'd like a bit of guidance before I do too may
> spendy things to get it roling again....and yes, there 5 or 6 gallons in
> the tank right now.
>
> TIA
>
>
> DM&FS
>