Got everything cobbled back together.  Checked the return line again by
blowing through it.  Little resistance, bubbles sounding in the tank.
Replaced vacuum line to pressure regulator since it was an original and of
debatable quality.  While idling, no vacuum build up in tank, no whoosh
when opening fuel cap.  Fuel pump operating quietly.

Took it for a 10 minute drive.  About half way, I'm starting to hear the
fuel pump buzzing, though not loudly.  No loss of power or stalls.  When I
got home, I removed the gas cap again.  No whoosh and no change to fuel
pump whine.  Blowing through the return line it seemed unobstructed.  Maybe
the fuel pump was damaged by having to deal with water in the gas over the
last few weeks?

I'm not totally convinced the problem is solved but I'll be using it daily
over the next few days and we'll see.

For the record, I should add the fuel pressure readings I reported earlier
were not the result of a faulty pressure tester but rather a faulty
operator -- I was reading the wrong scale.  The right scale (psi) on this
tester maxes out at 10psi, so I'd guess that the fuel pressure is okay but
will pick up one that can handle 40 psi or more.

Thanks again for all the help along the way, it was very much appreciated.
This is a great forum for mechanical neophytes like me.

Rick

On Tue, Mar 6, 2018 at 3:27 PM, Neil N <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:

> Heh. Well, YMMV? Kidding. Yes. I've seen images of the carnage. Electricity
> in action. With your advice and list advice, fusing the supply wire to P1
> was one of the first things I did to my then new '88 Westy.
>
> Back to your regular programming.....
>
> On Tue, Mar 6, 2018 at 2:36 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
> wrote:
>
> Some Vanagon owners have recently posted on the samba forum about wire
> >> damage due to the positive wire at power steering pump switch having
> come
> >>
> >
> > Wrecks the harness, wrecks the relay wiring, melts the relay box, tries
> to
> > ruin the other harness going to the wiring box.
> >
> > "Wire damage" is a feeble word.
> >
> > Yrs,
> > d
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Neil n
>
> Blog: Vanagons, Westfalia, general <http://tubaneil.blogspot.ca>
>
> 1988 Westy Images <https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/New1988Westy>
>
> 1981 Westfalia "Jaco" Images, technical <http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/>
>
> Vanagon-Bus VAG Gas Engine Swap Group <http://tinyurl.com/khalbay>
>

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