List wisdom seems to indicate that a electric fuel pump squeals, it is due
to fuel starvation *before* the pump. Do you have a fuel filter between the
tank and pump? If so, change it. Or maybe there is a load of trash in the
bottom of the fuel tank. I can't speak 1st hand for the Vanagons, but I had
a '66 Bug that would starve for fuel...the problem was a clogged strainer
screen in the bottom of the tank.

Maybe the list can tell us if such a screen exists in the Vanagon tank?

TomC
tcarrington@relitech.com
http://volksweb.relitech.com
85 Vanagon Crew Cab
82 Westy diesel=>gas conversion
65 Notchback

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob Smith [SMTP:dodona@EARTHLINK.NET]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 1999 10:35 AM
> To:   vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject:      fuel system
>
> Hi everyone!
>
> This is my first post to this message board (I hope!). Our 86 Vanagon,
> named Betsy, seems to have fuel supply problems. The original pump wore
> out about 6 months ago so I replaced the pump and filter. Last week, the
> fuel pump started whining, then screaming, then Betsy stopped. We let
> the engine cool down, Betsy ran fine until she got hot again, and
> stopped. I replaced the fuel pump and Betsy ran fine, for an hour, then
> the pump started whining again, then Betsy died. I changed the fuel
> filter, just to make sure, and we made it home. Now we have yard art.
>
> I am thinking the problem could be the fuel pressure regulator, but I am
> suspicious that the fuel system could be vapor locked or something. Any
> suggestions would be great!
>
> Bob & Barbro