Good Lead on Fuel Pump

[bigjae46]

Fitted a Walbro with a sleeve to my car as preventative maintenance recently, but I now need 2 start attempts as it will just turn on the starter on the first attempt after sitting for a while. It'll always start right up on the 2nd attempt no matter how long I turned it on the first. I imagine there's no check valve with the Walbro and the pressure drops whilst it sits, I don't get the feeling there's an automatic priming process so I'm tempted to get the fuel pump assembly out again and fit an external check valve just after the pump.

Regards

I have the radium kit and have the same issue. It's a track car so not a big deal but it would definitely annoy the crap out of me for DD.

The alternative is I can leave the ignition on for a few seconds and then it usually fires up. I'd guess the pump I have does not have an internal check. If I was so inclined to fix it, I'd take a fuel pressure reading when I shut the car off and then track the PSI to see if it drops with the car off. That would confirm the line is draining back into the tank.

[0-60motorsports]

Anyone have good leads on our fuel pump? Are they really $400-500?

Heres one on ebay too:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/404755785291

[bigjae46]

While you are at it, replace the pump gaskets with the blue ones. Those are MUCH better. I think BMW changed the material at some point. They stay much more pliable than the black ones.

[ac427]

While you are at it, replace the pump gaskets with the blue ones. Those are MUCH better. I think BMW changed the material at some point. They stay much more pliable than the black ones.

Definitely. You can get a lot of vapour coming into the cabin. I had this after a pump change. The newer blue pumpt to tank sealing ring fixed it. Accoring to RealOEM they went to the blue ones sometime in 2001.

[ac427]

Does the Walbro GSS342G3 have an internal check valve?

[ethan]

Fitted a Walbro with a sleeve to my car as preventative maintenance recently, but I now need 2 start attempts as it will just turn on the starter on the first attempt after sitting for a while. It'll always start right up on the 2nd attempt no matter how long I turned it on the first. I imagine there's no check valve with the Walbro and the pressure drops whilst it sits, I don't gethe feeling there's an automatic priming process so I'm tempted to get the fuel pump assembly out again and fit an external check valve just after the pump.

Regards

Did you replace the PTFE hose? Radium has them separately and with their sleeve:

https://www.radiumauto.com/Fuel-Pump-Install-Kit-96-06-BMW-P2087.aspx

They get hard from living submerged in fuel and, having been stretched to fit the original pump's barb, don't seal properly on the new pump even with a clamp. I'm not sure how it works exactly, but I suspect what's going on is the fuel system leaks down around the barb between starts and then can't refill properly until a start attempt has been made. Maybe the injectors need to run before a prime can refill the rail? Whatever - it fixes it.

Also, counterfeit Walbros from eBay often don't come with a check valve. Get the real one:

https://www.radiumauto.com/Walbro-GSS342-255LPH-Fuel-Pump-P533.aspx

Edit: I found a heat gun essential for installing the new hose, but it's also easy to melt the plastic, so use low heat intermittently while turning the hose. Done right, it slides right on and then cools onto the barb.

[Mr.wReckless]

Did you replace the PTFE hose? Radium has them separately and with their sleeve:

https://www.radiumauto.com/Fuel-Pump-Install-Kit-96-06-BMW-P2087.aspx

They get hard from living submerged in fuel and, having been stretched to fit the original pump's barb, don't seal properly on the new pump even with a clamp. I'm not sure how it works exactly, but I suspect what's going on is the fuel system leaks down around the barb between starts and then can't refill properly until a start attempt has been made. Maybe the injectors need to run before a prime can refill the rail? Whatever - it fixes it.

Also, counterfeit Walbros from eBay often don't come with a check valve. Get the real one:

https://www.radiumauto.com/Walbro-GSS342-255LPH-Fuel-Pump-P533.aspx

Edit: I found a heat gun essential for installing the new hose, but it's also easy to melt the plastic, so use low heat intermittently while turning the hose. Done right, it slides right on and then cools onto the barb.

It looks like the OEM hose, no PTFE but it's definitely lacking a check valve so I'm strongly considering revisiting this. I didn't buy the pump on e-bay, I found a kit somewhere on a website, I forget which..

[ethan]

I was wrong - they're actually just nylon. Here's the tube separately:

https://www.radiumauto.com/Submersible-Fuel-Tubing-P672.aspx

Not familiar with that kit or source for the pump. I guess you'd have to get in there again and see if it has a check valve.

My experience was that I started by putting an eBay Walbro in both of my E46 M3s and had your identical symptoms, and then I swapped one car to a genuine pump from Radium and it didn't fix my issue. I lived with it like that for a long time and hated it, but eventually tried a new hose for it and it solved it immediately.

On the second car I tried a new hose but the with eBay pump, and that didn't solve it until I also got a genuine pump for that car as well, so I'm pretty sure you need both a check valve and a good barb seal. It felt so good to have it fixed after years of living with it every day.

[FFWD]

I think I'm leaning towards trying the Hella based on price, and the fact that I've only driven my car once or twice a year since I started working from home full time. Is the Hella plug and play, or do I need to do any custom wiring?

[Icecream]

I think I'm leaning towards trying the Hella based on price, and the fact that I've only driven my car once or twice a year since I started working from home full time. Is the Hella plug and play, or do I need to do any custom wiring?

I have it, works great. Plug and play, beats the heck out of retrofitting the walbro one and its super quiet.

[dukeofchen]

For what it's worth, the Radium kit is compatible with a number of pumps aside from the Walbro. I ended up going with AEM and it's given me no problems, so could be an alternative to Walbro / Hella.

For anyone doing the Radium kit only thing to note is don't use the supplied spade connectors, as they aren't appropriately sized and if the connection fails will strand you. Solder and shrink tube it and you'll be golden.

https://thebuildjournal.com/news/your-radium-fuel-pump-kit-may-fail-and-leave-you-stranded/

[FFWD]

I finally replaced my failed pump with the Hella unit. Got it from Rock Auto of all places for $84 with a 5% off code. Plug and play, and car started right away. The only problem I had was getting the quick release fuel connector off, and then I made the stupid mistake of plugging it together to test, but forgot to put the ring on first, so I had to remove it a second time.

[0-60motorsports]

I finally replaced my failed pump with the Hella unit. Got it from Rock Auto of all places for $84 with a 5% off code. Plug and play, and car started right away. The only problem I had was getting the quick release fuel connector off, and then I made the stupid mistake of plugging it together to test, but forgot to put the ring on first, so I had to remove it a second time.

Lucky find, They dont have hella at the moment.

[r4dr]

Lucky find, They dont have hella at the moment.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/parts/hella,358302761,fuel+pump+&+housing+assembly,10147

[0-60motorsports]

https://www.rockauto.com/en/parts/he...assembly,10147

Thank you! Wonder why it wouldnt show up with the PN search.