[s-cars] Re: Can you teach an old fuel pump new tricks ???

[Dave Forgie]

Eric, Paul, James, Hap, Ned and others:  I am an engineer.  I don't believe in
accidents.  Accidents are just events that weren't properly thought through
before they were started.  Trust me, I am fully aware and concerned about the
potential for sparks and fuel vapours causing an explosion, etc.  I have
already realized that by taking a relay input signal downstream of the S17 15A
fuse, the fuel pump would no longer be fused.  Hence the need for a fuse
between the relay and the fuel pump (fuse style to be determined).

It is curious as to why both Sean and I, with relatively new fuel pumps (mine
is 18 months old and Sean's is newer) may not be pumping as well as others,
with older pumps, who have gone the RS2 route with no problems.  It is
reasonable to expect that a pump that is capable of fueling a 227 hp I5t or
even the 3.6 L V8 can't also fuel a 370 hp tweeked RS2 set up.  It would be
tough to go back to Audi and say their pump is defective in our current
situation.

The pump itself may be fine. We could both have a kink in the fuel line
somewhere that is causing a significant pressure drop.  We have both had the
KY fuel line recall.  Mine was one of the earliest (in 1999) when they
replaced a lot of line (and had to move the steering rack).  They did such a
fine (NOT!!) job of that, I would not be surprized to find a kink in the
replacement line (probably behind the steering rack IF my luck holds true
(bad)).

In the mean time, I think we (I) will try the direct higher voltage route
rather than the Audi Sport fuel pump or replacing the fuel lines.  However,
the fuel line possibility is still there. The other issue is whether we (I)
will kill the fuel pump much sooner than normal by feeding it the slightly
higher voltage.

Dave F.