04-01-2012, 12:46 PM | #1 |
Getting Wild
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 142
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I sputter when half tanked!
Not just me but my cart, too!
When my cart would get to half a tank it would sputter on full throttle. So I always kept it above a half tank and have put alot of hours on it like this. Now it seems to do it with even more than a half tank. It had pretty much seem to only happen when it's under full throttle and cold with the half tank until just the past few hours of use. Some cart info: 97 CC villager 8 with fe350. I've pulled the carb off and cleaned it up a couple times in the two years I've owned the cart so that's working alright. I change all the filters every oil change so everything is clean with that. It was just the half tank or less problem I worked around and now that it's creeping up to more than just a half tank that I want to figure it out. I'm thinking it's the fuel pump but unsure. It's seems like it works fine when it's idling and I pull off the fuel line but maybe under a heavy load it's not pushing enough fuel. Are they diaphragm pumps? Can they slowly go bad or are they ones that just go bad instantly? Can the pumps have 'weak' pressure themselves or is there typically something else causing it? Any other things I can check for? The other hoses to the pump and tank are clear and intact. Is there something I can do to check the pump in an 'under load' simulation? I'm just trying to figure out some of the other options to check for before I just go out a buy a fuel pump to replace it. I don't like buying parts that aren't the problem. |
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04-01-2012, 12:53 PM | #2 |
Not Yet Wild
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Tx
Posts: 12
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Re: I sputter when half tanked!
Sounds like fuel pump or a valve sticking.???
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04-01-2012, 02:59 PM | #3 |
Getting Wild
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 142
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Re: I sputter when half tanked!
There's no weird noise from the engine as far as tapping or ticking of a valve when it acts up. I'm thinking if it was a valve it wouldn't wait for something like a half tank of gas to act up. Unless the sticky valve is somehow messing with the 'pulse' aspect of the fuel pump.
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04-01-2012, 11:19 PM | #4 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 359
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Re: I sputter when half tanked!
Bit of an odd one Pipsta but it sounds to me as though it may be a weak diaphragm in the pump. The "Full" tank might be supplying a little extra pressure to the fuel supply system. If the vacuum lines are in good shape and not collapsing from wear and degradation and engine compression is good I really don't see any other options beyond changing the pump but perhaps a check of the filler cap vent might help ? Try leaving the cap loose and see if that changes things.
Sorry I can't offer any more assistance. FC |
04-02-2012, 12:07 AM | #5 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Kansas City, Mo
Posts: 544
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Re: I sputter when half tanked!
Hey Pipsa Faster is on a good track. One thing I have run into is the filter screen on the pump get clogged and cause issues similar issues so check and clean it really well also. but do try the gas cap trick also.
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04-02-2012, 02:41 AM | #6 |
Getting Wild
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 142
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Re: I sputter when half tanked!
Thanks for the input. I tried the loose cap to see if it helped. When I go to the gas station to fill the tank it's about a half mile drive so I tried that and it still sputtered until it got filled. I also checked the vent tube and it was clear.
I suspected the fuel pump was a diaphragm one but wasn't sure, I guess that means it could actually have a slow death. So kind of felt the same thing about the full tank providing added pressure to help it along until it got progressively worse. Which is the filter screen? Is it inside the pump? To clean it do I kind of 'back flush' it? Or blow it out with air? |
04-02-2012, 05:00 AM | #7 | |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Kansas City, Mo
Posts: 544
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Re: I sputter when half tanked!
Quote:
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04-02-2012, 06:34 AM | #8 |
What the ....?
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: N.E. Wisconsin
Posts: 14,900
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Re: I sputter when half tanked!
Club Cars have a "diaphragm vent screen" also!
good call Doc! There's a small circle on the face of the pump (as Doc pointed out) Inside that circle, there's a screen, but, when they fill up with dust and debris, you'd never know it! Take an old tooth brush, and brush away the majority of the dirt, then spray with carb cleaner. (Do NOT use compressed air on it!) I've done this with a couple carts... and they're still up and running! Hopefully, it'll be just that easy for you! |
04-03-2012, 06:37 PM | #9 |
Getting Wild
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 102
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Re: I sputter when half tanked!
Had a similar issue, turned out to be the fuel pick up tube in the tank, was cracked in a few places down lower on the plastic tube, when the gas got low enough to expose the cracks it did the same thing. unscrewed the angle fitting on the tank, replaced the pick up tube and wala ! no more problem.
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04-06-2012, 03:37 PM | #10 |
Getting Wild
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 142
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Re: I sputter when half tanked!
A little update... I know how people who read these like to know how it worked out as well as people in the future who do searches want answers! I went and bought the pump locally but decided to try a few of the other remedies before I even took it out of the bag. I have 14 days to bring it back if it's been solved with something else.
I cleaned the pump screen really well, it looked a little crusty(thnx Doc's & Lockman!) and checked the feeder tube(thnx towpro!), which look perfectly fine. I also noticed that the fuel level sender unit on the top had a bit of fuel seeping up on one side, this was a new development as I never had seen this before. So I tightened the six or so bolts around the top, the three on that one side it was seeping were kind of loose and now it's not leaking once tightened. So I gave it a little test drive for about 5 or 10 mins with it having about 5/8ths of a tank, more than half not quite 3/4, and it didn't sputter once. So I'm going to drive it my typical 20 hours on this weekend and hope it's been solved. I won't know until I get a full weekend in with the normal 2-15 people stuffed onto it....lol. |
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