fuel pump symptoms?

[badvibes]

A couple of months ago I became the owner of a 1991 Hunter, 3.9 V8, 170K miles. This past week while out in the desert it began to run inconsistently. Would be driving along just fine then it would die. Would turn over but not restart. After 5 to 10 minutes it would start up and run fine. Then it would die again after running for a while. Sit a few minutes and start up again and run fine awhile and die again. My gas gauge doesn't work and the low fuel light has been on the whole time. I changed the fuel filter, had a spare, and even though I felt it had gas in it I dumped a 5 gallon jerry can in anyway.

I'm thinking fuel pump/sender unit. I ordered one and will get it installed next Monday. Anybody have any other ideas/suggestions/similar experiences? My feeling is fuel supply issue not electrical as when it would start back up it ran fine, no miss, no lack of power. Thought about vapor lock but the temp gauge never seemed to read hot.

Thanks for any comments.

Jeff

[mearstrae]

I've had these symptoms on my '95 Classic, once it was the fuel pump, and another time it was the module in the distributor.

'95 R.R.C. Lwb
'76 Series III Hybrid 109
'70 Rover 3500S

[badvibes]

I've had these symptoms on my '95 Classic, once it was the fuel pump, and another time it was the module in the distributor.

Thanks for the reply. I guess I should pick up a spare module to have on hand. I've heard that when they go that's it, finito. That would be a bad thing way back in the hills somewhere.

[badvibes]

Update: Replaced the fuel pump and the good news is my fuel gauge started working again. Bad news still had the intermittent stall. So dug thru the box of spare parts that came with the truck and found and installed new alternator, new distributor ignition module and new belts. Also ordered and installed new plugs and wires. Also replaced the stepper motor, aftermarket, with the OEM unit that was also in the box. Also did an oil change and in the little bit I've been driving the Rover the last day or 2 the issue seems to be resolved and the truck is running very well. Will spend a week in the hills the middle of September and find out if things are as good as they seem, but I think we're ready!

[mearstrae]

That's great news... You may have found in your repairs that these things seem almost as electrically complicated as the space shuttle. This is what makes tracking down a fault so complicated.

'95 R.R.C. Lwb
'76 Series III Hybrid 109
'70 Rover 3500S

[o2batsea]

Not really. Stumbling RRC is either a bad ignition module (99% liklihood) vacuum leak, or bad fuel pump. Usually the fuel pump just plain stops and you're up a tree (of course you are driving a later model with the access hole in the rear deck. So you run to NAPA and pick up the generic one for $70 and replace the pump part of the tank module) Dying on deceleration is a bad stepper motor.
If the tach is jumping around you are about to lose your alternator. Otherwise, there's not much else that goes bad, engine-wise.
Keep a good spare ignition module on board or spend 20 bux and a half an afternoon replacing it with the GM one that you can get at every auto parts store on the planet for $15. That way you don't have to pull out the diz to change it, unless you already have the remote kit. Cap and rotor (genuine Lucas is best) too!