Fuel Surge

[paulf968]

Had my first Porsche now for 6 months, a white standard Coupe of 92 vintage, am really enjoying it.

Just done my first track day and got quite bad fuel surge around quarter full. Easily solved by brimming the tank but ::

had a fuel pump failure so that is new and OK.
also replaced the rear fuel filter canister.

so no probs with these items at the back of the car.

is there anything else towards the front that i should be looking at eg another fuel filter? blowing out the lines etc etc

would be good to hear from anyone on this


bye for now


paul
aka legaleagleboy, kettering, northants

 

[John H]

What do you mean by fuel surge? was it cutting out when cornering?

I would have assumed that the fuel tank was baffled to stop this, but I'm only guessing. Given the popularity of 968's as track cars, I would have thought someone else would have mentioned this before, but I do not recall seeing it discussed. Have you tried searching the archives at www.968.net?

Anyone else know about this?

JH

 

[944Turbo]

not sure about 968's but 944s have a filter inside the fuel tank as well, don't know of any at the front.
Tony

 

[paulf968]

john h

thanks for the reply, have been onto 968.net and another poster there gave me the following thread -- really helpful.

http://65.61.16.109/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4982

in summary the fuel tank has an internal baffle that is clipped/bonded to the tank, the likelihood of it detaching is a 'known' problem. Probably comes adrift due to either poor manufacture, grounding the tank are accident damage.

only solution is a new tank !! oh bu**er, how much i wonder?

interestingly if you do get this problem and the fuel pump gets starved for a second or two there is a chance that it will fail as a result -- i think this is what happened to me 4 months ago.

 

[John H]

Pleased to hear that you got to the bottom of it.

I'm still amazed that a lot of folk haven't yet cottoned onto what an amazing resource the internet is, and still think it is only for dodgy characters looking at porn. Exchanges like the above only show how useful it is. The ability to find and exchange information on the most obscure topics around the globe is amazing, and it makes running this forum entirely worth the effort.

There are number of places where you can probably source a s/h fuel tank, such as Porscheapart, Lodge, and others.

Cheers

John H

 

[paulf968]

john h

Could not agree with you more -- if you have any interest like we have with 968's the internet is such a valuable resource. There is a real sense of an online community, that together with problem solving and the ability to save money when sourcing parts etc -- could not now live without it.

Anyway, back to the tank. Will take the pickup/sender out soon and get a torch looking down into the tank to check the diagnosis. Am rapidly becoming an expert on everything to do with fuel at the rear of the car -- already replaced the fuel pump, filter and pickup/sender units. Then the hunt for a tank, you mention Lodge, who are they?

Also, does anyone know the location of any 968's that are being broken for spare parts?

 

[John H]

, you mention Lodge, who are they?

try here http://www.lodgesports.org.uk/

and here too http://www.911-classified.com/members/spares.html

JH


Internet? I spent a great afternoon today in the company of another 968 owner (not yet a club member) who had contacted me thro one of the other lists.

 

[John H]

Message: 2
Date: 23 Nov 2003 11:22:30 -0000
From: porsche924-44
Subject: File - 924 and 944 used parts


- Used parts advert -
- Jon Mitchell -
- Independent Porsche Specialist -
- Bournemouth , UK -

924, 924Lux, 924 Turbo and 944 Constantly are being broken for spares.

Although our main business is the repair, maintenance and
modification of all Porsche models, we always try to keep
a couple of complete 924 and 944 parts cars at any one time.
The reason is to ensure that we are able to keep a stock of
parts which are no longer available from the main dealer.

As a result, we now employ a full time parts manager (Julie)
and parts dismantler and storeman (Tony) and offer parts on
a mail order basis.

We are able to acept payment for parts via credit/debit cards,
PayPal, NoChex, cheques or cash and send the parts by nationwide
(and international) couriers.

As our main business is not breaking cars up, this is not our main
profit centre, so, we are able to sell parts to members of this forum
at very reasonable prices.

To make a parts enquiry, please use the following contact methods.

email - parts@9xx.co.uk
Phone - 01202 462951

The telephone number is often voicemail if as usual the office is busy,
but if you leave a message detailing what parts you require with your
contact details, someone will call you back.

Jon Mitchell
Independent Porsche Specialist
Bournemouth, UK

You might also try Jon Mitchell, as I know he has a 968 in at the moment which he is breaking. I have cut and pasted his advert from another group (above). Very helpful chap is Jon.

JH

 

[paulf968]

john

not done the check yet to see if the baffles have come adrift but am getting ahead of myself with the search for a new tank.

thanks to you landed on my feet straight away with Douglas Valley, they have one for £125+p+p+VAT.

will try some more soon too but must get my hands dirty and check the diagnosis, it is cold outside though!!

bye

paul

 

[John H]

This forum is turning out to be useful after all!

JH

 

[paulf968]

Well here is an update on my fuel surge problem, the weather was nice today so as I have to do this on the drive you have to take your chances. Also, had my youngest child with me, aged 10, and he is turning out to have quite an aptitude for things mechanical, more on him later.

Good thing to run the fuel down as low as you dare before doing all this as it makes inspection easier.

So first thing was to go into the boot take the carpet out, lift off the fire protection & rubber bung over the large access hole to the top of the tank. The fuel float/sender unit is revealed. Disconnect the power supply and the 2 fuels lines and lift out the unit. This lot only takes 10 minutes.

Take a torch and have a good look inside the tank. All was revealed! The tank is large but on the offside where the fuel pump and filter sit there is I estimate a 20 litre low place in this plastic tank. At the bottom of the low space there is a further depression about 40mm deep.

Inside the tank in this lowest depression is a white (looks like nylon) chamber, this forms a baffle. This chamber appears to be made of 2 pieces: a bowl like bottom piece with the fuel pick up nestling in it. A flat top piece with a hole in it to accept the float/sender unit you have just taken out.

In my car the flat top piece has lifted off the bottom piece and hence the start of my 'known' fuel surge problem. Poked around for a few minutes with a stick and a coat hanger to see if I could re-connect it to 2 of the 3 clip like things that appear to hold the top to the bowl. No joy, so enlisted Jack whose arms are small enough to get through the access hole and long enouch to reach the top of the baffle. Once briefed he tried very hard to fiddle with, locate and then press the 2 clip devices on the top back into the bottom -- well after this valiant effort and all the build up we failed to sort it. Apparently the top piece is clipped and bonded so we would not of managed a complete fix by just clipping it back.

So a choice: live with fuel surge or get a new tank.

Already found a s'hand one as mentioned earlier but not bought it yet, but had a nose around underneath and the tank is a massive thing, it stretches right over the top of the transaxle across to the inside wheelarch on the nearside. looks like the exhaust, transaxle and cross brace above the transaxle have to come out to replace the tank -- that is a step too far for me so a garage visit looms if I decide to do the swap.

Anyone got an idea of how many hours labour is required for a tank swap? would be good to be armed with this info when I have enough courage to speak to some garages to do the job.

bye

paul