Anyone happen to know if the part number N3A1-13-35Z is only for the fuel pump itself, or is it for the entire assembly? I've looked on Atkins, and they have the entire assembly listed in the picture, but it just says Fuel Pump, thought I'd ask for clarification, as I might need one.

 

its the pump and hanger assembly, no level sender though (you can see it outside of the box, 60-960)

 

Awesome with the parts catalog as always. Thanks J9.

My issue (I believe I've written about it in my other thread) is anytime the car gets down to 1/4 a tank, it will fall on its face and bog/buck badly, if you give it anything past light throttle. Fill it up with gas, goes away instantly.

I can't exactly do heavy work on my car where I'm at, so I had to take it to a local shop that has someone I felt decently comfortable with looking at the car. They verified the issue.


I supplied a brand new denso fuel pump (the entire kit w/sock, etc) as well as an OEM fuel filter, and they mentioned the assembly could be the problem, that it might have a problem/hole in it causing this issue to happen (for air to be sucked in) when the fuel level dips to around 1/4. I believe the assembly only has the one hard line on the feed from the pump, correct? So wouldn't that be the only possible place on the assembly this could happen at?

Regardless, I told them to go ahead and change out the pump, since the tech said it did look a bit corroded. He mentioned the tank looked fine, no issues of sediment, etc. I guess I'm just curious as to how likely it would be that the assembly could have a structural failure and introduce air into the feed line at/after the pump?

My RX-8 had a very similar issue back in the day I want to say. Pump would overheat at low fuel levels and it would bog/buck until I filled up the tank again, so I'm thinking it is a fuel pump issue, but I figured I'd ask in case someone has had this experience before.

 

The pump has an O-ring seal to the metal hard line on the hanger. If that O-ring is hard, old, broken, missing, etc. that would cause problems.

I don't think the hanger assembly would be a problem unless it's badly corroded or something which doesn't sound like the case.

Dale

 

I agree Dale. Doesn't sound like the case. The tech did mention the pump looked "a little corroded", but my guess is the pump is old and tired, and when fuel level dips low enough it just can't keep up. Either way I'll see if I was right or wrong. I believe that denso fuel pump kit came with a few O rings as well, so that one you speak of will likely get replaced.

The shop has been okay for the most part (at least the rotary tech) the owner suggested they do the sparkplugs because oil was seeping out of the holes (which I've never seen, though I did premix a bit heavily.) Total cost for sparkplugs & labor: $140.xx. Told them I'd pass, I can get away with doing quick work where I'm at, but nothing labor intensive without raising eyebrows. I think they wanted to bill me an hour of labor and with the cost of plugs, that seems about what they were quoting. Not like this is a piston engine with a bad valve cover gasket. Idk where they got the oil around the plugs from.

 

$140 for plugs isn't bad actually, its not a very fun job. plugs are expensive too

 

I suppose I may have underestimated it because of my small arms. I can get a set of NGK BUR7's and BUR9's for about 30.xx at advance (less if I went to Rockauto, probably.) Changing the plugs only takes me about half an hour, I actually found plugs on the RX-8 to be more of a pain due to less clearance. For the FD it wasn't bad at all. Then again, I also was able to change my water temp sensor for the gauge cluster on the FD by hand without removing anything to get to it, though I did have to move the wiring harness over by disconnecting that 10mm nut/bracket.

 

Excluding the sheet metal cover and electrical connector/earth, I think you're up for 8 screws to pull the hanger. If changing plugs is Ok, can't see that raising eyebrows.

Usually the under surface of the hanger cover corrodes on these imports if bad from condensation cycles, rather than the vertical component, but wouldn't affect operation. Dim memory there's a teflon washer that sits in the receiving cup with the denso pump?

 

Culprit ended up being the solid washer, had a crack all the way through it on one side. Car behaves fine now, minus the occasional idle hunt, which I'm assuming is PFC related.

 

I can't jack the car up and drain the tank without attracting unwanted attention, unfortunately. But this place ended up doing really good work otherwise.

 

You don't have to drain the tank to pull the fuel pump. Just pull it out from up top, gas stays in the tank. You don't want a chock-full tank, but if it's down a bit you are fine.

Dale

 

Forgot to post a picture and a conclusion (so far) to this story. Here are the photos of the culprit. The crack in this was causing air to enter the lines when the tank would get at/below 1/4 of a tank. Hopefully this can assist someone else in the future that may have a problem like this.

 

Five Stars for you SwappedNA for finding the problem and going out of your way (picture) to share the cause.

 

Nice! So driving around, problem totally sorted?

Dale

 

mine had a pinched O ring, and the big symptom was a long crank time.

 

It's been fine for a few weeks, no issues whatsoever. Funny that something that tiny can be that much of a pain. I wouldn't have dismissed it as a possible cause, but I would have assumed pump, etc beforehand.