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One thing I keep seeing over and over again is bad information on the Walbro fuel pumps. I'd like to put some of the facts together in one place.
First off, they make great pumps. Relatively quiet, reliable, and will flow enough fuel to keep your engine happy.
Here's what you need to know -
- ONLY get a Walbro from a reputable vendor. Not Amazon, not Ebay. There are a LOT of knockoffs out there and that's where a lot of the problems have come from. Fuel pumps are precision devices, they have to be carefully made and tested. The knockoffs aren't doing that.
- They are reliable. I have a Walbro 255 in my car that I got used from a friend and have run for 10 years. Zero problems. This is in a car with 99 twins making around 350hp.
- They bolt in. The Walbro 255 is a super easy drop in that replaces the stock pump. It uses the stock o-ring setup and has a new filter sock at the bottom. The 450 does require some more work to install, iRP makes a kit for a clean, quality install.
- They work fine on a stock or near-stock car. It won't make the car rich, idle funny, etc.
- They aren't loud. Yes, you can hear the pump if you are running the pump with the engine off, you will hear a faint whine. With the car running you won't be able to hear anything.
- They work with the stock wiring and stock 2-speed pump setup. You do have to cut the in-tank wiring and crimp on 2 barrel connectors for the new connector for the Walbro, if you cut it right you can restore the stock wiring in the tank if necessary. Everything else works fine. Yes you can re-wire the fuel pump to get it more voltage and it will give you more fuel - that's a separate mod, the Walbro is happy either way.
I've installed a number in friend's cars with zero problems. Shops like Banzai install them on a regular basis with zero problems. Best part is the 255 isn't an expensive pump - $115 or so will get you a pump that can get you to 400hp with a simple bolt-in.
Banzai Racing and IRP are great sources for these pumps. They get them directly from the manufacturer so they are 100% legit. The 255 Walbro includes everything you need - the wiring connector, O-ring, sock, rubber mount, ready to bolt in.
What about the Denso pump you say? The Denso pump is the pump that came stock in the Supra. it works fine and it's also a bolt-in. It also costs more and doesn't flow as well. You really aren't getting anything more for the extra price.
Hope this clears some things up. Seems like monthly there's a post with misinformation on these pumps.
I have seen issues with people installing them incorrectly, they omit the plastic stand-off that holds the o-ring up to the cap. I used to snip a little notch in the stand-off so that it fit flush on the old style 255 pumps at the relief valve. The new style pumps need a little more modification to the stand-off to fit down between the connector body. The good news is the new 255 pumps are nearly silent
Something else worth noting is that Walbro changed their brand name a few years ago to TI Automotive so you'll see that branding on the box and possibly in the ad for the pump when you look up the part numbers:
I also want to put in a positive word for the Rotary Performance/rx7.com Denso pump -- it is NOT the same as the Supra TT pump, but keeps the exact same physical attributes as the OEM pump for easy install, but is an OEM brand and flows enough for 450+ (I've talked with Chris @ RP about the numbers).
Add the wiring mods Dale mentioned and you're in good shape for all the bolt-ons, 99-spec or BNRs.
This is the part that people tend to leave out of the installation that causes problems. With the newly designed pumps it needs to be modified. A couple seconds on a belt sander does the trick.
This is much appreciated. I bought the Holley In tank retrofit for my SA22C. It came with the TI GSS342 pump. I'm turbocharging a GSLSE engine. fresh rebuild, FD corner springs, FD oil regulator) My intent is to send my S5 HT18s to BNR for the T04b hybrid. Haltech 750 and ID150x injectors all around. 6AN fuel lines... you get the idea.
My original goal was to shoot for 250 HP and if I could hit 300 then "hooray" now it looks like I have a setup that would support 400hp on paper. I think that would be a cool dyno goal it nothing I would run on the street. Funny thing is I had a group of rotary tuners say my pump was too small. the I should be at 340LPM. Perhaps the 9.4:1 CR on my rotors requires the larger pump. in reality even if I was able to get better than 300hp I'm not sure the 190/60R14 tires would even keep grip. If I went to a 205/50R15 there is not that much of a contact patch difference to warrant the change.
Add to this the polarizing reviews of the TI 255. Seems most of the people who are against it are the JDM crowd. Could be biasing. who knows.
Anyways, unless I get told in this thread not to stick with my current pump I'll stay my course.
Based on a recent experience (Mar. 2021):
I called TI Automotive (They own "Walbro fuel pumps") to ask some questions about my 450Lph pumps. I was told that the "walbrofuelpumps dot com" website is actually a re-seller, and that there is current legal action against the owners of that outfit to shut that operation / website down. When you go to that website, it looks legit. I even bought my 450s there. The person with TI that I spoke with said that the pumps from that website are likely not counterfeit (as they buy wholesale only from TI), but that they cannot endorse buying from them. "aftermarket.tiautomotive dot com" is the legitimate "Walbro Fuel Pumps" website. Even our trusted vendors may be buying from the wrong source, so I would ask our vendors who exactly they buy from.
Good pumps or not, TI / Walbro needs to get their house in order before I buy anything else from them.
Last edited by quichedem; Mar 13, 2021 at 05:59 PM.
IRP and Banzai Racing get them right from the source. You can trust they have the right part.
This is a fight a LOT of companies have had with fighting knockoffs, Ebay and Amazon hasn't made it easier as it's very easy to move large volumes of counterfeit product that way.
This is the part that people tend to leave out of the installation that causes problems. With the newly designed pumps it needs to be modified. A couple seconds on a belt sander does the trick.
Where can I find one of these? Anyone have the part #?
Did this install today. Followed banzai's instructions trimming down the connector and all went well. The only snag i ran into is the fuel pipe hits the pump and makes the whole thing sit a bit caddywompus. Let me know if you think this will be an issue.
Did this install today. Followed banzai's instructions trimming down the connector and all went well. The only snag i ran into is the fuel pipe hits the pump and makes the whole thing sit a bit caddywompus. Let me know if you think this will be an issue.
Cut that pipe and run a piece of Fuel submursive safe fuel line with two clamps from the pipe to the pump. The way you have it tends to fail and you will get a fuel pressure leak right there at the o-ring then not enough fuel to the engine.
You are good, that O-ring is in there and sealing.
Personally I prefer to use the O-ring than a submersible hose, O-rings can take way more pressure and you don't have to hack it up.
Dale
If they are seated well, they are good, I've pulled many customer's pumps to find they were folded while installing causing a leak from the start. Typically, if you put a little 2 cycle oil on the o-ring while assembling you can avoid that but when a lot of people who don't work on stuff on a regular basis, they don't think about stuff like that. You shouldn't be able to pup off a straight hose with the pressure needed for these cars, especially if you cut the pipe right at the height of the pump so it's almost touching the pump outlet and making the hose a coupler essentially.
If they are seated well, they are good, I've pulled many customer's pumps to find they were folded while installing causing a leak from the start. Typically, if you put a little 2 cycle oil on the o-ring while assembling you can avoid that but when a lot of people who don't work on stuff on a regular basis, they don't think about stuff like that. You shouldn't be able to pup off a straight hose with the pressure needed for these cars, especially if you cut the pipe right at the height of the pump so it's almost touching the pump outlet and making the hose a coupler essentially.
Well i put the oring on the nipple of the pump before i even installed it so theres no chance of it being folded. I was more concerned about the actual pipe not seating against the pump all the way in regards to sealing of the oring due to being at an angle and the pintle cap not sitting flush against the pump nipple.
Well i put the oring on the nipple of the pump before i even installed it so theres no chance of it being folded. I was more concerned about the actual pipe not seating against the pump all the way in regards to sealing of the oring due to being at an angle and the pintle cap not sitting flush against the pump nipple.
The O-ring should be fat enough to take up that space and allow the angle, many pumps have run like this for decades, its the initial install part ive seen fail from my experience.
