Fuel Filter Change on 2005 X-2/MCX

[rhsprostar]

Thinking about doing the pump change with an aftermarket pump. How are the wires connected on the inside of the module? Same goes for the fuel lines inside the module. How are they connected? I do not want to get started unless I know that I have everything that I need.

The wires are simple spade connections that are sized according to polarity so that you can't reverse them. It's simply plug and play.
The fuel line is a different story.
The fuel line looks like a plastic shrink tubing of sorts. I had to pry it off with a pointed awl. The real difficulty was in reconnecting the new pump and the old line. I just couldn't get it to work properly so I cut the whole thing off and replaced it with a piece of high pressure fuel line. I used a couple of plastic connectors that i had around to secure it to the flange at both the top of the module and at the top of the pump. The only issue i could see was that the fuel line was thicker in it's sidewall than the thin plastic tube that was originally used. With the design of this system there is no return line to the tank from the motor as the fuel pressure regulator is on the top of the module.(with the 58 printed on it in your picture) So it looks like the excess fuel is redirected from the fuel pressure regulator back into the tank using an outlet that surrounds the inlet flange on the bottom of the regulator. I know it is hard to picture but i will try to do a diagram to illustrate.
Anyway you can't block the fuel return with the thicker fuel line, so you have to be careful to leave some extra space when you reclamp the top of the hose to the regulator side of the hookup.(Hope this makes sense)
Other than that it is the staright reverse of what you did to take the plastic assembly and filter apart.
I will see if I can get Coreldraw or something working to illustrate better tonight.

[rhsprostar]

Here is the quick version of what i was trying to describe above.

[boofer]

Thanks rhs. I have decided to go off the deep end and I ordered a new pump module from MC. It was only $418 from MC of Charlotte. I plan on keeping the old module to do my "evaluation." Yes, I will not need your old pump. Many thanks for offering.

Granted, my fuel pressure is good. But, nevertheless, I just have this sneaky feeling that we are due for a complete fuel pump failure. The boat still died during my fuel pressure checks with the tank only approximately 1/4 of a tank. This problem started this year and is persisting.

I am going off of the deep end with my evaluation also. I would love to determine if there is a fix to the two problems: unusable fuel below 1/4 tank and fuel pump burnout. Worst case, I will at least determine/verify a safe alternative (possibly the AC Delco EP356) to use in lieu of the entire MC module.

I will do a write up on the fuel module replacement with pictures. I will do my best to work up a solution. So, expect to see posts about my endeavor in the near future.

[boofer]

That is helpful rhs. I thought that I had a good idea what you meant and the picture verifies it. So, basically, the hose connecting the pump to the regulator was painfully attached to the old pump?

Since I did not look at my module very much when I did the filter change, does the bottom of the pump just sit open in the bottom of that plastic module?

[boofer]

PS

For those contemplating replacing the fuel module. MC of Charlotte has this real nice matrix for determining which fuel module is for your boat.

http://207.170.215.108/awweblive/AwwebStore/OnlineDoc/Part%20numbers/FUEL%20MODULE%20MATRIX%2099-07.pdf

[boofer]

PS

For those contemplating replacing the fuel module. MC of Charlotte has this real nice matrix for determining which fuel module is for your boat.

http://207.170.215.108/awweblive/Aww...IX%2099-07.pdf

[rhsprostar]

That is helpful rhs. I thought that I had a good idea what you meant and the picture verifies it. So, basically, the hose connecting the pump to the regulator was painfully attached to the old pump?

Since I did not look at my module very much when I did the filter change, does the bottom of the pump just sit open in the bottom of that plastic module?

Boofer a write up would be great. I have been meaning to get one done but as i write this i am still at work trying to clean up a few things as its been crazy around here lately.
The hose wasn't that difficult to get off, its just getting it off without destroying it is the issue. If you know you are not going to reuse it, it takes about 10 seconds to cut off.
The bottom of the pump sits in a plastic circular housing that holds it in place. I will try to post a pic tonight when i get home.

[boofer]

Awesome rhs. I enjoy doing these writeups. I can sit here and read for hours. Add a few pictures and the reading is decreased by 80%. A picture is definitely worth a thousand words.

I encourage everyone who is doing these maintenance jobs to take the time to take a few pictures a long the way. No big deal if you do not describe in excruciating detail what you did. Just give the rest of us an idea of what is going on.

[boofer]

So rhs, does it appear that the pump draws fuel from the "pool" created by the filter and the plastic housing? Do you think that the little black hose that attaches to the filter is to allow unfiltered fuel in to this pool until the fuel gets below the top of it? If so, then the only way that fuel can get through to the pump after going below this black hose is through the filter. Thus, the only way for fuel to get to the pump is to "seep" through the filter. There is no active pumping or sucking of gas through the filter.

[rhsprostar]

I took a close look at the old filter and from what i can see the little black straw allows UNfiltered fuel through when the tank is above the highest point. Below the top of the straw all the fuel goes through the filter. Strange design, why would you only filter the bottom 1/4of the tank? Is this why people say not to go below a 1/4 tank?
If this is the case you could either cut the straw lower to drop this level or remove it altogether and have the unfiltered point lowered even more.
My guess is that you may be correct about the "pool of fuel" inside the filter. If the filter becomes to plugged then at higher rpms thepump would not be able to suck enough fuel through that filter causing it to overheat. The straw allows this pool to be topped up should this happen???

[rhsprostar]

Old carter fuel pump and the NAPA Canada replacement:

[rhsprostar]

Here's the money shot. The inside of the plastic housing!

[boofer]

Awesome rhs. I appreciate those photos. I bought a siphon pump today at the local auto parts store and for poops and grins asked them to see what came up for a AC Delco EP356. They gave me a referenced pump E2065 (the same as yours) for $73. By the way, what kind of boat/motor do you have? My fuel module does not have the springy thing. It just slides up and down.

But, like I said, I went ahead and ordered the full MC module. Maybe with some help from the fellow members we can come up with something to fix this flawed system.

From what you said earlier. I do believe that the "straw" is to allowed unfiltered fuel into the pump. This would jive with what many have said about unfiltered fuel being used till 1/2 tank. Now, once the level goes below the straw, the only way for fuel to enter the pool is through the filter. Well, here is one question, how fast can fuel pass through this filter? Also, does the excess fuel from the pressure regulator drop straight back into the pool? In other words, is enough fuel making it into this pool once the fuel level goes below 1/2 tank? At first the answer may be yes. The weight of the fuel at 1/2 tank is somewhat pushing fuel through the filter. But, as the level decreases, then so does the pressure. Now, let's say for a moment that you remove the fuel filter and go with totally unfiltered fuel (and suppose for a moment that you have 100% clean gas). Okay, you would be able to use below 1/4 tank of gas. BUT, the pump would still be exposed and thus not cooled (and fail). So, I really think that the problem lies with keeping this pool filled at all times and as far as I can think it would require a second pump similar to the PCM design.

If there was some way to add a low pressure pump to the system to keep the pool filled and allow this (low pressure) pump to draw from the bottom (or near bottom) of the tank, this would solve everything. Granted, you would still have to be careful about running the tank empty.

[boofer]

By the way rhs, the fuel pump draws the same amount of fuel at any power setting. The pump I referenced says it is 90 psi. It is a one speed deal, i.e. it pumps out 90 psi anytime it is ON. The regulator decreases this pressure to 58 psi and the remainder goes back into the tank like you noticed. So, the motor will always get 58 psi unless the pump is putting out less.

[pflcjl]

OK so the aftermarket AC Delco part number is EP356; Can anyone tell me what the AC Delco (or other) aftermarket part number is for the Fuel Filter......Thanks.....