Last weekend while driving around I noticed my pressure gauge started bouncing around a bit. In disbelief I started tapping the gauge. I have never seen my pressure fluctuate aside from a mild drop while stomping on the go pedal.
My pressure has always been stable right around 15psi. since I installed my Walbro kit. Last Sunday night it suddenly dropped to around 7 psi bounced back and forth for a bit and then after a few more miles it dropped to zero.
It would come back up and then back down to zero a few times. Then soon after it just sat at zero for the rest of the ride home. All this was within about 10 miles before I got home.
When I got home I bumped the starter and listened under the truck and the pump just sounded more like it was wheezing instead of humming as usual. I put a meter on it and it had 12 volts going in but no pressure coming out.
I do have a pre-filter installed.
I found a guy on Ebay selling a stand alone replacement pump for $114 with free fast shipping. Got it to me by Wednesday and I installed it that night with a new pre-filter and all is well again.

I really couldn't find any threads about anyone with these pumps failing. Mine has less than 12k on it in about a year and a half. Seems like a premature failure to me.
I do run 2-stroke oil in every tank so this pump should be lubricated.

Has anyone else have a Walbro pump fail???

 

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bostiguy:

Thanks for posting that up for the Members here. I wanted to let you know that one of our NCDTR #18 Members, namely, Jess Spruill, who goes by the User Name "kingd" here, also had one fail on him on his Dodge CTD CR Truck, but I have not heard of alot of them going bad.

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John_P

 

I've had a few of them fail thus far. not all on one vehicle, but on a few vehicles, so no constants other than the pump failing.

The last one that went out, I do believe something went wrong in the pump side. I have to dissect it and have a look. basically, it was pulling fuel from the tank, but making lots of air. The path to the tank was clear, after having dropped the tank and pulled the sending unit to verify. This unit had the FF5079 pre-filter on it as well, as do all of the units I have installed.

I have had them fail with one brush going bad in the motor a couple times, but this is the first one that lost pressure, and the cool part is, it didn't really lose pressure, so much as made air. pressurized air. The truck was stumbling, due to the VP pump basically trying to run on more air than fuel.

I am currently looking at other options,and perhaps I'll be able to come up with something that works.

The shortest lifespan thus far for a walbro GSL392 pump, has been just under 6 months.

 

I've often thought of adapting a lift pump from a 99-03 7.3 Powerstroke equipped Ford. They are a very problem-free pump. They last forever producing the 60 or so PSI that the 7.3 requires, and I think they'd be even better on a Dodge.

 

Mine did something similar although it never dropped to zero. I also run two stroke oil.

 

I lost my first holley blue at 1.5 years or 25K miles. It locked up and my idling truck surged a few times and then died.

Upon dissection I found the electric motor to be full of greasy brush and magnet dust. After some electric parts cleaner the pump fired up and started working again. The copper center cylinder where the brushes ride/make contact was worn in a good 1/8". I'm not sure if forcing the pump the push 18 psi makes it work harder, draw more amps, and thus prematurely wear but that pump is toast to say the least. 96 bucks later at schucks and I was back in business.

I thought about running a walbro pump instead of the holley blue. Interesting that some of those are failing as well.

 

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BigBlue:

Good post Sir! Like you, I had used Holley Pumps exclusively on my 2002 Dodge CTD 24 valve when I had it and had very good luck with them the whole time they were on there. At the time I sold the truck, there was a Holley Red on it and that little $89.00 pump (from Advanced Auto) had two years service on it and as far as I know the guy that bought it is still running it now with almost five years on it.

 

I had a 391 die. My 392 has been on for 6 months, so far so good.

 

I've put on about 20K miles and a year on mine. Still works like a charm, but crossing my fingers, though....

 

Arn't walbro's brushless? I thought they were?

 

Could they be dieing because they are designed to operate inside the tank where they are cooled by fuel. But because they are typically installed on the frame rail, they over heat?

Aaron

 

had mine about a yaer and no trouble at all. 18-21 psi all day long.

 

Those Walbro pumps are made to push gasoline. That is a significant issue. They are also much better at pushing fuel than pulling it. If you put a significant pre filter in your system, that will just stress the pump even more. I'm sure this cold weather isn't making their lives any better, either.

The GSL39x pumps are external pumps. They are a gerotor pump, so they can push a lot of fuel with a small package. They are the same internals as the GSS in-tank pumps that are so popular with high performace gassers.

The GSL392 has a carbon commutator. The other GSL39x pumps have copper commutators. Diesel and copper don't get along too well, so you probably should only use the GSL392.

 

Mine took a dump on me the other day. Hit the connections with a wire brush and added some dielectric grease. Good as new.

 

So is this the reason why GDP no longer sells those kits??