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carlfleet · 07-05-2021, 11:43 AM

Recently bought 1989 Fleet Wood Bounder 33 ft 454 ci 4 barrel . Sat for 5 years very low on fuel. Put 25 gallons in it drove about 60 miles. Kinda sluggish. I saw pressure regulator leaking & hoses going to fuel filters were leaking. I replaced fuel hoses, Filters & rebuilt pressure regulator. Now I can't get fuel to engine. Generator runs for less than a minute then stops. Disconnected fuel line going to pressure regulator did get some fuel with ignition on , Now nothing. Is there a fuse for electric Pump? If so where is it located? Is there also a relay for electric fuel pump? Where is it located?
Help appreciated.

**Lt Dan** · 07-05-2021, 12:08 PM

Generator pickups in the fuel tank are purposely located above the 1/4 fuel level. Putting 25 gallons may not be enough for the pickup to reach the fuel. This is done so you don't run the tank dry while using the generator.

standerson · 07-05-2021, 12:11 PM

What Lt. Dan said. Plus run a can of Sea Foam thru it.

amosnandy · 07-05-2021, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carlfleet

Recently bought 1989 Fleet Wood Bounder 33 ft 454 ci 4 barrel . Sat for 5 years very low on fuel. Put 25 gallons in it drove about 60 miles. Kinda sluggish. I saw pressure regulator leaking & hoses going to fuel filters were leaking. I replaced fuel hoses, Filters & rebuilt pressure regulator. Now I can't get fuel to engine. Generator runs for less than a minute then stops. Disconnected fuel line going to pressure regulator did get some fuel with ignition on , Now nothing. Is there a fuse for electric Pump? If so where is it located?
Help appreciated.

I assume since you are talking about rebuilding the fuel pressure regulator it has a mechanical fuel pump on the engine. Do you know if it has an electric pump also? If so it should have a fuse right in the main fuse panel for it. Some of that vintage had both, some not. If you can see the top of the tank, how many wires? More than 2 and it has a electric pump in the tank.

My solution would be to buy an aftermarket in line fuel pump and instal it in the line as close as you can get to the gas tank. You will have to find a wire that goes on with the ignition only, not ACC but most of those GM fuse blocks have extra slots in them. Not to difficult to wire. Most difficult part will probably be routing the wire back to the pump so it is up out of the way and safe.

CRV2 · 07-05-2021, 12:19 PM

While I am not familiar with an 89 Bounder, I am familiar with a lot of vehicles and it is common that the tank's electric fuel pumps are controlled with a relay often times plugged into the fuse panel (not the inside coach fuse panel, the chassis fuse panel). Generally there are multiple relays there for other purposes such as the lights. If you can locate it, and if it is as so many I have seen you should be able to unplug it and change positions on the fuse panel with another relay. For example change the fuel pump relay with the headlights relay as the relays are the same (in almost all cases) and with doing that you can determine if the problem no longer occurs and especially if the headlights don't work correctly after the switch over.

A few other thoughts, many systems don't apply constant power to the relay, a few seconds when the key is turned on and then again once the engine is running, and certain manufactures installed a fuel pump safety shutoff that sometimes can go bad, or need to be reset. The intention of these safety devices is to disconnect the fuel pump in case of an accident. Seeing how you had a little pressure, I suspect the safety cutoff is not the issue but certainly something to check if you don't make any progress otherwise. It would likely be on the firewall somewhere inside the unit. It is also possible to bypass the relay with a jumper at the fuse panel, but if you aren't familiar with checking the voltages and the relay connectors to know where to jumper it, I would simply just switch the relay with another one on the fuse panel and go from there. ~CA

donr103 · 07-05-2021, 12:26 PM

Welcome to IRV2.. I maybe wrong but I believe there is a lift pump in gas tank.. a low pressure fuel pump to send fuel to eng main fuel pump mounted low on pass side of eng block.. there is a relay that uses oil pressure to switch on and off lift pump.. could be relay or gas tank lift pump.. but for the gen.. most fuel tanks need to be 1/4 to 1/2 full to run gen.. that way gen will not run rv out of gas.. also critters love to nest on top of old setting fuel tanks.. and snack on tasty wires and lines.. they can eat just tiny bit and your gen will suck air.. or eng if no lift pump.. so use cell ph with flash and hold it way up under tank and follow lines and wires warning don't drop ph.. you may not be able to get it without dropping tank.. I used both cell and a special scope camera to find out.. the lines on tank were rotten and cracked.. good luck and let us know what you did.. so you could be dropping tank.. there is great vid on you tube on doing that..

carlfleet · 07-05-2021, 12:35 PM

I will try your suggestions.
Thank you

tropical36 · 07-06-2021, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carlfleet

Recently bought 1989 Fleet Wood Bounder 33 ft 454 ci 4 barrel . Sat for 5 years very low on fuel. Put 25 gallons in it drove about 60 miles. Kinda sluggish. I saw pressure regulator leaking & hoses going to fuel filters were leaking. I replaced fuel hoses, Filters & rebuilt pressure regulator. Now I can't get fuel to engine. Generator runs for less than a minute then stops. Disconnected fuel line going to pressure regulator did get some fuel with ignition on , Now nothing. Is there a fuse for electric Pump? If so where is it located? Is there also a relay for electric fuel pump? Where is it located?
Help appreciated.

We once had a 87 Pace Arrow. It had an electric pump external to the tank on the passenger side and I believe still had the mechanical one on the engine.
Some time later, fuel pumps were installed inside the tank and especially with the introduction of fuel injected engines.
As said, genset should shut down a 1/4 tank. Not sure why you're not getting fuel to the engine, but if you can find an electric pump in said location, firstly see if there's power to it, then look for it's relay and fuse. You might also try external power, just to make it runs and then go from there.

Ray,IN · 07-06-2021, 03:42 PM

"Sat for 5 years very low on fuel" I would completely drain the tank as it assuredly has water/condensation along with fuel. You may need to replace fuel filters again.

Then add the appropriate amount of SeaFoam when re-fueling to rid the fuel system of any remaining moisture and clean it too.

dizcom · 07-06-2021, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donr103

Welcome to IRV2.. I maybe wrong but I believe there is a lift pump in gas tank.. a low pressure fuel pump to send fuel to eng main fuel pump mounted low on pass side of eng block.. there is a relay that uses oil pressure to switch on and off lift pump.. could be relay or gas tank lift pump.. but for the gen.. most fuel tanks need to be 1/4 to 1/2 full to run gen.. that way gen will not run rv out of gas.. also critters love to nest on top of old setting fuel tanks.. and snack on tasty wires and lines.. they can eat just tiny bit and your gen will suck air.. or eng if no lift pump.. so use cell ph with flash and hold it way up under tank and follow lines and wires warning don't drop ph.. you may not be able to get it without dropping tank.. I used both cell and a special scope camera to find out.. the lines on tank were rotten and cracked.. good luck and let us know what you did.. so you could be dropping tank.. there is great vid on you tube on doing that..

This and the one in the tank has a not great but still cloggable filter on it. Pull it and replace the screen (and pump, if needed).

carlfleet · 07-06-2021, 04:21 PM

Going to drop tank , Cant get to top of it to check anything. Any idea who sells the full replacement ?
Thank you for your help.

tropical36 · 07-06-2021, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carlfleet

Going to drop tank , Cant get to top of it to check anything. Any idea who sells the full replacement ?
Thank you for your help.

Before you drop it, check closely in the floor above and for a hopefully convenient place for cutting a hole in the floor. Even so it will take some calculating for getting it directly over the tank's access plate and if it doesn't have an internal fuel pump (unlikely with a carbureted engine of that vintage) then I'm not sure if would even have a large round plate.
Anyway more research is needed here, I think, but it all works out, you then cover the hole with a marine cover and for not ever having to drop the tank.
This is especially invaluable to those who have an internal fuel pump.

THenne1713 · 07-06-2021, 05:36 PM

Have often wondered if this hydraulic lift table would not make the fuel tank removal/ reinstall an easy project? https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb...art-61405.html

exrench · 07-07-2021, 01:59 PM

Two floor jacks work well and allow for the tank-securing straps to be lowered independently of the jacks. That Harbor Freight table would present a problem with the straps unless the table can fit between the straps. The jacks also allow for "fine tuning" the level of the tank as it is being raised. The table does not seem to permit that levelling effect.