Fuel lines.

[Rob]

Sorry to bother you all again. But back to my original problem. I think its the fuel pump. But could it be the fuel lines that may be clogged with somthing? Are they easy to clean or even take out ect? Thanks guys

[Kalevera]

Huh?

[Rob]

I'm talking about the fuel lines. The pipes that go from the back of the car, tank, to the engine. Those pipes, are they easy to clean out or is it hard to do?

[Kalevera]

I guess I was a bit more confused by not knowing the symptoms of the actual problem. Fuel lines tend to blow out, not get clogged. They work under about 4 bar pressure on most applications, so unless the fuel filter or fuel pump have been malfunctioning in massively impossible ways over a long period of time, I'm doubtful that the lines are clogged.

What's the original problem?

best, whit

[Rob]

Oh, sorry I should mention the problem. Well it all started when my Dad was driving the car and the cam belt snapped, thus causing a lot of daamage to the velves and pistions. So my Dad took the car in and got the engine redone. But now she has little to no power when driving. If I have her in Park and rev the engine, she sounds nice and fine. Put it into D and start to drive she has little to no power at all. While driving she'll go slow while my foot is to the floor. Then two seconds later she wakes up and starts to go faster and starts pulling, like she should. Then it dies, power goes again and then a few seconds later it will do the same thing again. She won't even make it up some big hills or slopes. So I thought it might be the fuel pump or the line to the fuel. Since the engine was done the guy might have got some stuff in there, thus clogging it up. Not too sure.

[Kalevera]

Where is the car located? No '91 US 525 came with a cam belt -- all M50s, the engine found in later 525s, have chains and they rarely break. Even then, it's a 300,000 mile thing.

Since I assume the car just came back from this "guy", it sounds like the car should go back to him or perhaps another qualified shop. I'd be looking at timing/ignition components (cam sensor/coding wheel -- in the head, coil packs/leads/spark plugs -- were the correct ones installed?)

best, whit

[Rob]

The car has a M20 engine in it.

It's in South Africa as well. But we can't take it back as this guy that did the work is 600 or so KM away from us. So that's a no go. I really want to get her running on the roads again, poor car. :(

But would those things you mention cause this problem? Also it takes three tries to start her or some times 4 turn before she'll fire. It won't start first time. :(

[Kalevera]

Oh, then I can practically guarantee you that it's out of time. I've actually made this mistake before (on a Euro E21 323i/5), and it's not fun to fix if one or more of the valves are bent as a result.

Pull the covers off the front of the motor. Set the cam to TDC (the mark is by where the lift eyelet would be, if it were still on the motor -- it gets removed with the top cover) and see where the crank is. My money's on it being a tooth or two off.

IF it is, you can try to re-tension the belt. I would just replace it; I've always been told that it's bad to retension them.

You'll also want to do a compression test on each cylinder if the car if the engine is actually out of time. As you know, they're an interference design, and a tooth or two out of time will bend valves or worse.

best, whit

[Rob]

Oh right. But then if it's out of time, surely it wouldn't run?

Thanks a lot fpr the help Whit. Really appericate it. I will phone a friend and get a compresion test done as well.

So it being a fuel pump problem is low?

Once again, thanks for all the help dude!

[shogun]

There is a fuel filter. I think there is no fuel problem. But it is easy to check the fuel pressure by yourselves and built a somehow easy system
Here are the pieces you need
http://www.midwayautosupply.com/detailedproductdescription.asp?3080

[Rob]

I'm really loosing my end with this car. I think it could be so many things really.

I think if it was the timming, then it wouldn't get power then loose it again. It would be out of time all the time. My Dad says the car was fine when he got it back and its just been getting worse slowly. Then we took it to a guy here in Durban and he fixed the problem. He said it was the sensor that was clogged up. And she ran perfect. Two weeks later we're at the same problem again.

So I think I have to start some where and go through the car. What do you guys suggest I try first. I.E; most likely thing it could be?