Three dead fuel pressure regulators means a bigger issue?

  • Tomakze
    Tomakze
    Senior Member
    • 624

    Three dead fuel pressure regulators means a bigger issue?

    So, I found what was causeing my car to misfire… a bad FPR. The original one put out 40psi and never varied, like it jammed. So, I replaced it with a brand new one, and had one day of the engine running right, and then new, similar (But not the same) misfiring. I test the new FPR with a vacuum tester, and it sucks fuel out the vacuum line. I figure, no biggy, must have been a dud. Order another new one, get one day of the car running properly, and then it starts to act like it did with the first FPR. What is going on here?

    All this started happening after I installed the manual tranny in the car. Could the return line have been crushed? The tranny went in smoothly, I don't recall it hitting anything at any point. Would a crushed/clogged return line even do this? Or am I just that unlucky that I'd buy two duds back to back? I NEED this car to run correctly so I can get my emissions test done before my temp tags expire. If anyone has any insight into this, I need to hear it. Is there a way I can test the flow of the return line? I plan to do a visual inspection of it tomorrow.

    I should also mention, I have a Walbro fuel pump in the car. It ran great for quite a while after I installed that, so I doubt that has much to do with the problem, but it may be worth mentioning.
    "Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car. Oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall. Torque is how far you take the wall with you…"

    -'68 Datsun 1600 Roadster
    Build Thread: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/21…-build-thread/
    -'85 300zx Turbo
    Build Thread:
    http://z31performance.com/showthread…)build-thread!
  • Careless
    Careless
    Senior Member
    • 13279

    #2
    i doubt the walbro has anything to do with it. good idea on checking the fuel lines for kinks. you could unhook them end to end and blow them out with air.

    stupid question: is your fuel filter on your return or your feed? thought i'd ask for asking's sake.

    i would still try one more fuel regulator. i would try an adjustable one with a liquid filled gauge.
  • Tomakze
    Tomakze
    Senior Member
    • 624

    #3
    Careless;340246 wrote: i doubt the walbro has anything to do with it. good idea on checking the fuel lines for kinks. you could unhook them end to end and blow them out with air.

    stupid question: is your fuel filter on your return or your feed? thought i'd ask for asking's sake.

    i would still try one more fuel regulator. i would try an adjustable one with a liquid filled gauge.
    I'll check to make sure my return and feed lines aren't crossed, just to be safe. Where would I get an adjustable FPR like that? Do you have a suggestion for a good one? I like that idea a lot.
    "Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car. Oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall. Torque is how far you take the wall with you…"

    -'68 Datsun 1600 Roadster
    Build Thread: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/21…-build-thread/
    -'85 300zx Turbo
    Build Thread:
    http://z31performance.com/showthread…)build-thread!
  • liladair
    liladair
    Senior Member
    • 109

    #4
    Aeromotive makes kick ass units. They can be a little pricey though. Install isn't hard just takes a quick brainstorm on where you want to mount it
  • Careless
    Careless
    Senior Member
    • 13279

    #5
    aeromotive makes junk units that are overpriced for whats inside them.


    weldon or fuel lab.
  • Tomakze
    Tomakze
    Senior Member
    • 624

    #6
    Something like this?

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll…tchlink:top:en

    I also saw some much cheaper kits without the gauge, and they come in 6an and 10an like this:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/FUEL-LAB-FUE…3f45fd&vxp=mtr

    Anyone have a picture of how this is hooked up? The stock one has two inputs, I can't tell if this one has one or two. I assume it still increases pressure in a 1:1 ratio to manifold pressure?
    "Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car. Oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall. Torque is how far you take the wall with you…"

    -'68 Datsun 1600 Roadster
    Build Thread: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/21…-build-thread/
    -'85 300zx Turbo
    Build Thread:
    http://z31performance.com/showthread…)build-thread!
  • Tomakze
    Tomakze
    Senior Member
    • 624

    #7
    Just found this:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Adjustable-F…0fce1a&vxp=mtr

    Any opinions? Seems like a good deal, and looks just like a Fuel Lab regulator.
    "Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car. Oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall. Torque is how far you take the wall with you…"

    -'68 Datsun 1600 Roadster
    Build Thread: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/21…-build-thread/
    -'85 300zx Turbo
    Build Thread:
    http://z31performance.com/showthread…)build-thread!
  • Careless
    Careless
    Senior Member
    • 13279

    #8
    doesnt matter if it looks just like.
    its what's inside that counts.
    that's why the aeromotive units are a joke.
    they are not constructed as well as fuel lab, fuel sx or whatever, and weldon
    do they work? sure.
    but for the same price you can get a better unit like the fuel lab ones.

    get a real fuel lab, you don't need -10 AN lines, -6 will work fine.
    make sure it's a 1:1 rising rate fuel reg.

    1psi boost increase = 1psi pressure increase
  • Tomakze
    Tomakze
    Senior Member
    • 624

    #9
    I can't seem to find where it shows the rate it rises at… I know it needs to be 1:1, but which one is??? Even Fuel Lab's website isn't terribly helpful…
    "Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car. Oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall. Torque is how far you take the wall with you…"

    -'68 Datsun 1600 Roadster
    Build Thread: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/21…-build-thread/
    -'85 300zx Turbo
    Build Thread:
    http://z31performance.com/showthread…)build-thread!
  • liladair
    liladair
    Senior Member
    • 109

    #10
    To each their own I've never had an issue with Aeromotive stuff
  • Tomakze
    Tomakze
    Senior Member
    • 624

    #11
    Well, I checked the fuel lines. No visible kinks, or any damage of any kind. I do indeed have them hooked up correctly, and the line with the filter is the pressure line. I also hooked a funnel to the return line and poured fuel into it, and it drained at what I would deem an acceptable rate. Looks like my fuel system is fine, and I actually bought two bad regulators!

    I still would like to know which Fuel Lab unit to buy. Their "mini" fuel pressure regulators look pretty trick.
    "Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car. Oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall. Torque is how far you take the wall with you…"

    -'68 Datsun 1600 Roadster
    Build Thread: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/21…-build-thread/
    -'85 300zx Turbo
    Build Thread:
    http://z31performance.com/showthread…)build-thread!
  • Tomakze
    Tomakze
    Senior Member
    • 624

    #12
    "Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car. Oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall. Torque is how far you take the wall with you…"

    -'68 Datsun 1600 Roadster
    Build Thread: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/21…-build-thread/
    -'85 300zx Turbo
    Build Thread:
    http://z31performance.com/showthread…)build-thread!
  • G-E
    G-E
    Junior Member
    • 6320

    #13
  • GuerreroZ
    GuerreroZ
    Junior Member
    • 24

    #14
    hey Tomakze, it seems that i been having the same problem you been having, and i also replaced the damn fpr, it ran good for a while but now its going to crap, besides what ever else is wrong with my car, but here is what i did yesterday i replace that relay by the battery the blue one and seem to helped it alot, now here is the thing even though it helped, it was still shaky, and as soon as i remove that vacuum line out of the fpr, the engine smoths out,(also if i have the vacuum line hooked up to the fpr, besides been shaky, if step on it it just dies, plus misfire, it seems like to much air is going and not enough fuel) But like i said as soon as i take that vacuum line, it works much better, it smoothes out and if i open the throttle body it revs up almost normally, so i assume the fpr is bad, now i checked the fuel line going into the fuel rail, by disconnecting it and hooking up a gauge to it, it read 60psi but i assume that is cuase i dont have a Tee to see the actual pressure going into the system, now i have a question for anyone that help, how can i make sure my fpr is not the problem, by what i just said i believe it is, so just go ahead and replace it with a stock one or buy one like the ones you guys are metioning? Sorry for the grammar errors and for the long write up, and thanks for the help
  • Tomakze
    Tomakze
    Senior Member
    • 624

    #15
    G-E;340416 wrote: What about AEM? http://www.ebay.com/itm/AEM-25-302BK…bc7b95&vxp=mtr
    That looks nice. Do you have any experience with it? I like the price.

    I still don't know if it is a 1:1 rising rate FPR… How do I find out? Or are they all 1:1, so they don't bother listing it? Seems like an important stat to leave out of the description.
    "Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car. Oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall. Torque is how far you take the wall with you…"

    -'68 Datsun 1600 Roadster
    Build Thread: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/21…-build-thread/
    -'85 300zx Turbo
    Build Thread:
    http://z31performance.com/showthread…)build-thread!