350 5.7 TBI Fuel Pressure Issues

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Schurkey

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There are two codes that the truck has thrown during the first 500 mile oil change... ...the other is 54 (Fuel pump circuit low voltage

1) Verify voltage at the fuel pump connection. 12.68 volts when I jumpered the fuel pump relay.
Measured WHERE? At the relay? The only place that matters is as close to the pump as you have access to the wire harness.

In general, GM uses under-sized wiring for the fuel pump. Often, more than two volts of voltage drop when the pump is running--about a volt-and-a-half on the supply wire, and another volt on the ground wire, at least that's what I've measured on a couple of Luminas. Industry standards would be for 12-gauge wire given the length and the amperage draw. I think GM used 16-gauge.

The best way to diagnose electrical problems with these fuel pumps is with a low-amperage probe, an oscilloscope, and a voltmeter. That way you can compare the amperage draw of EACH BAR on the armature, the total amperage draw, the RPM of the pump motor, and the supply voltage. 'Course, most folks don't have an oscilloscope and low-amps probe.

3) Dead head the pump and see what kind of pressure it can produce. Crimped the rubber portion with some needle nose vice grips and jumpered the fuel pump relay to the battery, 9.5 PSI.
As said, 9.5 is nowhere near enough; and cannot be accurate if you're showing more than that at your other pressure sensor.

Either the pump is faulty, there's a pressure leak in the fuel tank section of the plumbing, or the pump is starving for power.
 

joep123

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Measured WHERE? At the relay?

No, I unplugged the connector at the fuel tank and jumpered the relay to get power to the male end of the connector. While I was down there I noticed during my rebuild I never hooked up the the EGR canister line back to the tank. Is the tank pressurized from the EGR returned?

As said, 9.5 is nowhere near enough; and cannot be accurate if you're showing more than that at your other pressure sensor.

I only got more pressure after I installed a CFM adjustable regulator and turned it up to 12 PSI. But it's still droping as I give it throttle.
 

Casey Price

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The fuel pressure is going to drop when you give it gas. Bump the pressure up to 18. How is your spray pattern coming out of the injectors? I had a bad O-ring gasket when i rebuilt mine at the base of the injector causing extra fuel to dump/leak out. Truck ran like crap.
 

joep123

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Bump the pressure up to 18

Most i can get out of it before it bottoms out against the fuel line orifices is around 12.5 PSI.

How is your spray pattern coming out of the injectors? I had a bad O-ring gasket when i rebuilt mine at the base of the injector causing extra fuel to dump/leak out. Truck ran like crap.

After I installed the adjustable regulator the thing ran like dog ****, I got out after driving it around and looked and I had gas coming from the top of the left injector pod. I pinched the oring pushing it back in and took it back apart and put a new oring in to seal it back up and seems to be running better spray pattern looks good now but still dropping pressure from 12.5 PSI down to about 7.

New fuel pump will be in by the weekend and i'll lift the bed and change it out and inspect the sender.
 

94GMCK1500

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So I wasn’t willing to pay autozones mark up for a new fuel pump so it’s on order. I did have a cfm adjustable fuel pressure regulator that I installed to see if it
Made a difference. It made the problem more noticeable.

I adjusted the pressure from 10.5 up to 12 and drove it around. Drove fine in the quarter pedal range but if I quickly press down the gas or go to half throttle the pressure falls off to 8~ psi and it boggs down.
Well what was the outcome ?
 
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