1991 Fleetwood Southwind Chevy 454 fuel pump issues?! Idk

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Kfisher

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I am stumped. I am new, I need help!

Class A, motorhome.

We are trying to sell our RV and after replacing the battery, it will start with starter fluid, but it will not stay running. We haven't had a mechanic out to look yet but advice we've gotten is they think it is the fuel pump. It has been sitting in the Arizona weather, in storage for a year. The gas tank was half full and the gas had evaporated to nothing.


I do not know where to locate the fuel pump , are there two? Could it be something more simple ?

If it is the fuel pump is this something we can fix on our own ?

The RV in in storage and stuck there.

I'm not made of money but I understand this might cost a pretty penny.

I don't even know where to begin. Has anyone had this issue and does anyone have any advice? Much appreciated!!!!
 
Sometimes adding an inline fuel pump can compensate for a weak pump in the tank. It's a relatively inexpensive thing to try if you can DIY. An electric pump can be had for under $20 on Amazon, or a bit more in auto parts stores.
 
I am quite sure that yours is in the fuel tank. Most of them require you to drop the tank but if you examine the tank you will see an access plate on the front of the tank if it exists. Even if the engine has a mechanical fuel pump on the engine as they once did, it will still be a big job to undertake in an RV storage yard. Do you have towing service like most of us do?
 
Everyone hates it when I say this but...

Crack the clamp at the carburetor (I assume 4bbl in 91) and have someone turn on the key. If you aren't getting any flow it's likely the pump.

Also the 4bbl should have an accelerator pump. With the air cleaner off look down the throat while someone presses the throttle you should be able to see a squirt of fuel.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
This Chevrolet P30 chassis manual will help you find and diagnose this sort of problem.
Click to expand...
I had a copy of that manual when we owned our 1987 Allegro on a P-30 chassis but I am unable to find any indication when it was published or if there was ever an updated version. The one you reference states "The fuel pump is located on the lower front half of the engine block on the passenger's side." I believe that changed to an in-tank fuel pump when GM introduced the throttle body fuel injection to the 454, but am not sure and was unable to locate information either way. Does anyone know when the manual linked was published and if there was ever an update?
 
First paragraph OP says it was put away a year ago with 1/2 tank of gas that has evaporated during storage. Fuel system could be gummed up with old gas goop
 
IIRC, a '91 should be carbureted. That would mean an engine mounted, mechanical fuel pump.
Some of the longer rigs of that vintage also had an external electric pump to help push the fuel up to the engine driven pump. Some of these units with the external pump also had a cartridge type fuel filter in the same compartment with the electric pump. There's also a small cartridge type filter in the carb inlet.
 
Years ago I worked on a car that had been parked for 3 years with half a tank of gas. It still had half a tank. There is *no way* ~35 gallons of gas evaporated in 6 months in a closed tank. Using that rate you'd be losing over a gallon a week all the time, which can't be unless it's running onto the ground somehow.

As it sits today this RV is only a liability. Unless you want to invest possibly more than you can get out of it plus time and energy just to get it running you can. One option is just listing it for free as a mechanic's special, just make it go away. I see no difference between that and spending hundreds or more for towing and repairs, only to get at most what a 30 year old carbureted RV is worth (not a lot).

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
I would guess you have a broken fuel line. That would explain a half tank disappearing and it won't start. Check underneath for wet spots before trying to start it again or have some marshmallows ready for the bonfire.
 
Kirk said:
I had a copy of that manual when we owned our 1987 Allegro on a P-30 chassis but I am unable to find any indication when it was published or if there was ever an updated version.
Click to expand...
I have found references to 1995 and 1997 Chevy P-Chassis Guide elsewhere, but I don't know the publication date of the version that is freely available on the net.

I assume Chevrolet made the P-Motorhome chassis manual available up until it sold the chassis to Workhorse in 1999. Workhorse did not publish their own version right away, but later produced their own Workhorse Chassis Guide that covered both the P and W-series chassis.

You can buy a 1995 edition of the Chevy P3 & PG chassis manual on Amazon for a mere $122.19.

1995 GMC/Chevy P3/PG Forward Control Repair Shop Manual Original Set Motorhome Chassis, Hi-Cube, Stepvan: General Motors: Amazon.com: Books

1995 GMC/Chevy P3/PG Forward Control Repair Shop Manual Original Set Motorhome Chassis, Hi-Cube, Stepvan [General Motors] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. 1995 GMC/Chevy P3/PG Forward Control Repair Shop Manual Original Set Motorhome Chassis, Hi-Cube, Stepvan
www.amazon.com
 
A 1991 P30 is throttle body injection not carbureted.
The fuel pump is in the tank.
Adding a external pump in this application is a waste of time and money.
The operating pressure is this system is around 12 psi.
There is no port to attach a gauge unless one was added as I did to mine.
Loosen the line at the throttle body, the supply not the return.
When the key is turned on the relay / pump will come on for a couple seconds.
When cranking the engine the pump will run.
 
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