Help Me Identify Fuel Pump

[Boomer1344]

Hello all. I think I had my first case of vapor lock this past weekend in my '09 Outback. The usual story...was towing skier/tubes for a long period of time then took an hour or so break in a cove and tried to start her up and nothing happened. A storm was coming, kids were crying, wife was not happy and no boats were anywhere to be seen. Started swimming with the boat (somewhat easier than using the paddle) and eventually a jetski came by and gave us a tow to a different ramp. His wife was nice enough to give me a ride to my vehicle at another ramp so I could come back and get my boat. We were very fortunate that there was someone willing to help us out.

Anyways, before I even thought to take my boat to the dealer I checked on this site to see what could be the culprit and discovered all about vapor lock. I have 27 hours on the boat and never had this happen this or last season up to this point.

I plan on taking her back out tomorrow afternoon after work to see if she will start up. But, in my ignorance of the engine, I have no clue where the fuel pump is in case I need to do the pour water over it thing. I have attached a link to a photobucket album with pics of my engine and would greatly appreciate it if someone could indicate where the fuel pump is in the pics.

Thanks,
Brian

http://s939.photobucket.com/albums/ad236/Boomer1344/Moomba%20Outback/

[AaronWhitt82]

Brian - The '09 model should have a high pressure fuel pump inside the tank I believe. This corrected the vapor lock issue from previous model years.
I'm not sure what year they started putting the pumps in the fuel tanks, but the previous years the pump was mounted in the engine compartment on the drivers side right next to the motor towards the bottom.....
You also might want to check your fuel filter(s)....

Also, what do you mean by when you went to start it and "nothing happened"?
Did the motor crank and turn over? Did it just crank and crank and crank and not start?
Need a little more info.....

[Boomer1344]

If I recall the first couple of times it might have turned over, but the remaining times I tried it just cranked.

[Boomer1344]

Is the fuel pump metallic with a J shaped metal line as shown on the left side of this picture?

http://s939.photobucket.com/albums/ad236/Boomer1344/Moomba%20Outback/?action=view&current=P1060622.jpg

[Boomer1344]

Well, I am answering my own question with a yes. I got off the phone with my dealer (no longer a Moomba dealer though for which I just found out) and he confirmed that that is the fuel pump and we had a lengthy discussion regarding vapor lock.

Thanks Aaron for the initial reply.

Brian

[AaronWhitt82]

Brian - I was going to say that the picture looked to me like an inline fuel filter. It doesn't look anything like my fuel pump at all.
Now I am not sure if there is also possibly a second in line fuel pump as well as the in tank pump on the '09.....
Another pic of that would help a little bit better. Also, where is it located?

[Boomer1344]

Aaron,

I will take another picture in a little while of what I am identifying as the fuel pump and let you know where it is exactly. Also, when I looked at a post in the sales section of upgrades for the 2010 model outback I believe it mentioned that one of the upgrades for this year was the fuel pump being located in the tank. Again, I may be wrong.

Thanks,
Brian

[Boomer1344]

First pic number 22 is of what I thought was the fuel pump. It is in the port rear side of the engine compartment.

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad236/Boomer1344/Moomba%20Outback/P1060635.jpg

Second pic (number 20-21) are what is almost underneath and a little to the side of what is in the above picture.

http://s939.photobucket.com/albums/ad236/Boomer1344/Moomba%20Outback/?action=view&current=P1060633.jpg

http://s939.photobucket.com/albums/ad236/Boomer1344/Moomba%20Outback/?action=view&current=P1060633.jpg#!oZZ7QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2F s939.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fad236%2FBoomer1344 %2FMoomba%2520Outback%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current %3DP1060634.jpg%26

I am guessing this is a water pump? It is in the front/bottom of the engine compartment.

http://s939.photobucket.com/albums/ad236/Boomer1344/Moomba%20Outback/?action=view&current=P1060633.jpg#!oZZ4QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2F s939.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fad236%2FBoomer1344 %2FMoomba%2520Outback%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current %3DP1060631.jpg%26

And this is connected to the device above.

http://s939.photobucket.com/albums/ad236/Boomer1344/Moomba%20Outback/?action=view&current=P1060633.jpg#!oZZ1QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2F s939.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fad236%2FBoomer1344 %2FMoomba%2520Outback%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current %3DP1060628.jpg%26

I did start the boat and it fired up.

[Hoopskier]

First pic number 22 is of what I thought was the fuel pump. It is in the port rear side of the engine compartment.

High pressure fuel pump, to inject fuel into the engine

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad236/Boomer1344/Moomba%20Outback/P1060635.jpg

Second pic (number 20-21) are what is almost underneath and a little to the side of what is in the above picture.

Low pressure fuel pump, to pull fuel from the tank and supply to high pressure pump.

http://s939.photobucket.com/albums/ad236/Boomer1344/Moomba%20Outback/?action=view&current=P1060633.jpg

http://s939.photobucket.com/albums/ad236/Boomer1344/Moomba%20Outback/?action=view&current=P1060633.jpg#!oZZ7QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2F s939.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fad236%2FBoomer1344 %2FMoomba%2520Outback%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current %3DP1060634.jpg%26

I am guessing this is a water pump? It is in the front/bottom of the engine compartment.

Electric water pump to fill the ballast system, nothing to do with the engine.

http://s939.photobucket.com/albums/ad236/Boomer1344/Moomba%20Outback/?action=view&current=P1060633.jpg#!oZZ4QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2F s939.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fad236%2FBoomer1344 %2FMoomba%2520Outback%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current %3DP1060631.jpg%26

And this is connected to the device above.

Again, part of the ballast system, nothing to do with then engine.

http://s939.photobucket.com/albums/ad236/Boomer1344/Moomba%20Outback/?action=view&current=P1060633.jpg#!oZZ1QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2F s939.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fad236%2FBoomer1344 %2FMoomba%2520Outback%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current %3DP1060628.jpg%26

I did start the boat and it fired up.

Hope this helps you out some.

[Boomer1344]

Hoopskier, I really appreciate it! I assume that there are not any wires/components around the pumps that if wet will be damaged since people pour water on these as a potential solution when vapor lock occurs?

[AaronWhitt82]

Hoopskier is right on!

http://skidim.com/prodinfo.asp?number=RA080018
That is the fuel pump I have for mine. Yours is fuel injected and mine is carbed.
I've never dumped water on mine, but I know people do and the wires are connected to the bottom of it so I don't see it as a good idea.
I've never seen a fuel injected motor in person so I'm not too familiar with some of the components on them compared to mine.
The first pic I saw of that "J" shaped tube coming off I thought it was just an inline fuel filter, but I couldn't tell since the pic wasn't too great.

It is very possible that you are experiencing vapor lock....
See what happens next time you use the boat.

[Boomer1344]

Thanks Aaron as well! Also, thanks for the link to the skidim.com site.