just want to ask a question. After random "won't start" conditions I traced the problem to the in-tank pump on my DL-240 Volvo. The pump is original and the car has 160k miles. I removed the pick-up assembly and installed a VDO pump (slightly longer) plus new filter sock. Its a tedious job but I was successful with the installation. Here is my question. The VDO pump "hums" rather loudly. Is it suppose to?

Never noticed the original pump doing this. I think I installed a great pump but it hums loudly. Is this characteristic of the VDO pump??. Did I do something wrong causing a loud hum?? Vibration maybe? Is there a better pump that does not hum so loudly? The original cannot be purchased according to VOLVO. P/N is 3507436-1. It has black on the outlet and tan on the pick-up.

Thx...great forum. Love DL-240s. Appreciate your comments and any recommendations.

 

I have heard that many after-market pumps are noisier than the originals. I replaced my in-tank pump recently, and I hardly hear it at all. The inline pump is another story; the noise is so bad I made a thread about it.
The in-tank one I bought from NAPA was a Delphi brand, which (AFAIK) is the same as the Airtex brand that the cleanflametrap.com guy recommends. I would only swap it back if the VDO pump hum REALLY bothers you. My noisy inline pump only bothers me when I start up or when I'm at a stop light; otherwise, the road noise and my radio covers it up pretty good.


P.S. Congrats on replacing the in-tank pump with no major complications. It's not a job for the squeamish, especially if you lose the float ball in the tank while wrestling the sender back in.
Take a guess how I know...

 

many thx...will ck out today NAPA. Are you saying the NAPA replacement is the same length as the original VOLVO pump? Just read about an aftermarket in-tank procedure from IPD that talks about cutting the pump-out metal (tube) line about 1 1/12 in to accommodate the longer aftermarket pump (possibly VDO)). I have the VDO pump and realized I may have screwed up the fuel gauge since the ball and pump inlet are no longer at same length measured from the top of the fuel pick-up assembly flange to bottom of ball and pump inlet (sock removed). Inlet to fuel pump w/ VDO is closer to gas tank bottom w/o modification, hence may have a partially squished sock causing pump to work harder................not good and just guessing. Who knows what is happening at end of longer in-tank pump assembly w/ sock attached

Thx for responding and comments. I try to do all of my own work on the VOLVO DL-240. Its a great car and I love it. Before all my problems started I was getting 26 mpg around town. I don't believe it and it has a rebuilt dash cluster since original cluster could not keep VDO motor running w/ gear wheel assembly.

 

Sorry for the late response, got busy at work...

Yes, the Delphi brand in-tank pump I got from NAPA was the same size, shape, everything.
The only way for the float and gauge to be wrong is if you physically altered the location of the gauge or the length of the float ball arm. How far the pump itself hangs down isn't relevant to that at all. I also think (don't know for sure) that the extra length of the pump is all in the outlet at the top. If you look at pictures of the longer pump, for example the ones at cleanflametrap.com, you can't use the original flex hose connection because the pump outlet is too tall. If it were hitting the bottom of the tank, I imagine you probably wouldn't be able to seat the sender unit correctly on the tank opening, though I don't have any hard numbers regarding space tolerances there. When I first put mine in, I had the filter sock facing backwards so it was pushing against the side of the splash bowl, and that was enough to prevent the sender unit from seating properly. I had to haul it out again to re-position the filter sock and in the process lost my filter and float ball in the tank; good times...