Fuel Pump Filter and Fuel Filter

[Jonny]

There seemed to be no thread on the Previa forum dedicated to these parts so I thought I'd start one.
My '91 has never had any fuel system maintenance so I was thinking of doing something about that. It has no symptoms of fuel supply problems, but everything is 27+ yrs old now.

The system appears to have a filter attached to the fuel pump inside the tank (the first point at which fuel is filtered) and an in-line fuel filter canister just downstream of the tank (the second [last?] point of fuel filtration). In the parts diagram in my service manual the filter inside the tank looks like a bag of some sort attached to the inlet of the pump.

It would seem like both filters would need to be serviced if you're going to do it properly? How do you know the filter in the tank is good or bad without inspecting it? If the system has a problem and only the in-line canister is replaced you might be improving the situation but not solving the root cause?

Is the canister filter the sort of thing you can replace with a clear after-market type (if such exists) so it can be monitored for cleanliness?

Does anyone have any experience with any of this? Comments?

[boogieman]

the filter attached to the pump is typically called a strainer, it should be replaced with a new pump but dropping the tank to replace it alone would be a little crazy..ive seen them deteriorate over time and probably ethanol..really, unless your tank has alot of rust or got contaminated some other way i would just leave it alone..theres a thread about the canister filter from Tim when his fuel system was heavily rusted, i would just change on schedule with oem and not worry about it...if you decide you want to change your pump, just cuz, better buy a good pump and make sure the short hose that connect the pump to hardline is submersible type and use spring clamps, my auction previa i just got going had that line rot with worm clamps and would only make 20lbs of pressure...personally if its a oem Toyota pump and everything is working ok i wouldnt mess with it..if you go on long trips, buy a spare pump and carry with(might want tank gasket too). i love that toyota puts drain bolts on their tanks, i just did mine by myself on my chest in my dirt/gravel driveway....yay

[Tjsprevia]

I put an aftermarket fuel pump in my 94 2wd Previa without a strainer... why would I do that you might ask? The parts store did not order me one and I had to put the pump in a friends garage after the van broke down on the freeway

After the van had sat around for winter, not running (the 4 months I was in New Zealand) I came back to a very rough running vehicle. I realized the new fuel pump wasn't running and after jumping the relay, she blew the fuel pump fuse. After many stomps on the gas pedal, she finally fired and I drove her up to Alaska from Oregon. She now runs rough at high speeds, but gets great mileage.

Should jumping the fuel pump relay blow the fuel pump fuse? The OEM one never did.

[kamesama980]

The fuel system doesn't really need any periodic maintenance. The fuel filters are there to prevent a catastrophic failure upstream from moving downward. They do NOT need to be "maintained" like oil filters because there are no wear items in the loop. (note that diesels are different and may sometimes need maintenance on the fuel filters depending). Unless you get a load of sediment from the gas station or the interior of your tank starts to rust, leave the filters alone. The only time I've heard of a fuel filter clogging since ~03 when I started paying attention between the internet, shops, stores, school, and friends was when something else failed: load of bad gas (sediment usually), failed fuel pump that disintegrated internally that sent shrapnel into the system, rusting tank, etc. In all cases changing the filter was pointless without fixing the source of the problem. without a problem source, it should last just about forever.

I put an aftermarket fuel pump in my 94 2wd Previa without a strainer... why would I do that you might ask? The parts store did not order me one and I had to put the pump in a friends garage after the van broke down on the freeway

After the van had sat around for winter, not running (the 4 months I was in New Zealand) I came back to a very rough running vehicle. I realized the new fuel pump wasn't running and after jumping the relay, she blew the fuel pump fuse. After many stomps on the gas pedal, she finally fired and I drove her up to Alaska from Oregon. She now runs rough at high speeds, but gets great mileage.

Should jumping the fuel pump relay blow the fuel pump fuse? The OEM one never did.

No, shorting the relay should not blow the fuse.

After going to school for working on cars, working in a parts store, and working in shops, I would as soon use a junkyard OEM fuel pump over an aftermarket one from even a reputable source. (other than maybe GM trucks which are known to eat OE pumps like a kid eats candy)