Marine Parts Advisor: Volvo Penta 21608511 Fuel Pump Assembly
Our goal is to educate you about the purpose and function of many of the marine parts required to keep your boat running smoothly. Whether you're a veteran seaman or a novice, one thing you all know is that a boat comes equipped with hundreds of moving parts.
No one person can know everything there is to know about the proper functioning of every boat part. That's why we've tapped the collective wisdom of our long-time technical experts to share their knowledge and expertise.
What You Need to Know About the Volvo Penta Fuel Pump Assembly
This fuel pump is actually three things -- two pumps along with a fuel reservoir make up the assembly. The low-pressure pump pulls the fuel from the fuel tank in the boat and deposits it into a small reservoir on the assembly. The high-pressure pump is submerged in the assembly. The high-pressure pump provides fuel to the fuel injection system (fuel rail and injectors). The fuel pump assembly reservoir is a small fuel tank mounted on the engine. It fills continually with fuel from the main fuel tank by the low-pressure pump and then is delivered to the engine fuel rail by the high-pressure pump.
Some injections systems have a return fuel and some don't. Engines with a fuel pressure regulator on the fuel rail return fuel to the fuel pump assembly. The excess/unused fuel in the rail is returned back to that reservoir on the assembly. Systems without a return on the rail use a fuel pressure regulator in the fuel pump assembly to regulate pressure to the fuel rail.
The reservoir is also water-cooled to keep the fuel that's in the container cool and prevents it from vaporizing. Fuel will start to develop air bubbles, depending on the quality and the temperature of the fuel. Air in the fuel system prevents the proper fuel pressure from being obtained, i.e. vapor lock. The water cooling effect keeps the canister cool and the fuel remains in liquid form preventing air bubble and vapor lock.
The one maintenance item on the Volvo Penta fuel pump is the fuel filter element on the assembly. You want to replace it annually or more often if needed. The replacement fuel filter for this pump is Volvo Penta 3862228 Fuel Filter. If the fuel becomes contaminated, you may have to change out the filter until the contamination is removed.
Marine Parts Troubleshooters On Call
Once a boat part has failed, it's obviously too late to repair it. When possible we've provided tips on simple ways to maintain a part to minimize your cash outlay. We know you'd rather be on the water having fun than on the dock calling your marine mechanic.
That said, if you need help troubleshooting a system failure, give our boat experts a call at 866-388-0390. They'd be happy to steer you in the right direction. Visit MarinePartsSource.com today!
