Friend's 280SE M130 needs a fuel pump

[cth350]

Can you guys refresh my memory what are the options?

- new and correct pump (way to expensive)
- used pump (good luck finding one)
- Some other pump entirely (sure, but which one?)

Thx -CTH

[JeffreyNMemphis]

I used the Airtex E8145 for my 1973 280SEL 4.5 liter. It was a perfect replacement at a fraction of the price of the Bosch unit. If I recall correctly, it was about $250.00 compared to $1,200 for a Bosch.

[Ether]

That's good to know Jeffrey. My pump is whining like a Banshee and I got a feeling it's not long for this world.

I see that Advance has the Airtex E8145 for 210 bucks.

[cth350]

I've passed the word. Thx -CTH

[Benz Dr.]

I think they're less than 1,200 bucks. As long as you have the correct pressure I suppose any pump would work. I think I have a couple of used ones laying around. Most of the time the small rollers inside the pump area get stuck from sitting. If the end cap can be removed it's possible to free them up and the pump will come back to life.

A noisy one is a different matter although my 300SE ( 126 ) has been whining for a couple of years and still runs OK. Who's to say though......

[JimFreeh]

Originally Posted by JeffreyNMemphis

I used the Airtex E8145 for my 1973 280SEL 4.5 liter. It was a perfect replacement at a fraction of the price of the Bosch unit. If I recall correctly, it was about $250.00 compared to $1,200 for a Bosch.

Careful now, this is a completely different application from the OP's car....

Jim

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Jim,

Thank you for bringing that up. I don't know the PSI of the fuel pump for 280SE M130 fuel injected six cylinder engine. My engine was the M117 fuel injected V8. Being careful, the original poster should know the PSI of his engine and the PSI of the Airtex E8145 before making the purchase. I contacted Airtex technical support before I purchased it for my car, but don't recall the specs.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by JeffreyNMemphis

Jim,

Thank you for bringing that up. I don't know the PSI of the fuel pump for 280SE M130 fuel injected six cylinder engine. My engine was the M117 fuel injected V8. Being careful, the original poster should know the PSI of his engine and the PSI of the Airtex E8145 before making the purchase. I contacted Airtex technical support before I purchased it for my car, but don't recall the specs.

Jeffrey,
Just a heads up. The original Bosch pump has an integral safety relief valve. I was not able to find exactly the setting, but my guess is that it is about 45psig. It was included to protect the fuel tubing system in the event of a blockage in the return tubing. As you know the D-jet fuel rails and supply system is held together with rubber hoses and clamps not solid metal tubing like in the slightly later cars and is prone to leaking even at 30 psig!



I did at one time look at that Airtex pump, but it seems to me it had a deadhead pressure that exceeds 45psig and no relief valve.

Bosch have now released a new D-Jet pump and it is not as expensive as the old D-Jet one was, but still not cheap. I found a new old-style D-Jet pump at a vendor, but it cost me about $450, I believe. I got the old pump working fine by stripping and cleaning so have not changed it.

I am sure many have used higher discharge pressure aftermarket or even Bosch pumps without a problem, but when I spoke to Bosch about this they did not recommend using their K-jet pumps on a D-jet.

[JimFreeh]

The pump for the mechanical injection for the OP's car is not what you're now discussing.

The EFI pump is not interchangable with the mechanical injection fuel pump.

Whilst it's been a number of years since I've owned an M130 injected car, my recollection is that the M130 engine used a fuel pump that had a lower delivery pressure than the EFI one, and the big stumbling block to sourcing a substitute was matching this pressure with the required GPM flow.

I also recall concluding that there ARE pumps out there that could be substituted, and if you search diligently, you can find info on the internet....

Jim

[lbackusmb]

Jim Freeh is 100% correct. The fuel pumps for the M116 engines and M117 engines (V8s) are much different than the fuel pump for the older 6 cyl M130 engines. The correct fuel pumps show up on ebay with some fequency and there is a rebuilder who lists on ebay who will rebuild for about $180.

[cth350]

yes, good point. I missed the "4.5" in that first reply. He's not mechanically inclined so going the rebuild-it-yourself route means I get to rebuild it for him and I don't have the time.

Thx -CTH