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Old 10-08-2023, 07:09 PM   #1
Timmay
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Member#: 5844
Join Date: Apr 2001
Chapter/Region: RMIC
Location: Broomfield, CO
Vehicle:
02 WRX
Blaze Yellow

Default 2002 Blaze Yellow 65k Bugeye Fuel Pump Failure & Fuel Smell

I bought this car new in 2001 and plan to keep it forever. It has around 65k miles on the original drivetrain. The fuel pump recently failed and after the repair I'm still smelling fuel. I'm stumped as to what could be causing it. Any advice or thoughts you have would be appreciate. I'm in CO so there's almost no rust. The car has always been garaged.

Sorry for the long post, but there's a lot of info:

In 2008, I put in a Walrbro 255, pinks, VF39, STI TMIC/Ducting, etc. and had it tuned by the Harvey the @BoostCreep before he was pseudo-famous. The engine put down around 255HP at the wheels and is plenty fast enough for me. I drive it hard, but never beyond what I built it to do. She still pulls strong.

Around a month ago, I started hearing a squealing coming from the Walbro 255 and I occasionally smelled raw fuel in the cabin or around the rear passenger wheel. I can't get my head around how a failing fuel pump would create a fuel smell, but I figured out start with the obvious.

I replaced the Walbro 255 with a new one along with a fuel pump gasket, torqued the bolts to 3.5ft/lbs, and I'm still smelling fuel.

With half a tank of fuel, after driving the car hard for 15 minutes, I can see a tiny amount of fuel seeping out of around the fuel pump cover at the 2 o-clock to the 4 o-clock positions. There's not enough fuel to create a drip, it's just making the area look wet. I double checked the torque on the bolts and they're still good. The area around the missing stud seems to have sealed fine.

I'm also still smelling fuel around the rear passenger wheel but I've never actually seen any fuel or indications of fuel having been dripping/spraying out. Also, I don't see or smell anything around the vapor canister indicating anything wrong. No CEL, no codes.

My planned next steps are to try and replace the gasket again with a locally sourced part instead of the one off Amazon. The one that's on there now showed up in a crappy envelope. Maybe it got creased?

Any ideas on what else I should be doing? I'd really rather not take it to Subaru and have them put in a new fuel tank.

Thanks - Timmay

https://imgur.com/a/xHOEpSq
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Last edited by Timmay; 10-08-2023 at 08:17 PM.
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Old 10-09-2023, 11:22 PM   #2
D-Rodman
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Member#: 110078
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Long Island N.Y.
Vehicle:
02 Bugeye JDM STi
OBP BLACK

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Replace the gasket with another oem gasket. I’ve always cross pattern tightened those nuts. Make sure nothing looks deformed before installing the new gasket.
Let’s see a picture of the problem area.


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Old 10-10-2023, 01:53 AM   #3
anthonywrx
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Member#: 60276
Join Date: Apr 2004
Chapter/Region: MWSOC
Location: SW Burbs IL
Vehicle:
2015 Camaro SS
03 WRX/STi hybrid sold :(

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if you've owned since new, did you ever get the TSB for the fuel smell inside the cabin? figured i'd mention just in case this has never been done.

if you're seeing fuel seeping out from the gasket as mentioned, hopefully that's part of the issue and a new gasket does the job

https://forums.nasioc.com/forums/sho....php?t=1893471

Last edited by anthonywrx; 10-10-2023 at 01:55 AM. Reason: typos
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Old 10-10-2023, 06:00 AM   #4
Timmay
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Member#: 5844
Join Date: Apr 2001
Chapter/Region: RMIC
Location: Broomfield, CO
Vehicle:
02 WRX
Blaze Yellow

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by D-Rodman View Post
Replace the gasket with another oem gasket. I’ve always cross pattern tightened those nuts. Make sure nothing looks deformed before installing the new gasket.
Let’s see a picture of the problem area.


Sent from my iPhone using NASIOC
I updated the imgur link with 3 pictures of the gasket leaking fuel.

https://imgur.com/a/xHOEpSq

I need to find time this week to get up to the local dealership and pickup another gasket. I torqued everything in a star pattern, but the initial hand tightening was just going around the circle.

Thanks for the help!
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Old 10-10-2023, 06:06 AM   #5
Timmay
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 5844
Join Date: Apr 2001
Chapter/Region: RMIC
Location: Broomfield, CO
Vehicle:
02 WRX
Blaze Yellow

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by anthonywrx View Post
if you've owned since new, did you ever get the TSB for the fuel smell inside the cabin? figured i'd mention just in case this has never been done.

if you're seeing fuel seeping out from the gasket as mentioned, hopefully that's part of the issue and a new gasket does the job

https://forums.nasioc.com/forums/sho....php?t=1893471
I know for sure I took it in once for the smell before there was a TSB. I printed out instructions from NASIOC on how to fix it. At the time, Bret Carter was working at Flatirons and he did the work. I'm almost positive the TSB work was redone once there was an official TSB.

Either way, I'm pretty sure this smell is coming from the fuel tank access panel. If I end up having to take it in I'll ask about this either way. Thanks for the ideas.
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Old 10-10-2023, 09:01 PM   #6
anthonywrx
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 60276
Join Date: Apr 2004
Chapter/Region: MWSOC
Location: SW Burbs IL
Vehicle:
2015 Camaro SS
03 WRX/STi hybrid sold :(

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Timmay View Post
I know for sure I took it in once for the smell before there was a TSB. I printed out instructions from NASIOC on how to fix it. At the time, Bret Carter was working at Flatirons and he did the work. I'm almost positive the TSB work was redone once there was an official TSB.

Either way, I'm pretty sure this smell is coming from the fuel tank access panel. If I end up having to take it in I'll ask about this either way. Thanks for the ideas.
sounds good, keep the thread updated once you know more.
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Old 10-11-2023, 10:50 AM   #7
Timmay
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Member#: 5844
Join Date: Apr 2001
Chapter/Region: RMIC
Location: Broomfield, CO
Vehicle:
02 WRX
Blaze Yellow

Default

I'm headed up to Boulder this morning to pickup another gasket.
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