Fuel Pump Loses Prime Immediately

[JPERL]

I have my 89 Van that sits mostly but is started regularly. It takes about 8 months to use a tank of gas. Today I went to fill the tank up and the first start after the fill up was normal. When I got home 2 blocks away I turned off the engine momentarily and noticed an extended crank time within 2 minutes after turning off the engine. Cranked for 25 seconds and it started runs fine no drivability issues. I do hear a faint whistle from the fuel pump when the engine is running.

Do you think filling up is coincidental? The fuel pump was replaced 10 years ago (400 miles on the pump). Pump was replaced for the same reason : extended crank time.

Injectors and FPR were replaced 10 years ago along with the pump. I wonder if the new fuel stirred something up in the tank

[bikeregg]

It is possible the fuel pump could have deteriorated over 10 years. Start with a general diagnostic. Air filter, spark plugs, ignition wires, distributor and check for spark.
Check the fuel pressure on the fuel rail. I'm not sure what it is supposed to be (35 - 50 psi is typical) but if the pressure starts out low and takes a bit to build up and then begins to drop off after cranking, the fuel pump could be the culprit. How long since the fuel filter was replaced? A restricted fuel filter can cause this issue. I was surprised to see my MasterAce Surf has a drain plug on the fuel tank. Does yours? Drain the fuel, looking for rust or other debris that might be in there that could plug the filter or fuel pump. If rust is present, you'll need to address that. If it is dirt and debris, clean it out and change the fuel filter. You should be able to clean any debris from the fuel pump.

The van sits quite a bit. It is possible you might have a stuck compression ring. Remove the spark plugs and spray a bit of WD-40 or other penetrating oil into the cylinder. Let it sit a few minutes, turn the engine over by hand. Add a bit more, let it sit a few more minutes then turn the engine over with the starter to blow the penetrating oil out. You should get a bit of fuel too, unless you pull the fuse for the fuel pump. Install the spark plugs and try to start.

If these things check out, it might be time to check the valve adjustment. Toyota valves are typically shim adjusted. Your shop manual will have the valve measuring procedure and the tables for identifying the correct shim.

Good luck.

[JPERL]

Issue resolved on its own after 20 minutes more of the engine running. I assume not running on year old fuel helped as the fresh gas was finally starting to go through the pump

[JDM VANMAN]

If your van sits for a while like that try using pure fuel that doesn’t contain ethonal, I heard that over time the ethanol breaks down in the tank and develops condensation in the tank which is bad for both the tank and the fuel system. Take that with a grain of salt, maybe someone knows more or has a better explanation:?:

JDM

[JPERL]

I noticed that the van does not warm up to the proper operating temp. a 170 degree thermostat was installed maybe the proper operating temp thermostat will reduce the crank time for hot starts