[mattkosem]

The camera really doesn't pick it up, unfortunately. And each subsequent key cycle does seem to quiet it down a bit...

I don't hear anyone else's regulator making noise, but maybe it's just others' videos not capturing it well too?

--Matt

 

[mattkosem]

Ooh, it sounds like this person's WRX:

I guess maybe my regulator might be on the fritz, or maybe I need a damper like this person.

 

[mattkosem]

I think I captured it on mine too:

 

[mattkosem]

I'm not sure how the line would contain air just because the car has been sitting. The return point in the tank is submerged, right?

Fuel pump and regulator are both about 2.5 years old. The pump itself barely makes a peep at all.

I have a normal EG fuel filter on the supply line right before the fuel rail. It is only about 3 years old.

It seems like my KPro has a similar option. I can try that and see how it goes. I'm not seeing an obvious way air would wind up in the lines while the car sits though. 😅

 

[mattkosem]

@LotusElise I was kind of wondering the same. If I can't hear the noise inside the car, it can't bug me. 😅 At the same time, I do worry that something could be wrong.

--Matt

 

[mattkosem]

It is definitely the regulator. If I unbolt it from the wheel well, there's no noise from inside anymore. If I put my ear, or a stethoscope, on it while it is detached I can hear it in the regulator even as the engine idles.

It's held on by only one button head bolt, so cleanly isolating it isn't the easiest. I'll have to peek at how others are doing it. If I prime a couple more times the tapping sound does seem to fade, so i guess it could be some trapped air somehow.

--Matt

 

[mattkosem]

Ugh. I was afraid of that.

It's not my first choice for fuel, but it's a bunch of AN connections and adapters for AN connections so (unlike an OE setup) air ingress could be a lot of places. I don't see any fuel egress anywhere, thankfully, but pressure drop from fuel cooling could certainly bleed air in.

I'm not even sure how to check for this 😭

 

[mattkosem]

I'm generally a function over form guy as long as things don't look hideous. I'll have to consider that type once I've got a chance to take a closer look.

 

[mattkosem]

It looks discreet enough. 😁

 

[mattkosem]

This one seems like it'd work. Pressure adjustment screw on the top, would just leave the vac unhooked on my setup. I guess even the non-adjustable one would work.

 

[mattkosem]

Cool, looks like I can just get something like this on my side of the pond.

Fuel Pressure Regulator

 

[mattkosem]

I guess there's this guy too:

FPR Adaptor light

 

[mattkosem]

I use the non-adjustable 3.5 bar version.
It is referenced to the manifold. My fuel pump is beefy enough to support this.

why should I adjust fuel pressure? I have a mappable ECU for tuning.

Yep, I noticed the same and rephrased my post shortly after I sent it. My substantially more basic setup has even less need for such a thing.

The vacuum reference on the k-tuned one I've got now is capped/unused, which (I hope) their design must tolerate in the event of a diaphragm leak given that they provide them that way. It isn't a big deal to send a vacuum reference from a Bosch-style regulator to the manifold, but it also seems common to just leave it connected to nothing in applications like this 😟.

--Matt

 

[mattkosem]

OH! Yes, that makes sense. I'd have to retune if I hooked mine up because the moving vac levels would cause fuel pressure to move as well. It looks like by ~5psi or so.

Radium's instructions make connecting the hose seem optional, so perhaps that is acceptable with that setup as well.

Quite a few adapters to fit Bosch "mini" regulators into flexible installations are available, so that's a nice way to guarantee a quality component is keeping the fuel in check.

--Matt

 

[mattkosem]

Neat, thank you!

My K-Tuned rail looks to have a port down there. The last couple days the problem has gotten worse, maybe because it has been cooler.

If I still have problems after replacing the reg, I can add something like that too. I ordered the Radium adapter and an e36 regulator (those cars also use 3.5 bar). It should fit right where my current stuff is, and hopefully help 🤞.

The noise persisted on my way home from a meet last night, and the car felt like it was losing fuel. I could see from the Hondata app that I was leaning out, so something is definitely wrong. Thank goodness I was able to drive gently and get home without major issues. 🤦 It was nighttime, and the pressure gauge is under the hold, so I couldn't see what was actually happening or how bad.

I thought I was getting the good stuff buying into the K-Tuned brand, but I don't have many of their parts left on my car at this point. My header still eats a spring every couple weeks, and it'll just be the fuel rail and fuel/clutch hoses once that is replaced. Sigh...

 

[mattkosem]

No sweat. I know the feeling! 😅 A bunch of companies make dampers. I can find one I like if I need it.

 

[mattkosem]

@AWD I saw your thread over here: Fuel pressure pulse damper?

I can't see how badly my current setup bounces like crazy as well when blipping the throttle, because the k-tuned gauge seems "numb" and wont move unless there's a huge amount of change...but I can see that it still moves in spite of that so it was enough to convince me to grab one.

I'm gonna give the damper deatschwerks sells a shot. It seems to be the most fitment friendly, and it seems like I could tuck it in a couple different spots. My K-Tuned rail has an 8AN port underneath like yours, so I'll try there first.

With any luck I'll have all this stuff sometime this week. 🤞

--Matt

 

[mattkosem]

I've been unfair about K-Tuned here. I've spent about $3500 with them, largely on parts they're reselling to comprise a turnkey kit, and have only had problems with a few things.

Of the pieces I bought...

• The Hasport mounts have been great
• The "budget" axles, bought from a reseller, weren't up to my needs
• 4-1 Header leaks when cold and sheds springs regularly
• Chassis harness works great
• Alternator relocation kit didn't want to keep the alternator on the car (not just me, and I don't believe the belt was too tight)
• Front upper control arms have been problem free
• Upper coolant housing had an exhaust leak, but is sealed now with HondaBond
• Fuel system, apart from the regulator, has been fine.
• Various little other adapters/hoses/plugs (coolant temp, throttle, clutch, etc.) Have been fine.

In any event, my Radium stuff should be here by Thursday. Hopefully things will normalize.

 

[mattkosem]

@LotusElise I love your perspective, as always. ❤ You hit the nail on the head.

The downside of buying a "turnkey kit" is that they all include a bunch of aftermarket "racecar parts" (very loose term) whether you need it or not. In some cases, this is great and helpful. In other case, not so much. I chose convenience over reliability and am paying for it, nothing more nothing less. It isn't the first time, and probably won't be the last.

OEMs tend to do a really good job at things like mounting belt-driven accessories and regulating fuel pressure, so I'm happy to grab suitable stuff from OEM parts bins when there's no compelling reason not to do so. For the upper coolant housing, it had to go because I'm using AN stuff and there isn't an OEM part that does that, so I compromise and deal with it.

My alternator is now where Honda intended, using a tensioner from Honda, and hasn't been a problem since. Here's hoping a FPR from 90s BMWs that happen to run the same fuel pressure as K20s in a little adapter is equally drama free. 😎

--Matt