fuel delivery issues on incline

I have a 87 XJ I6 that im having a fuel delivery issue while off camber or on an incline. I noticed this yesterday as I was out on the trail attempting to go up a steep hill... The vehicle sputtered really bad and shut off. After I got back onto flat ground it took a few times of trying to keep it running due to a hard stumble before it stayed on and ran perfectly fine all the way home (20 miles or so)... I get home, attempt to go up a small hill across the street and it does the same thing.

I noticed that I did get a small shock from the plug that goes to the fuel pump even when the key was completely off. Also noticed that I didn't hear the fuel pump prime on some of the times I was trying to start it. Also I have more than half a tank of gas so I know that the pump is in fact submerged in fuel.

Have you tried putting fuel in the tank. When doing rock walls in Moab, I find that I need well over a half a tank when things get vertical.

I've wheeled my rig on practically empty before and never had those issues but yes I did do that just to eliminate all variables and tried it here at home and got the same results.

Closely inspect the wiring harness for the fuel pump.

It may be worn through in a spot and when the vehicle gets in the "vertical" position it shorts.

I had a similar issue with the wiring harness in my engine bay. It would sputter only under very specific conditions, finally found the exposed wire under careful inspection.

Thanks a lot stephen... ill check it out tomorrow

How are your shocks? I was having a sputtering issue on hard left turns with less than a 1/4 tank.

Replaced my shocks, found out they were the oe parts from 98 and blown. Replaced, no more issue with fuel. The right rear wasn't rebounding fast enough to keep the fuel where it needed to be.

IslanderOffRoad said:

How are your shocks? I was having a sputtering issue on hard left turns with less than a 1/4 tank.

Replaced my shocks, found out they were the oe parts from 98 and blown. Replaced, no more issue with fuel. The right rear wasn't rebounding fast enough to keep the fuel where it needed to be.

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Im running freshly rebuilt 14" resi's through the floor... they're working at 100%... I do understand what you're saying though... I picked up a fuel pump from by buddies old rig to be installed for testing... if all is ok I'll go snag one from the parts store.

I picked up a fuel pump yesterday, slapped 'er in and boom... perfect again... After further inspection of said pump I found that the positive wire had heated up and burnt through its protective casing causing it to be completely exposed and when turning, going off camber or on an incline it would ground itself out to the body of the unit causing it to turn off...

What did I tell ya?

Yep, you sure did... So it was arcing when I'd turn... couldn't that have exploded? haha

Jays siik xj said:

Yep, you sure did... So it was arcing when I'd turn... couldn't that have exploded? haha

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Yes.

Fuel, oxygen, ignition--hot time in the XJ.

joe_peters said:

Yes.

Fuel, oxygen, ignition--hot time in the XJ.

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That would've been Gnarly! haha... Why am I always cheating death with that damn rig? hahaha

Jays siik xj said:

That would've been Gnarly! haha... Why am I always cheating death with that damn rig? hahaha

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Note the "Red Queen" in my signature--my XJ is RED and she is a HOMICIDAL "blank" that has tried to kill me a couple of times.