Relieving fuel pressure (97 Continental)

[gdubya]

Based on the opinions on my 97 Conti intermittent starting issues, I am going to replace the fuel pressure regulator. I don't have a fuel pressure gauge or anything to hook up to the schraeder valve to capture the fuel and relieve the pressure.

Can I just start the car, and then activate the fuel pump cutoff switch in the trunk and let it die? Will that lower the pressure enough for me to work on the regulator? Will this cause any problems? Some other way I should be doing this?

 

[Frogman]

Why don't you just get a rag and use it to catch any fuel that spills out of the schraeder valve when you depress it? It's not like there's a million pounds behind it, not 100 gallons of fuel.

But, if you want to "starve" your engine dead, then sure, you can use the fuel cutoff switch.

 

[gdubya]

OK, did the rag thing. Thought it was gonna be a lot more gas than that.

Was a PITA to get the allen key in that spot, but got my Fuel Pressure Regulator swapped out and that seems to do the trick for my starting issue, woo hoo.

 

[GMAN]

Sounds like you have fuel pressure. They rarely if ever go bad.

 

[gdubya]

Hrm, well all the ford guys on my Jeep board immediately suspected the fuel pressure regulator based on symptoms of worsening hard starting but running fine once started so it can't be all that rare.

Replacing the FPR also fixed the problem and it starts immediately and runs better than ever, so that was definitely the issue. I am told the regulator can begin to leak, leading to a flooding condition making it hard to start. If left along long enough, will then start. Exactly my problem.