# Standard fuel pump replacement for VRO pump?



## redrum (Aug 8, 2015)

I have a 1996 Evinrude 50/35 jet and I think the VRO is going out. I've long since bypassed the oil system. Does anyone know the part number for a OMC fuel pump that will work on this model that isn't a VRO?


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## redrum (Aug 9, 2015)

Evinrude 438559 will do the job. Three barbs, one for fuel input, one for fuel out and a pulse line to drive the pump.


Supposedly there is a block mount model that be installed on VRO motors but I don't have much information on that.


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## JL8Jeff (Aug 9, 2015)

Check closely, I had to replace the VRO pump with a non VRO replacement on my 1999 40 hp Johnson and the stock replacement looks similar to the VRO pump and mounts in the same location. The one you showed looks like an earlier style fuel pump. There are 3 wire and 4 wire VRO pumps so check that first. The 40-50 hp models get called out differently as well so check really close. They also sell a fuel pump side rebuild kit for the VRO pump and I have used it to rebuild a pump as well. I think the rebuild kit will be the least expensive solution. I think the rebuild kit is 436095 but check your pump housing closely, if it's cracked then it can't be repaired.


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## Pappy (Aug 9, 2015)

What makes you think the pump is failing? 
As has been said above there is a kit to rebuild the pump. More cost effective and all the lines will fit when you are done.
Using the pump minus the oil side is the easiest and quickest method. 
They make fantastic stand-alone fuel pumps!


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## redrum (Aug 9, 2015)

Ok, so I did a bit more digging and in an effort to document what I've learned for others to find in the future. It turns out on my engine, 1996 50/35 Jet, you can install a standard block mount pump. There is a spot on the block just waiting for it. All you have to do is remove the bolt blocking the port. As you can see here:





Once I found this out I knew the VRO would be history, even if it was working properly. So, I started pulling everything off and I found the port that drives the VRO pump. Its behind the starter and has a small nipple threaded into the block:




It was a job but I managed to get the nipple out without taking off the lower cowl. Needle nose vise grips are handy. Once you get it off its just a hole in the block:




Since I had no plan of ever connecting the VRO again and I wasn't going to use that port I went to the hardware store and found a brass 1/8 pipe plug:






With a little PTFE thread sealant and a 7/16 wrench it was no more:




I robbed a good fuel pump off a donor 35 hp Johnson. It is an older motor and the pump number on the back was 322843. It looks like this pump part number became 438556, also Sierra 18-7352.

I bolted the donor pump on and a ran new fuel line for the pump. The input on this particular pump is 3/8 and the output is 5/16, which connected directly to the stock fuel manifold. I also had to flip the little fuel manifold upside down:




It was being fed from the top with the VRO and now I have a new 5/16 line feeding it from the bottom. I recommend using marine grade fuel line in the correct size and good connectors. I know marine fuel line is expensive but it is worth it in the long run.

I took the boat out this afternoon and it runs fine. It seems to start sooner than in the past.


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## JL8Jeff (Aug 10, 2015)

That's good to know. I wonder if there is a certain year cutoff where that fuel pump provision no longer exists. I know they make a non VRO replacement pump that goes in the stock VRO location but it got pricey. I think I paid $125 for one and then 5 years later they were over $300. The oil injection on my Mercury was bad so I removed it and run premix. I've been premixing for 25+ years so it's normal to me.


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## nowgrn4 (Aug 19, 2016)

My boats 50 HP was running pre-mix through the VRO pump as a fuel pump only with the oil tank removed when I bought it. Not wanting to spend the dough for a oil tank and find out the oil metering portion of the VRO pump was bad I chucked the VRO and did what reddrum did. I installed a new pump from a 48 Special. Even with the VRO pump and wiring removed I had to clip the tan/yellow wire (no oil) and tan/black wire (low oil) going into the system matched tach to keep the warning buzzer from going off.


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## Pappy (Aug 19, 2016)

By Far...............the best stand alone fuel pump you can get would be the VRO pump with just blocking off the oil side. 
That pump is what was used on some of the Commercial and some of the South American engines as well.


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## richg99 (Aug 20, 2016)

Pappy, you are a wealth of information and a true asset to this site.

richg99


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## Keith1 (Aug 20, 2016)

Rich, I for sure agree with your statement about Pappy being an asset. 

Regards, Keith


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## redrum (Aug 21, 2016)

Pappy said:


> By Far...............the best stand alone fuel pump you can get would be the VRO pump with just blocking off the oil side.
> That pump is what was used on some of the Commercial and some of the South American engines as well.



dropped it like a bad habit.


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