Well crap. I took the wagovan out last night after removing and bypassing the OEM fuel filter to test to see if that had solved the problem.
It had not.
It was way better, mind you. I was almost convinced I’d solved it! But then no... not so much.
Luckily the filter removal needed to be done. The filter was old like grandpa and the lines feeding it disintegrated. Ahh well.
After I’m done working on the Land Rover, the plan is to do a full tune up and inspection on the Wago. Plugs, wires, coil, check the timing... the lot.
That said, the symptom still feels like a fuel delivery issue. A little poking around on the internets shows that the new, non-OEM, fuel pump the PO installed appears to be the cheapest one available on Rock Auto ($11) and is also for the 1.3L, not the 1.5L. So I decided to go ahead and buy the most expensive one available (not really) at a whopping $22 and try putting that in. Not only does it look like the OEM one, Amazon claims it is the OE supplier.
Luckily, in the interim the Wagovan drives fine as long as I don’t take it on the highway.
Slightly more alarming is that with the Volvo in the shop for a faulty ECU (entirely different story), the Wagovan indisposed, the Land Rover getting an overhaul, and the Alfa blocked in by the other ailing cars... the Saab is my only working car at the moment.
Freaky.