<VV> But Seriously Folks, Here's a Post About Fuel Pumps

[Brown, David]

Sure, I get them from Antique Auto Parts Cellar.  They answer the phone
"Then & Now", which corresponds to their web site:
www.then-now.com and their email, the cellar at then-now.com .  The phone
is 781-335-8860.  The address is PO Box 3C, South Weymouth, MA, 02190.
The kit I get is #4886, for 61-69.  Kit #4704 is for 1960.  Cost is
$24.50 + $7.50 for shipping.  However, shipping stays at $7.50 (total)
if you order more than one at a time.  They use fabric reinforced Buna-N
Nitrile rubber.

I find them to be woefully inefficient via email, so I always phone.
Tom is the owner & the one who makes all of the kits, but his people
skills are horrible, so I don't make an effort to talk to him unless I
have something to discuss.  Which I currently do.  I called him last
week to check why they don't put the correct spring in the kit (I always
use the one in the pump I'm rebuilding).  He said he would check into it
& let me know.  The one in the kit is cylindrical & doesn't fit right.
The correct one is tapered (large on one end, small on the other).
NOTE: I just opened up the last kit, out of 3, that I ordered recently
and it is a match for the correct spring, so maybe he is starting to put
them in!?!

As far as rebuilding tips, be careful to note which way the valves go in
when you have it apart.  When you start filing, do just a little at
first to see what areas are higher than others.  Also make sure there is
a mark on all pieces on one side so it is easy to line the holes back
up.  The holes are ever so slightly NOT symmetrically opposed & only go
one way.  The diaphragms usually have a small piece of marker rubber to
help line things up.  I use 5 small garden stakes to keep all the pieces
lined up when I squash down the cover & spring.  Then just pull out one
at a time & replace with a screw.

I have jpegs of the kit & what the surfaces look like as one files them
flat- let me know & I will send them to you.

Dave
Corvair Houston
69 Monza cp 140/4, 65 Monza cvt 140/4, 65 Monza sedan 110/PG

-----Original Message-----
From: N. Joseph Potts [mailto:pottsf at msn.com] 
Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2005 5:24 PM
Subject: RE: <VV> But Seriously Folks, Here's a Post About Fuel Pumps

Dave, do you care to share with us where/how you get KITS? Much of the
present plague affecting mecahnical fuel pumps arises from the "don't
rebuild them - new ones are too cheap" mentality, so I know of no one
who sells KITS for rebuilding mechanical fuel pumps. We've learned over
the years that there's a REASON why the new ones are cheap, and this is
one case where original, obviously, is FAR superior to replacements.
Fortunately, I haven't thrown away my old pumps. I've got half a dozen
or more - good, bad, and all ugly.

Joe Potts
Miami, Florida USA
1966 Corsa coupe 140hp 4-speed with A/C and mechanical fuel pump

-----Original Message-----
From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org
[mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org]On Behalf Of Brown, David
Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2005 5:30 PM
To: Virtual Vairs
Subject: RE: <VV> But Seriously Folks, Here's a Post About Fuel Pumps


Steven,
I can almost guarantee that the pump surfaces are warped.  I started
about a year ago rebuilding my fuel pumps (plus several for others in
our club) just because I like to run original stuff.  I have done 6 & no
problems so far.  Interestingly, in EVERY case the diaphragms were FINE,
but the surfaces were warped.  As instructed by the folks I get the kits
from, I file the surfaces flat using a large file.  The worst one to
date was the "newest" one.  It was brand new, but the original vendor
box had been lost, so I don't know where it came from.  It was my only
spare at the time & I had been carrying it since I bought my car (6
years ago).  It lasted 6 months before it started leaking out the side.
When I took it apart to put in a new kit, everything looked perfect,
until I checked the flatness by filing a little, and wa-la, very warped.
I documented the same problem on 5 others that I did.  Although I don't
know where these pumps came from, or their age, it was obvious to me
that none of them had been filed, or cut flat.  They were just as they
came out of the casting.  Right now, my personal feeling is that I will
only run a pump on MY cars that I have rebuilt & checked or filed for
flatness.
Dave
Corvair Houston