<VV> Electric Fuel Pump...

Tony Underwood tonyu at roava.net
Thu Feb 8 12:19:22 EST 2007



I solved all my fuel pump issues by finding out how the pumps really 
work, picked up a couple of spares along the way and stashed them in 
the closet, then checked out the "old" pumps on the cars by simply 
popping the tops off and checking the rubber for cracks or other 
signs of pending failure.


It's been almost a decade since I've needed to replace a failed pump, 
and THAT one was one of the "bogus" pumps which were still floating 
around that had been installed on a recently purchased 'Vair.


Last time I needed a fuel pump it was for an engine that had been 
assembled and had no pump to start with.    I put a used pump on 
it...  still working just fine.    All the 'Vairs here have 
mechanical pumps and none leak and all work.    They're not hard to 
check out if you get curious and wanna know what shape the pump is 
really in.   Disconnect the fuel lines and then it's just 6 screws 
and the pump comes apart.   You can do it with the pump mounted on 
the car.   In fact, it's easier if the pump is mounted.

Besides, I bought a bunch of fuel pump stuff from pump-guru John 
Moody and the next time (whenever that might eventually happen) a 
fuel pump misbehaves I'll just rebuild it and go on down the 
road.    I also have a source for new diaphragm material locally... 
chemical and solvent resistant with synthetic fiber reinforcement, 
used in commercial chemical solvent pumps, made to order for fuel 
pumps since it's resistant to just about everything and has a 100% 
duty cycle at its full ratings.   It's 30 bucks for a square foot but 
how many pumps can a square foot of material rebuild?   Anyway... 
since I've had this stuff I've not needed to rebuild any pumps so all 
this has proven to be pretty much moot so far.


I don't need an electric pump or its additionally required 
accoutrements.     When the '60 4-door flips over onto its roof as 
it's supposed to do, the engine is gonna quit promptly because carbs 
don't work upside down and the fuel pump will quit as 
well.    Problem solved.    No flaming fireballs exiting from the 
engine bay etc. to scorch the remnants of paint and primer and oxide 
patina.    It will just lay there on its back, teetering on the roof 
as I scamper about, crawling around on the headliner as I exit the 
vehicle through an open door since early models are tough and rolling 
one onto its roof won't keep you from opening the doors, re the GM 
film where they tumbled an early down a long steep embankment, and 
after the guys flopped  it back over onto its wheels they opened the 
doors, got in, and drove it away without it catching on fire.

I suspect it did not have an electric fuel pump.


tony..

PS:   There's a spare pump in the trunk of the '60 that's been there 
for 23 years and it was already old then, used it once about ten 
years ago, when it was finally determined that the rubber fuel line 
behind the rear wheel was actually the culprit so the spare pump came 
back off and went back into the trunk.   It's still there.   Maybe I 
might use it for something someday.



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