The pump with or without bowl would be normal depending on where and when it was originally purchased. My '36 is very susceptible to air leaks on the suction side causing an almost instant stall. The feed line was most of the problem and the gasket around the pump cap was the rest. Good luck...
The nice thing about a site like this, is that you don't have to read the stuff your not interested in. I like to look at projects and read about my own Ford "problems".