1936 Ford Pickup

[Browny3194]

Hi everyone and Happy Christmas and New Year. Over the break I replaced my fuel pump which was leaking with a carter fuel pump. While the engine was running and I was checking for leaks it stopped pumping. Anyways turns out the pump arm had broken but a tiny piece was missing. I took off the oil filler neck and shone my torch inside the manifold but couldn’t see it. The only place it could have gone is down the same way as the oil into the sump as the tube that slides over the pump rod would have directed it down there. So my question is is this a sump off job to try and find it ? I guess it could be picked up by the crank when it’s spinning ? Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[The Art Doctor]

The short answer is yes, you should take the pan off and try to find the missing piece. The gamblers answer is maybe you can catch it and not have to. Big bits usually eventually fall to the pan and are too large to get through the oil pump screens or into bearings. I add a large rare earth magnet to the outside bottom of all my steel oil pans to catch wear metals and any such stray bits. I put it outside near the drain plug so that I can take it off at oil change time and allow those bits to flow out with the leaving oil. You can put one inside the pan like a modern transmission has but the stuff is then trapped in there until the next overhaul/pan removal. If I just didn't have the time to address it, sometimes we all are stuck that way, I'd stick a magnet on there and hope to catch it. If you pull the pan and do not find it, the magnet may eventually get it and is good insurance.

 

[pistonbroke]

How big is the piece of metal . Draining the oil is as said above the first thing I would do and then strain it through a screen to see if you find it.The next would be the flexable stickmagnet in the pan via the drain plug hole. Then if that ditn't get it I would try rinsing out the engine by pouring a gallon or two of kerosine down the pump stand hole with the drain plug out. Then again strain it looking for the part. If none of these work then I would pull the pan. By the way ,your sure its not lodged in the pump stand? Tim

 

[Browny3194]

Thanks for the reply, the magnet on the outside is good idea. I have been lucky and found it in the pump stand. I will now only use a rebuilt pump and not aftermarket rubbish. The first pump was a Bob Drake but leaked around the screws at the top the 2nd was a Carter and was just cheap rubbish. This has always been a great site. Thank you.