feul pump problem 49 ford flathead

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beerslob

Member
I had my engine rebuilt and now the fuel pump rod doesent move I can put a smaller diameter rod in and crank the engine and it seems to work fine it acts like the rod isn't going down enough to hit the cam. is there anything in there that can hold the rod from going down to the cam 49 flathead... thanks for any help
 
If the rear cam bearing is installed with the hole for the rod not properly aligned this can happen. If it's just a slight misalignment you may be able to get something down there to massage that bushing a bit to get the rod installed. Use care.
 
Could be the cam bearing was not properly installed blocking the hole for the fuel pump push rod.
 
that must be what it is , what would you guys do ? I looked down there with a flash light and very little is catching torwards the front of the car would I be better off trying to pry it forward a little or taking a chain saw file and filing it enough to get the rod in. I know where the shaveings are gonna go
 
I would discuss this with the "re-builder". If they have any sense of responsibility at all, they will take care of it for you. I certainly wouldn't go the "chain saw file" route in any case.
 
If you are going to use a file to remove material.
Obtain a couple of 'super' magnets and attach them to the file to magnetize it.

Remove and replace the magnets a few times and check for magnetism.

There is another way to magnetize.
Using a suitable length of insulated wire.
Wrap it around the file 4 or 5 times.
Then momentarily touch the ends of the wire to the battery posts of a 12 volt battery.
 
beerslob said:
is the bearing material gonna stick to the magnet?
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19Fordy said:
Bearing material will not stick to the magnet. Hope the engine is not in the car yet.
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The majority of the bearing is steel.
Personally, seeing that the bearing is interfering towards the front of the car, if the engine were out of the car, the bearing could be driven (using an old bearing) from the rear to achieve clearance.
 
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Depending on how much offset is present, I would take a long tapered punch and give it a tap through the bearing hole to see if you can move enough metal to allow the rod to pass. Be selective with the tapered punch size-wise, to allow the punch to barely move through the bushing without the punch hitting the cam.
 
The saying, "Fix it once and fix it right" comes to mind. After spending the money on a rebuild, I wouldn't be knocking metal particles into my engine.
 
What am I missing here? He said he "had his engine rebuilt". This makes it the responsibility of the rebuilder. If he uses a "chain-saw file" or even a "properly sized punch", there is always a chance of something going wrong. And then guess what? No warranty of any kind for anything.

If the rebuild was done by "Go Cat Speed Shop", you can ignore this post.
 
Had the same problem on my rebuild. Should have been caught on the rebuilder's test stand, but they had an electric pump as well. I carefully, slowly, ground down the diameter of the push rod at the bottom, so it would get past the little intrusion of the rear cam bearing. The load on that push rod is not that great, so I do not expect the decreased foot print to cause any wear problem. It is still working fine after 5000 miles on the engine.
 
that sounds like a good idea , if I had the rod turned down a little I wouldn't have to worry about shaveings. thanks for the idea. I didn't think about that
 
You are welcome. This forum is home to perfectionists who would pull and disassemble the engine, and shade tree mechanics like myself. Both are welcome and have much to contribute to the hobby.
 
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