look what i found in my fuel pump...

H

hueyhoolihan

Well-known member
thanks to the moderator(s) for deleting my duplicate thread. quick work!

yep...got my new-to-me 1941 convertible running the other day, after spending about three weeks getting it sorted out with new points, condenser, battery, battery cables, voltage regulator and new carburetor, so i took it out for a drive, put five gallons of fresh gas in it, and soon after it was running on about four or five cylinders any time i gave it gas...barely got back to the garage, yet purrs like a kitten at idle. so pulled the fuel pump today, thinking it might be a fueling issue. and look what i found!

debris at the top of the pic is what's left of the cork gasket. the screen (still somewhat clogged) is on the left. and the grit (see bottom of pic) was partially above the screen and some of it below.

in addition, half of the gasket that sits between the pump and the block was actually IN the block when the pump was last installed by a previous owner! what a mess.

pump rebuild kit is on the way, although i'm now questioning whether or not i really need to rebuild it, inasmuch as it was clearly pumping well enough, if and when it's able to get enough fuel, that is! and i suspect that the vast majority of the debris that got past the screen never made it into the other half (as yet to be disassembled) of the pump. maybe i'll remove the six screws hold the top and lower halves together and take a quick peek. what do you think? maybe just take some carb cleaner to the top half and wait for the new screen and cork gasket for the lid, and then a quick re-install, eh?

and yes, i've already bought a paper fuel filter. it will sit between the firewall and the pump. as i suspect there'll be plenty more debris where THAT came from. :)

BTW, for those interested is diagnosing problems, the symptoms created by this problem could have easily, IME, been caused by some type of ignition failure. the only thing that tipped it off for me was that i knew i had recently installed points and condenser and that it idled so well, and so, was disinclined to think "ignition". and OTOH the symptom (massive failure to fire on all cylinders) only manifested itself when fuel demand increased. not only that but removing the fuel pump was a simple task... :)
 

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probably should have taken a couple shots of the pump before removing the lid...
 

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update...

so in the absence of any outrage from the membership aimed at my "taking a peek...", ...i peeked...and found no evidence of anything untoward WRT the diaphragm. soooo, when the gasket and screen arrive, i will install them and deem the pump to be "rebuilt". ha
 
For me and any other old folk, could you please do away with the acronyms? I understand it's the way things are today. Thanks.
 
Tony said:
For me and any other old folk, could you please do away with the acronyms? I understand it's the way things are today. Thanks.
Click to expand...

i'm sincere when i say this...

i'm 73. when i find an acronym that i am unfamiliar with, i look it up by typing, "what does the acronym "(insert acronym here)" mean" into google. on occasion i've even had to "look up" what an emoge means. and then it becomes part of my literary vocabulary.

IME, language has shown to be a living thing. it is continually changing. and i consider it to be the obligation of the elderly, like me, to make an effort to keep up so as to understand and be understood. and so i do. :)
 
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hueyhoolihan said:
i'm sincere when i say this...

i'm 73. when i find an acronym that i am unfamiliar with, i look it up by typing, "what does the acronym "(insert acronym here)" mean" into google. on occasion i've even had to "look up" what an emoge means. and then it becomes part of my literary vocabulary.

IME, language has shown to be a living thing. it is continually changing. and i consider it to be the obligation of the elderly, like me, to make an effort to keep up so as to understand and be understood. and so i do. :)
Click to expand...

You do as you wish, but for you to suggest that members of any group young or old are “obligated” to learn your language shorthand is ludicrous. As a new member with many questions for those of us with answers, you might consider that as volunteees here, we will never be obligated to learn your new tricks.
 
ford38v8 said:
You do as you wish, but for you to suggest that members of any group young or old are “obligated” to learn your language shorthand is ludicrous. As a new member with many questions for those of us with answers, you might consider that as volunteees here, we will never be obligated to learn your new tricks.
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let's refresh your memory. my comment reads, "...and i consider it to be the obligation of the elderly, like me, to make an effort to keep up so as to understand and be understood...". and so only pertains to those that wish to understand and be understood. and clearly does not obligate or address, despite what is maintained, those that do not wish to understand or be understood. so fear not, you are under no obligation to do anything.

BTW, i've removed you from my Christmas list. :)
 
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WTF for sure. As for fuel pumps, I've seen worse. The thing that really matters is, the seat surface under the valve gaskets. The old pump may look fine, but if the gasket surface is all corroded, as in moisture in the pot metal for that last several decades new valves will will not make a good pump, leakage under the valves.

I have made round, fine sandpaper disks, glued to a wooden dowel to dress up the seat, but some are just too far gone.
 
Ouch Savage ///// but back to the subject looking at that pic im sure that the carb will need a good clean as what you've got there was what it stopped god knows what got thru. Ultrasonic are great at that next level deep clean
 
A lot of people in our hobby are anal about the electrical system and totally ignore the fuel system. Anyways;

I would suggest a complete cleaning of the fuel system starting with dropping the tank. Also replace every piece of rubber with 30R7 spec hose. You’ve got a lot of junk somewhere upstream of the pump that will leave you sitting alongside the road or on the hook.
 
hueyhoolihan said:
i'm sincere when i say this...

i'm 73. when i find an acronym that i am unfamiliar with, i look it up by typing, "what does the acronym "(insert acronym here)" mean" into google. on occasion i've even had to "look up" what an emoge means. and then it becomes part of my literary vocabulary.

IME, language has shown to be a living thing. it is continually changing. and i consider it to be the obligation of the elderly, like me, to make an effort to keep up so as to understand and be understood. and so i do. :)
Click to expand...

Ya know Huey, I'm with you on this.
I read approximately one book per week. Even now I come upon words I do not understand.
I take the time to find their definition. We, well at minimum you and I, will not stop learning.
 
hueyhoolihan said:
let's refresh your memory. my comment reads, "...and i consider it to be the obligation of the elderly, like me, to make an effort to keep up so as to understand and be understood...". and so only pertains to those that wish to understand and be understood. and clearly does not obligate or address, despite what is maintained, those that do not wish to understand or be understood. so fear not, you are under no obligation to do anything.

BTW, i've removed you from my Christmas list. :)
Click to expand...

Is this the correct place to leave a "thumbs up"?
 
As Gene as suggested, a thorough cleaning of the fuel system would be most likely the best route to take. Short of that, I might suggest you add an in-line fuel filter.
 
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