rebuilt 59a fuel pump?

C

cpaulphl

New member
35 v8 Deluxe 5-window coupe with rebuilt (Schwalm's) engine.

After diagnosing a faulty fuel pump (later 59a design with the glass bowl), I bought a rebuild kit, and also bought a fully rebuilt 59a pump on the e of bay.

Mind you, this is my first fuel pump rebuild, but I did my homework, watched the videos, read the forums and took things carefully.

The first problem I encountered was that the new diaphragm was made incorrectly (the shaft is not aligned properly). Luckily, I had another bellows that was in good shape. The press-fit check valves were another story, but I ultimately replaced them safely as well. I replaced the bowl filter and seal. Finally, I replaced the arm and spring (the original arm had very little travel distance with the diaphragm).

After carefully (and evenly) tightening everything back together, the pump still didn't work!

Thankfully, the rebuilt original (MACS part) I bought on eBay worked without adjustment.

Any ideas what I might have done wrong? Any sources to rebuild or purchase an original 59a pump? I see there are new reproduction fuel pumps, but they don't look right (starting with those Phillips head screws!)

Thanks in advance
- Paul
 

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cpaulphl said:
35 v8 Deluxe 5-window coupe with rebuilt (Schwalm's) engine.

After diagnosing a faulty fuel pump (later 59a design with the glass bowl), I bought a rebuild kit, and also bought a fully rebuilt 59a pump on the e of bay.

Mind you, this is my first fuel pump rebuild, but I did my homework, watched the videos, read the forums and took things carefully.

The first problem I encountered was that the new diaphragm was made incorrectly (the shaft is not aligned properly). Luckily, I had another bellows that was in good shape. The press-fit check valves were another story, but I ultimately replaced them safely as well. I replaced the bowl filter and seal. Finally, I replaced the arm and spring (the original arm had very little travel distance with the diaphragm).

After carefully (and evenly) tightening everything back together, the pump still didn't work!

Thankfully, the rebuilt original (MACS part) I bought on eBay worked without adjustment.

Any ideas what I might have done wrong? Any sources to rebuild or purchase an original 59a pump? I see there are new reproduction fuel pumps, but they don't look right (starting with those Phillips head screws!)

Thanks in advance
- Paul
Click to expand...

i hear ya.

had a very similar experience when i discovered the pump on my '41 wasn't working properly. on disassembly i discovered that the thick cork gasket that sits between the lid and the body had essentially disintegrated and the debris was clogging everything up. but instead of just getting a new gasket, i bought the rebuild kit and, like you, attempted a rebuild....and failed, or at least i think did, so without further ado i bought a couple of aftermarket ones with the glass bowls and found one that fit.

unfortunately, as is often the case, while removing and installing the pump from the oil filler stack, i managed to strip the threads on one of its bolt holes and had to get a new-to-me oil filler stack ( to be fair to me, the bolts were a little loosey-goosey right from the start) found one on ebay...for the most part a SNAFU/FUBAR right from the git go. smh

i'm being to think a lot of my recent failures are age related...
 
FortyNiner said:
Cowboy John can rebuild your OE unit. https://cowboyjohnsautoparts.com/
Click to expand...

thanks for the tip. but for now, the new one's working just fine. and i've got plenty of other issues to keep me busy for a while. turn signals, tires, steering, removal of lowering hardware, exhaust, and a substantial oil leak that's most likely rear engine seal that's gone bad. some i'll attempt to fix myself, others will involve...others. :)
 
So what exactly is the problem with the one you rebuilt? I rebuilt mine on my C69A without any issues, but can’t recall where I got the parts. If might have been from Vintage Speed.
 
Ziggster said:
So what exactly is the problem with the one you rebuilt? I rebuilt mine on my C69A without any issues, but can’t recall where I got the parts. If might have been from Vintage Speed.
Click to expand...

No vacuum - not pulling any fuel from the tank into the sediment bowl to prime.
 
cpaulphl said:
No vacuum - not pulling any fuel from the tank into the sediment bowl to prime.
Click to expand...

when i had a similar problem, i used a simple priming bulb https://www.amazon.com/fuel-line-primer-bulb/s?k=fuel+line+primer+bulb&tag=atomicindus08-20
and installed it temporarily just in front of the fuel pump to test whether the pump was the problem or the line from the tank was causing the problem.

it was clear that fuel could easily be pumped by the bulb up to the fuel pump, meaning my pump was most likely the problem. however, there are other ways of testing...
 
If you believe all the work you did was OK, check that the glass bowl is sealing properly. If it's sucking air, I'm pretty sure the pump won't draw.
 
The fuel pump can give people fits when they try to rebuild them. Maybe why so many just send them out. The diaphragm hole positions can be offset or centered. Even the pump housing can have offset holes. I have one of each, a USA built pump and a Canadian pump. One has offset holes and the other on centerline. Other issues I found is the mating surfaces of the pump are pretty sloppy and newer diaphragms are a thinner material that may not seal good. It is very important to fair these two surfaces. I did it on a piece of glass with 220-400 grit sandpaper until I could hold them up metal to metal in front of a lightbulb and not see any slivers of light. Also tighten the screws with pressure on the pump arm. With all the on and off with the pump the other thing that gave me fits was the rubber fuel line. Sometimes it would seal other times it would suck air....probably needs replacement more often. Anyway it is pumping like a champ now....I can even see the pumping action in the glass bowl, but it certainly didn't work the first time, the second time, nor the third.��
 
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