Author Topic: Fuel Pump Restoration?  (Read 32801 times)

Edgemontvillage

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Re: Fuel Pump Restoration?
« Reply #30 on: January 18, 2019, 05:12:32 AM »
Here is another example of Fred's fuel pump restoration work. This 40669, January 1969 date coded AC pump is original to my 2B Norwood RS/Z so I thought it was well worth restoring. It hasn't been run on the engine as yet so I can't comment on performance. I assume the body of the pump is magnesium (or aluminium or an alloy?) however it has the appearance of being coated as the surface is quite different from the NOS fuel pump of a similar vintage I own. Its also not clear to me if the metal porosity was there when the pump was new or if it suffers from long term oxidation. As you can see from the photos of the pump prior to restoration it was rough. Once again I have not seen this much pocking with any NOS fuel pumps. There is some waviness in the crimped edge between the main body and cad plated lower section however its not noticeable unless you're looking for it.






Pre-restoration



« Last Edit: January 18, 2019, 06:22:16 AM by Edgemontvillage »

flyingfred

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Re: Fuel Pump Restoration?
« Reply #31 on: January 18, 2019, 06:06:11 AM »
Lloyd,

The reason that your pump appears to have a coating on it is that I use a semi gloss clear on the casting to preclude oily fingerprints from leaving stains on the casting. Dirt and fingerprints tend to stay on the castings when they get there. I have one customer who just sent me another of his pumps has asked me to not clear coat the casting which I am happy to do upon request. Your pock marks in the casting are where moisture sat as that is a natural moat for collecting moisture after the engine cools down in some climates. Your pump is pock mark free compared to some of the ones that people send me. I have had them so bad that the stamped numbers are almost illegible. The sides on some of these pumps get extremely pitted as well. We are fortunate on AC pumps that the crimped area is as small as it is because these things are generally over 50 years old and the metal does not like to be stretched for removal and then crimped back together. Any metal man will tell you that you need to use heat and cold to shrink the metal back to where it was. I tried this on these fuel pumps but I kept melting the castings :)

All that said, I also offer a survivor rebuild where only the internals are cleaned and replaced with diaphragms and valves compatible with current ethanol laced fuels. The outside can be just hand washed or even left with the original grease and grime. I have been getting a fair number of requests for this option lately.

-Fred-

Edgemontvillage

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Re: Fuel Pump Restoration?
« Reply #32 on: January 18, 2019, 06:21:25 AM »
Thanks for clarifying Fred. Have you found way to eliminate (fill) the pocking while maintaining a natural, consistent appearance? Maybe too much to ask however it would be ideal for a factory fresh look.   

flyingfred

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Re: Fuel Pump Restoration?
« Reply #33 on: January 18, 2019, 09:21:07 AM »
Of all the pumps that I restore, the AC pumps seem to be the most prone to corrosion. Carter, which Ford and Chrysler use, seem to hold up much better externally. The Carter pumps however seem to have a propensity to corrode from the inside out. I can disassemble what appears to be a perfectly good Carter core and discover it to be unusable due to excessive corrosion. Luckily this is not all that common. The AC pumps seem to not have the internal corrosion problems of the Carter pumps and both appear to be of different casting materials. I do not see any way to use fillers to repair pitting and still keep a new appearance being as any filler is going to be of a different density.

-Fred-

Edgemontvillage

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Re: Fuel Pump Restoration?
« Reply #34 on: January 18, 2019, 02:35:24 PM »
Noted, thanks Fred.

dannystarr

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Re: Fuel Pump Restoration?
« Reply #35 on: January 18, 2019, 04:03:56 PM »
STILL looking and hoping for someone to test the fuel pressure of a rebuilt pump. Pressure, IMO, should be checked during operation for accuracy. As you can see in my earlier post, it can vary quite a bit. Hopefully someone is able to do this as it is VERY important for proper operation during fuel delivery. Danny

70z28lt1

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Re: Fuel Pump Restoration?
« Reply #36 on: February 08, 2019, 02:49:53 PM »
While on this topic, just how long can one expect an NOS AC fuel pump to last with today's ethanol fuel?  Is there anything that can be done short of a rebuild to prolong the life (fuel additives, draining the fuel from the pump, etc)?

70z28lt1

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70z28lt1

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Re: Fuel Pump Restoration?
« Reply #38 on: August 02, 2020, 04:51:51 PM »
bump

firstgenaddict

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Re: Fuel Pump Restoration?
« Reply #39 on: August 26, 2020, 08:15:25 AM »
Run Zero ethanol fuel... 100LL is less than $5 a gallon and is well worth it, available at any municipal airport. FWIW Last I checked I could get 55 gal drums for $175 plus frt.
James
Collectin' Camaro's since "Only Rednecks drove them"
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69Z28-RS

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Re: Fuel Pump Restoration?
« Reply #40 on: August 26, 2020, 12:57:32 PM »
Run Zero ethanol fuel... 100LL is less than $5 a gallon and is well worth it, available at any municipal airport. FWIW Last I checked I could get 55 gal drums for $175 plus frt.

If you have an older collector car (our Camaros are a great example) and it is (mostly) original and it isn't driven daily, then you should NEVER put ethanol fuel in it (or your small engine lawn equipment, etc)...  ONE more thing the federal gov't has SCREWED up for it's citizens!
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KurtS

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Re: Fuel Pump Restoration?
« Reply #41 on: August 27, 2020, 06:19:54 PM »
ONE more thing the federal gov't has SCREWED up for it's citizens!
NO! That's the result of the corn lobby. Who ever thought that using food for fuel was a good idea?? Oh, that lobby.....
Kurt S
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Kelley W King

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Re: Fuel Pump Restoration?
« Reply #42 on: August 27, 2020, 08:22:38 PM »
It is also one of the main reasons it takes forever to start an engine that has set up for awhile. The stuff evaporates pretty quick leaving you a dry carb. Large or small.
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BillG

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Re: Fuel Pump Restoration?
« Reply #43 on: August 27, 2020, 09:54:28 PM »
As far as longevity,  My nos fuel filter has lasted for 20+ years and still operates perfectly and, for quite a few years I used ethanol fuel not knowing the consequenses>
Bill Garrett

z28z11

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Re: Fuel Pump Restoration?
« Reply #44 on: August 27, 2020, 10:41:46 PM »
Ethanol only needs one thing to make it better - avoiding.

Ethanol has an affinity for water, which then has a tendency to corrode the daylights out of anything steel it comes in contact with, like gas tanks and fuel lines. It has an appetite for neoprene, rubber and vinyl as in gas lines and neoprene tipped needles in the carb. Viton tips fair better, but I wouldn't use ethanol/gas for anything except late model injected engines designed to use it. I still fill up my later cars with non-ethanol occasionally to clean the injectors (performance and mileage increase is noticeable).

Ever wonder why the vinyl gas lines on a weedeater last about a year when using ethanol ? Ever looked inside one of the carbs on an ethanol powered small engine after a year or two ? Usually not good. Metal bins at our local collection center are always pretty full of weed eaters and lawnmowers that look new and don't start, when a new fuel filter, gas lines and spark plug will most times resurrect them.

The ethanol as an additive was originally intended to reduce the cost of gasoline, due to the amount of grain grown and wasted in the U.S. annually. More often than not, Brazil was used as an example of how cheap ethanol was as a fuel (while burning down the rainforests to plant more grain). We'd be better off using shale resources to help our newfound internal oil independence, and ship the corn to Lynchburg, TN for more useful recreational uses. Leave some for the livestock, too -

Just my opinion(s) - lol.

Regards,
Steve
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