Messages

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-

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-

Looks like Fred does great work.
Another option may be a company I've used many times for hard-to-get pumps for old boats.
Then and Now Automotive in Massachusettes. Come back bench tested and ready to go. Nice guys, too.

The only problem with Then and Now Automotive is that they do NOT do the crimp type of pumps. They only do the screw together type and Camaros only have the crimp type.

-Fred-

Thank you for posting your before and after pictures of your pump, Jim. The difference is quite dramatic even from where I sit. There is another option for those with "survivor" class cars. I can rebuild the pump and leave all of the original patina and even the dirt and grease if that is your desire. It is very hard to tell that anything has been done to the pump when completed. I have had very good luck doing them this way. It is more of an issue for me as I need to make absolutely sure that I do not mix that one with the ones that get cleaned and replated. A lot of the Corvette guys go with this option. This way you will still have a pump that is compatible with our current Ethanol laced fuels and still appear to be unrestored.

-Fred-

This is an update to my previous post of over 4 years ago as some things have changed. I could not figure out how to modify the original post:

My name is Fred Ballard and I DO restore these crimp together type of fuel pumps. I am NOT in any way now or ever have been related to Goat Hill Classics. I am recently completed my thirty first restoration run and I am actively gathering pumps for my thirty second run which will begin very soon. I have done over 1,200 of these so far. I generally only do 2 or 3 runs per year based on customer needs. I need a minimum number of pumps to do a run and I am near that now.

The restoration is $240 plus $20 return shipping in the lower 48 states. This service needs to be prepaid and a personal or company check is the preferred method of payment. The pumps are disassembled, cleaned, replated and rebuilt with diaphragms and valves compatible with current ethanol laced fuels. If you are planning to send yours in, please email me and enclose contact and shipping information with the pump. The service takes about one month from the time that I begin the disassembly process.

I seem to be the only one in the world currently doing these pumps. If you Google "crimped fuel pump rebuild" my name is the only one that comes up. My specialty has been Ford pumps but I have done a fair number of GM and Chrysler pumps as well.

Here is a link to a Ford one that I did that was on Ebay recently. This will give you some idea of the quality of my work.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/111335656619?ssPageName=STRK:MEUNSOLD:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1562.l2649

Fred Ballard
28916 Flowerpark Drive
Canyon Country, Ca. 91387-1801
661-251-2362
fredsclassics@hotmail.com

-Fred-

Fred,

Do you offer a guarantee and/or warranty on the rebuilt fuel pumps?

Paul

I can cover them for one year although I have pumps out there for over five years with no issues.

-Fred-

The turnaround time varies as I need a minimum quantity of pumps to begin a run. The pumps are disassembled and cleaned. The more time consuming part is the plating. Then they are reassembled with diaphragms and valves compatible with the current ethanol laced fuels. This process generally takes about one month. I generally only do 2 or 3 runs in a year based on customer demand although I have done as many as 5 runs in a year.

Please email me for further information.

-Fred-

I just completed my twentieth run of these crimped type fuel pumps and I am actively gathering pumps for my twenty first run. I have done over 850 of them so far.

-Fred-

Does anyone know of anyone who rebuilds these? I bought one put it it on and now it leaks oil.


Thanks CRG

MM

Oil leaking from the fuel pump is caused by the internal seal at the diaphragm spring. When they get old and hard, oil from the oil pan can leak by the seal and it will come out of the breather hole in the fuel pump body. If your diaphragm leaks you will end up with a lot of fuel in your oil pan if it does not leak out of the breather hole first. I have received many pumps for restoration where the breather hole is plugged with anything available at the time the leak was discovered. I have seen sticks, paper compressed into the hole and even small bolts. Of course I do remove this debris in the restoration process. I can only wonder what the person was thinking at the time they discovered the issue.

-Fred-

My name is Fred Ballard and I DO restore these crimp together type of fuel pumps. I am NOT in any way now or ever have been related to Goat Hill Classics. I am currently working on my seventeenth restoration run and I am actively gathering pumps for my eighteenth run which will begin very soon. I have done over 800 of these so far. I generally only do 2 or 3 runs per year based on customer needs. I need a minimum number of pumps to do a run and I am near that now.

The restoration is $220 plus $20 return shipping in the lower 48 states. This service needs to be prepaid and a personal or company check is the preferred method of payment. The pumps are disassembled, cleaned, replated and rebuilt with diaphragms and valves compatible with current ethanol laced fuels. If you are planning to send yours in, please email me and enclose contact and shipping information with the pump. The service takes about one month from the time that I begin the disassembly process.

I seem to be the only one in the world currently doing these pumps. If you Google "crimped fuel pump rebuild" my name is the only one that comes up. My specialty has been Ford pumps but I have done a fair number of GM and Chrysler pumps as well.

Here is a link to a Ford one that I did that was on Ebay recently. This will give you some idea of the quality of my work.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/111335656619?ssPageName=STRK:MEUNSOLD:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1562.l2649

Fred Ballard
28916 Flowerpark Drive
Canyon Country, Ca. 91387-1801
661-251-2362
fredsclassics@hotmail.com

-Fred-