ChrisGrainge Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 Hi all, Getting round to fueling stuff (hence the carbs question earlier!) and wondering if I've got an original or a replacement fuel pump - it looks a bit flimsy in parts, but the casting is pretty solid. I've got a repair kit, but it would be nice to know which I've got - is there an easy way to tell the difference? Thanks Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PILKIE Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 Hi Chris. Quite often with manual bolt on fuel pumps for all classic cars,the originals can be taken apart and serviced and rebuilt, whereas many of the repro,s are a sealed unit,and cannot be dis-assembled as they are of a press fit construction! If yours can be stripped and fitted with an easily available service,rebuild kit,then its either an original or a very good repro! Dave Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tr4Tony Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 Hi The original fuel pumps were made by AC Delco and as a consequent had 'AC' cast into the top of the piston chamber ..... these pumps can be rebuilt (carefully) with the rebuild kits available. Ive tried to rebuild a repro pump and despite being very very very careful, it proved unsuccessful. Original pumps also have a priming lever under the cam, most of the replica pumps I have seen do not. Regards Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisGrainge Posted March 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 Great - a bit of good news at last! Looks like I've got an original pump (AC on the casting), I'll clean it, bead blast it, and then fit the repair kit. Thanks Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rhodri Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 Take great care when staking in the new valves- I damaged mine, and bought a modern repro pump from Moss. It is a high quality pump, with a priming lever, but a red diaphragm, and no AC cast on it. May I suggest that, if the valves are staked in and are still good, that you lessen the risk and don't change them. I believe some of the pumps have the valves secured with a plate and a screw- easy to change. Rod Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Elliott Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 (edited) The fuel pump on my 1958 TR3A is the original one. The "S" shaped actuator arm which goes into the block and sits on top of the cam seems to be made of a one-piece bronze casting and the pad cast into the end is integral with it where the camshaft lifts on this pad and it's all part of this bronze cast arm. The motion is such that this actuating arm rotates about the pin with no slop in the axial or sideways direction. On some of the repro pumps this actuating arm is not a bronze casting but a series of 4 or 5 steel laminations riveted together to actuate like the original bronze cast arm. These can be loose on the shaft and might flex sideway, get bent, get loose, etc. In many of the repro units, you cannot ensure that this pin will stay in place. They sometimes come loose and move laterally causing more problems. It has been reported that the pin has moved sideways so far that the actuating arm so longer works. It has fallen off the pin. And as stated above look for the "AC" in the casting and also look under the fuel pump for the helpful "trigger" where you can manually pull it to pump fuel up to fill the float bowls. In the photo of mine you can see the bronze arm near my wrist and the "trigger" towards the right side. Notice the two long screws. I used too much torque when I did my restoration in 1987 to 1990 and stripped some of the threads in some of these holes. To prevent the fuel from leaking out, I put in longer screws and added locking washers and nuts on the bottom. So Be careful not to over-torque the screws. Edited March 28, 2009 by Don Elliott Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisGrainge Posted March 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 Hmm, That is interesting - my pump has a 'laminated' arm which goes to the camshaft, not a solid one like you describe, other than that it looks exactly the same as the one in the picture.... The valves look like they are interference fits, certainly no screws - so i will be careful! Thanks for the advice. Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tthomson Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 Hi Chris, My original TR4A fuel pump also has a laminated steel arm. I think the earlier pumps (like Don Elliott's) were of better construction than these later ones. My fuel pump failed about 20 years ago (valves) and I replaced it with an electrical one. In my current and ongoing rebuild I will be replacing the original pump with a repo, but I will refit the electric pump as a standby. I found repairing the original pump required access to some tool for removing the valves that I don't have, but I might look at this again since I have a repair kit that I bought about six years ago. TT Hmm, That is interesting - my pump has a 'laminated' arm which goes to the camshaft, not a solid one like you describe, other than that it looks exactly the same as the one in the picture.... The valves look like they are interference fits, certainly no screws - so i will be careful! Thanks for the advice. Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gaz2trs Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 hi i have 4 oe pumps they are used but are the real deal if you need one Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tthomson Posted March 30, 2009 Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 Thanks for the offer, but I already have a repo and the original, (and a spare from a land rover that looks like it could be modified at a pinch). TT hi i have 4 oe pumps they are used but are the real deal if you need one Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.