Mike,
The pump on my car is THE lever pump that came with my car from the
factory, or at least it is an original AC Sphinx Y type pump that
Bugeyes were equipped with. Point taken about the aftermarket rebuild
kit. The generic rebuild kit that was installed in my pump last year
was made in the early 70's by a German manufacturer. Not Asian Frank.
The fit of all the parts was excellent and the pump has worked
flawlessly until it started leaking this past weekend. The leak turned
out to be only loose screws that hold the halves together and sandwich
the diaphragm membrane between the halves. This sandwiching is
two-fold. It seals the two halves and it also holds the outer edge of
the membrane separating the two chambers. Possibly this membrane is
ripped, but just Saturday it was in one piece and looked to be in good
shape. There may be something clogging the top chamber under the
screen. When I took it apart Saturday, there was a large piece of lint
in the screen that I removed. This lint may have reduced the efficiency
of the pump and removing it may have made the pump pull better. Maybe
better enough to pick up something in the line or tank and clog it all
over again. Just speculation at this point. I do not suspect the
pump. The first thing I will do is to remove the top cover and look
under the filter screen for more gunk. If nothing is found there, then
remove the line from the tank and reverse flush it, possibly with some
gasoline and my MityVac. If that clears the line then the tank needs to
be drained and cleaned out so the line won't clog again. All I know is
it is somewhere btween the pump and the tank and maybe it is the pump or
the tank. Fun, fun, fun.
Mike MacLean Supercharged 60 Sprite
Michael Lupynec wrote:
> Used to suspect fuel delivery problems with my aftermarket 948
> non-lever fuel pump. After a long down time (2 weeks) it would
> take forever to fire up. But the pressure and volume tests were OK
> once primed. Fooled me for a long time.
>
> Eventually bought a used original lever pump, mainly to get that
> priming lever. The lever pump had a deficiency so I pulled the
> guts out of the aftermarket pump to put into the lever pump.
>
> The rebuilt lever fuel pump bench tested OK, but I spotted that
> not all the parts were quite interchangeable. I remember that the
> vertical actuator and other relevant bits were dimensionally
> different, but not enough to notice on casual reassembly, so had a
> go at it again being careful to pair up some of the bits. Me
> wonders how many lever pumps have been rebuilt wrong by some DPO,
> especially if the rebuild kits can be easily misapplied.
>
> Paid utmost attention to all possible fitting suction leaks in the
> whole fuel delivery system between the pump and tank, including
> the little one way fuel pump valves.
>
> Was just about to install the proudly converted lever pump when I
> started to suck on one of the ports - it did not suction hang off
> my tongue for very long - proceeded to find an otherwise
> undetectable leak between the gasketed top cover and main body.
> Sometimes you gotta be one lucky Detective Colombo.
>
> Runs great now and that priming lever is sooo handy.
>
> Mike L
> 60A,67E,59Bug
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Mike MacLean <macleans@earthlink.net>
> To: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
> Sent: August 27, 2001 9:47 PM
> Subject: Can't Win For Losing... The Saga Continues!
>
> > Left to pick up my son at school this afternoon in the Bugeye
> in 100
> > degree temperature. The Bugeye ran at about 195 to 200 degrees
> if I
> > kept moving just as I predicted. Got about half way there and
> the car
> > just quit! Acted like it was out of gas. I didn't think so so.
> I had
> > stopped next to an orange grove, so I went and cut a stick off a
> tree to
> > dip the tank as my gas gauge is a joke. Tank is at least half
> full.
> > Went to the engine compartment and looked at the clear plastic
> filter
> > just after the mechanical fuel pump I just had apart yesterday
> and it
> > was dry! I tried to pump some fuel by pushing on the manual
> lever at
> > the bottom of the pump. It made noise like there was no gas to
> pump.
> > Possibly something in the line between the tank and the pump or
> right at
> > the pickup in the tank. Later I will remove the tank line at
> the pump
> > and blow air from my compressor into the line. If I take the
> gas cap
> > off, will this be enough to keep the tank from bulging when I do
> this?
> > If that doesn't work, off comes the supercharger again to get at
> the
> > fuel pump. Oh well.
> > Mike maculae Supercharged 60 Sprite
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