Before blowing out your fuel line you might first suck on it with
the mighty vac just to confirm your suspicion of blockage.
Air leaks on the suction side are critical. Your pump may be OK,
but I was trying to point out that if you didn't physically
compare the rebuild kit to original components, your pump could
have assembled together looking excellent but with the diaphragm
in a displaced operating range. In my case the vertical actuator
looked exactly the same except for a slight length difference. And
also that even after a good bench test, the suction on the tongue
test failed so slightly and revealed an otherwise imperceptible
diaphragm leak.
I also put one of those big metal can fuel filters in the axle
area.
Mike L(Gremlin Hunter)
60A,67E,59Bug
----- Original Message -----
From Mike MacLean <macleans at earthlink.net>
To: Michael Lupynec <mlupynec@globalserve.net>
Cc: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: August 28, 2001 1:17 AM
Subject: Re: Can't Win For Losing... The Saga Continues!
> 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
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