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fuel pump woes


DLK

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Things have been going too smoothly the last couple months.  Yesterday I decided to take my Wayfarer through freeway traffic to get my paint matched at NAPA for painting my wheels body color.   Everything going great until I am in the middle of traffic on I-94 between Mpls and St. Paul and the car just suddenly dies at 60 mph.   Since I was in the middle of the freeway approaching rush hour I had the car towed to a shop that has done work for me before.  The fuel pump which was just rebuilt in Massachusetts three years ago went bad.  For only $550 they would put in a new pump!  Needless to say the car is now being towed to my home where I can do the job for $100.  I can't believe that I sent my pump to the experts in Weymouth MA and I only got three years out of it.  But maybe when I get it home and pull the pump it will just be a broken spring or some such simple thing.

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550 dollar to get a new fuel, remove the old pump and install the pump is highway robbery.  You can get a new fuel pump for around 60-70. The job takes a good mechanic and even a poor mechanic at most 1/2 hours to change.  Loosen the outline line to the carb. remove the flex line from the connetot the FP. remove two bolts that hold the FP to the engine block.

 

20 mins max

 

Then pu the gasket on the new pump then bolt up to the blot. Connect the supply line and mabe a new flex line. Then connect the metal line to the out port on the fuel pump.

 

20 mins max

 

So lets say 1 hour

 

So they are charging a labor fee of 450 dollars per hour figure 100 dollar for parts.

 

These guy are making a killing. They thought they had you by the short end.

 

So now get an new FP and also get an 6v electric pump for around 50 Dollar and have that installed as a backup you will be in good shape.

 

I would not recommend these guy for any repair.

 

Rich HArtung

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Rich, I have a question for you re the 6V electric pump. I just installed a 6V electric fuel pump on my '41 for the sole purpose of priming the carb after it sits for a few weeks or more (toggle switch operated). I was not intending on using it as a backup for normal operation. It pumps through the mechanical pump. I thought that if the diaphragm of the mechanical pump was the failed component then the electric could pump gas into the crankcase. Am I wrong or is there a way around this issue?

 

Phil

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phil not sure about the anser to this question.I was always told that the electric can work even if the mech Fp fails but no one has ever documented what you are asking. Maybe someelse can chime in.

 

Rich HArtung

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That sucks, kope.  Must be a old car ogre in that area.  One of my fender skirts fell off just east of the Lowry Tunnel during rush hour on a Friday. 

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I have been carrying an extra fuel pump in my 1948 Chrysler's since 1974. Flat Heads love em.

I took Mary Ellen Rosk_ _ out to a Drive in Movie on Route 46 in Clifton NJ one night around March 1975, 

She was from a good Polish Catholic family that lived in Hasbrook Heights NJ.her Dad had told me to have her home by midnight, (He was a Machinist)

and I thought he was serious so at midnight she was home. when I left her street ready to go under the George Washington Bridge and get back onto Rout 46

to go home my engine died. It was about freezing by then and a slow rain had just started. I took off my coat (because I had Satin Seat Covers) and laid under that 250.6

and changed out that fuel pump (in the pitch black) in 15 minutes. Tore off my wet shirt and put my leather jacket back on and got in and fired her right up.

Man I was sure glad those old Chrysler's had killer heaters, I stopped shuddering (teeth chattering) in about 3 or 4 minutes.

Always, Always, carry a spare fuel pump in your old Mopar Flat Heads. Back then I believe they were about $30, now I buy extras for about $68 on ebay.

Boy Life sure was fun when we were 19 years old, I still wonder about Mary Ellen from time to time, she would never let me past 3rd base, but we never saw too much of the movie,

"we were young but we were getting our share working on the night moves"  If I were you I would find another mechanic $550 ain't exactly a fair price for a fuel pump change out.

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After reading countless threads on the various fuel pump woes I decided to eliminate the mechanical pump altogether.

I blanked it off and installed a full time 6 volt pump made by Carter. It is mounted back at the tank and has a large sealed canister filter directly ahead of it. I also added a Holley regulator with a pressure guage and another sealed canister fuel filter ahead of the carb. It works great and is easier to replace than the mechanical pump if it ever fails. I have a new spare under the seat of my truck just in case. May not look original but it delivers a clean and much cooler fuel supply than the stock set up.

 

Jeff

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550 dollar to get a new fuel, remove the old pump and install the pump is highway robbery.  You can get a new fuel pump for around 60-70. The job takes a good mechanic and even a poor mechanic at most 1/2 hours to change.  Loosen the outline line to the carb. remove the flex line from the connetot the FP. remove two bolts that hold the FP to the engine block.

 

20 mins max

 

Then pu the gasket on the new pump then bolt up to the blot. Connect the supply line and mabe a new flex line. Then connect the metal line to the out port on the fuel pump.

 

20 mins max

 

So lets say 1 hour

 

So they are charging a labor fee of 450 dollars per hour figure 100 dollar for parts.

 

These guy are making a killing. They thought they had you by the short end.

 

So now get an new FP and also get an 6v electric pump for around 50 Dollar and have that installed as a backup you will be in good shape.

 

I would not recommend these guy for any repair.

 

Rich HArtung

Needless to say that shop has seen the last of me (or any of my friends).  I had to pay $106 for the diagnosis.  

 

I ordered a new pump from Rock Auto Friday but will be sending it back.  Unfortunately I went out to the garage today to pull the old pump and was surprised to see it has a dual action pump for the wipers,  I would have never thought a budget car like a Wayfarer would have had that.  I suppose it will be hard to buy a dual action pump and I will have to get mine rebuilt again.  I forgot what a b*tch it is pulling the pump without a hoist.  I put the front on heavy duty jackstands but it is still hard getting my old achy body under there to do all the disconnecting. 

 

We are leaving tomorrow for a 10 day gulf coast (New Orleans) trip - now I have this project and probably our first snowfall to think about when I get back to Minnesota. :(

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you Wayfarer may not have had that dual assembly from the get go..odds care it could easily have been changed over the years...as for the 106.00 charge...while a tad high in my opinion also..it comes under pay to play if you farm this stuff out...few simple tools, repair manual and ability to read and comprehend will get the majority of these repairs done at home.....if you going to pay at least give it a try first yourself..you may be surprised at how easy most of this stuff can be...the book is very helpful for technique, safety and troubleshooting/alignments per section.

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you Wayfarer may not have had that dual assembly from the get go..odds care it could easily have been changed over the years...as for the 106.00 charge...while a tad high in my opinion also..it comes under pay to play if you farm this stuff out...few simple tools, repair manual and ability to read and comprehend will get the majority of these repairs done at home.....if you going to pay at least give it a try first yourself..you may be surprised at how easy most of this stuff can be...the book is very helpful for technique, safety and troubleshooting/alignments per section.

You are right about the cars generally being easy to work on.  My biggest problem is I moved to a townhouse with an undersized two car garage (only 19 feet wide). :(  With three regular vehicles plus the old Dodge I can't tie up the whole garage as a shop.  I have replaced single action pumps a number of times - this is more difficult as the dual action housing blocks any easy access to the mounting bolts.  I could go back to single action and just run the vacuum wiper line to the manifold but I know how crummy my wiper action would be.  But then I rarely drive the car in the rain anyhow... :)

post-339-0-44734300-1443996536_thumb.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

My B3B has been idle for some four weeks. Today I topped off the battery, turned on the key and the electric fuel pump, pumped the foot pedal two times and The Phoenix fired up on the 2nd stroke without the use of the choke. No more mechanical fuel pumps on my vehicle(s). Case closed for me, but then my truck has always fired up quickly! LOL

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