1955 fuel pump replacement

[jimntempe]

Has anyone tried to add the electric fuel pump in series with the manual pump? If the manual pump fails, will the electric pump push fuel through the manual pump (assuming not a gasket failure)?

Yes, my electric pushed the fuel thru my two useless mechanical pumps fine.

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[Docj]

Has anyone tried to add the electric fuel pump in series with the manual pump? If the manual pump fails, will the electric pump push fuel through the manual pump (assuming not a gasket failure)?

Mine was set up that way when I bought it. On my drove it home (Long Island to Western KY) it occasionally sputtered, sometimes so seriously that it would die. It would then fire back up. I started clicking on the electric fuel pump at the first sign of a sputter; that worked. I later replaced the manual fuel pump and the frequency and intensity of the sputter significantly improved. Personally, I like having a backup source of fuel pressure.

 

[Frankie the Fink]

Has anyone tried to add the electric fuel pump in series with the manual pump? If the manual pump fails, will the electric pump push fuel through the manual pump (assuming not a gasket failure)?

I've done it on a Chevy and iIT WORKS FINE and WILL provide fuel through a mechanical pump failure in most cases.
Mine is activatied by a switch under the dash but ONLY temporarily, like when the carbureated car had sat for a long time to prime the carb or when percolation occured in traffic.

THERE ARE DOWNSIDES; if the mechanical pump oil seal fails the electric pump will push raw gas into the oil crankcase with NO SYMPTOMS to the driver. Diluting the oil and washing down the cylinder walls with gas - NOT good.
If an oil pressure rollover switch is not added, the electric pump WILL CONTINUE TO RUN in an accident, dangerous.
These booster pumps should be for temoprary use only. Period.

 

[dnhodge1]

I have my rebuilt fuel pump from CASCO.
I read the post from @zeroroadkill about fuel pump installation. I get the TDC part.

I still have a couple questions.

1) Will I have to drain the gas tank in order to disconnect the lines before removing the fuel pump?
2) What sealer do I apply to both sides of the gasket when installing it? (brand name would be good.)

Any other advise?

Thanks, Jeff

Wondering if you got your Casco fuel pump installed and are you having any problems with it. I need a new one on my 55.

 

[paul5456]

Wondering if you got your Casco fuel pump installed and are you having any problems with it. I need a new one on my 55.

If you have an old USA/Canadian/Mexican pump there are a number of rebuilders. One is Arthur Gould Rebuilders in Massachusetts.

 

[lsbarchitect]

Great pointers. I've struggled with installing and uninstalling both a new fuel pump AND the old one several times each, finally got the motor on "top dead center" which made it way much easier to install, and as someone pointed out, the power steering is a pain to work around, but I ended up leaving it in place just the same. No success with the pump delivering fuel to the filter bowl and carb.......
Prior to replacing messing around with installing a new fuel pump, I replaced the tank and cleared all the hard lines, so I don't think I've got anything clogging things up. I've even attached a small electric fuel pump running from the soft line off the hard line from the tank to the filter bowl to see if there was something wrong with the tank or the lines themselves and had immediate success.
In other forums I've read many have pretty much abandoned the mechanical fuel pump and gone with an electric one, but I'd prefer the car to run as it was designed, plus the issue of the wipers being run off the vacuum line on the top of the pump.
What could I be missing????

 

[Ward 57]

Great pointers. I've struggled with installing and uninstalling both a new fuel pump AND the old one several times each, finally got the motor on "top dead center" which made it way much easier to install, and as someone pointed out, the power steering is a pain to work around, but I ended up leaving it in place just the same. No success with the pump delivering fuel to the filter bowl and carb.......
Prior to replacing messing around with installing a new fuel pump, I replaced the tank and cleared all the hard lines, so I don't think I've got anything clogging things up. I've even attached a small electric fuel pump running from the soft line off the hard line from the tank to the filter bowl to see if there was something wrong with the tank or the lines themselves and had immediate success.
In other forums I've read many have pretty much abandoned the mechanical fuel pump and gone with an electric one, but I'd prefer the car to run as it was designed, plus the issue of the wipers being run off the vacuum line on the top of the pump.
What could I be missing????View attachment 27235View attachment 27234View attachment 27234View attachment 27235

This may be a dumb question but could you have the input & output lines reversed? When I replaced my spark plug wires I was 180deg off.

 

[lsbarchitect]

This may be a dumb question but could you have the input & output lines reversed? When I replaced my spark plug wires I was 180deg off.

Not a dumb question, I've thought myself if maybe somehow I did this, but in the case of the old (and new) fuel pump the body of the pump is labeled IN and Out, and with the way the one hard line riser is configured going from the pump (OUT) to the filter bowl there'd be no way I could have gotten that mixed up as it appears like there's only one way it could have gone back in. As to the new pump, I did have to re-clock to align with the original hard line configuration, but still don't think I mixed up the IN and OUT ports, but at this point I'm game for anything......

 

[Ward 57]

Not a dumb question, I've thought myself if maybe somehow I did this, but in the case of the old (and new) fuel pump the body of the pump is labeled IN and Out, and with the way the one hard line riser is configured going from the pump (OUT) to the filter bowl there'd be no way I could have gotten that mixed up as it appears like there's only one way it could have gone back in. As to the new pump, I did have to re-clock to align with the original hard line configuration, but still don't think I mixed up the IN and OUT ports, but at this point I'm game for anything......

Hmm.... You shouldn't have had to re-clock it if it was properly rebuilt. Something is mechanically wrong. When you say 'new' is it a newly rebuilt original or an off the shelf replacement? I have heard of this issue before.

 

[lsbarchitect]

Hmm.... You shouldn't have had to re-clock it if it was properly rebuilt. Something is mechanically wrong. When you say 'new' is it a newly rebuilt original or an off the shelf replacement? I have heard of this issue before.

New off the shelf from RockAuto. Yes, I too have heard about how about 90% of the new ones are garbage. I did have to reclock the new one in order for it to align with my original hard line configuration.

 

[Shawnski]

New off the shelf from RockAuto. Yes, I too have heard about how about 90% of the new ones are garbage. I did have to reclock the new one in order for it to align with my original hard line configuration.

?

 

[willcarterdc]

I don’t have an answer to your specific question. But I thought I’d chime in to say that if you can find an older USA-made pump and have it rebuilt by Arthur Gould or one of the other reputable rebuilders, it’s worth it. I had my USA-made pump rebuilt by Arthur Gould and recently had it installed on my ‘57 (didn’t try to do it myself; it’s beyond my capability). It’s about, oh, 1000% better than the non-USA Airtek pump that was installed previously. Well worth it. (Indeed, I recently heard that one of the major T-Bird suppliers had completely stopped selling the non-USA fuel pumps, at least for a while, because the quality was so bad/the failure rate was so high). Previously, I had to have my auxiliary electric pump on nearly all the time to get the car to run properly with my Airtex non-USA pump; since installing the rebuilt USA pump, I haven’t had to turn on the auxiliary electric pump even once. (Indeed, the difference is so dramatic that I’m considering finding another USA one to have it rebuilt by Gould just so I can have it on hand in case my current one ever ends up needing to be replaced. I never ever ever want to have to use an Airtex/non-USA pump again.)

 

[Critterpainer]

New off the shelf from RockAuto. Yes, I too have heard about how about 90% of the new ones are garbage. I did have to reclock the new one in order for it to align with my original hard line configuration.

I think you just found the problem. The 90% failure rate is a generous number. 100% is closer to reality. If you have a tired original get it rebuilt. Also check the flex line for age and id. Some reproduction flex lines have too small of an internal diameter and restricts fuel flow.

 

[dmsfrr]

. . . Also check the flex line for age and id. Some reproduction flex lines have too small of an internal diameter and restricts fuel flow.

Times 2,
or 3 in this case...

Old/original size, .only a few years old, .newer.
They aren't worth the trouble to even try them.

 

[Ward 57]

I don’t have an answer to your specific question. But I thought I’d chime in to say that if you can find an older USA-made pump and have it rebuilt by Arthur Gould or one of the other reputable rebuilders, it’s worth it. I had my USA-made pump rebuilt by Arthur Gould and recently had it installed on my ‘57 (didn’t try to do it myself; it’s beyond my capability). It’s about, oh, 1000% better than the non-USA Airtek pump that was installed previously. Well worth it. (Indeed, I recently heard that one of the major T-Bird suppliers had completely stopped selling the non-USA fuel pumps, at least for a while, because the quality was so bad/the failure rate was so high). Previously, I had to have my auxiliary electric pump on nearly all the time to get the car to run properly with my Airtex non-USA pump; since installing the rebuilt USA pump, I haven’t had to turn on the auxiliary electric pump even once. (Indeed, the difference is so dramatic that I’m considering finding another USA one to have it rebuilt by Gould just so I can have it on hand in case my current one ever ends up needing to be replaced. I never ever ever want to have to use an Airtex/non-USA pump again.)

You can buy a backup as an investment But I don't think needed. parts and turnaround for originals is really reasonable. Mine lasted 60yrs before rebuild due to age and ethanol and now works better than ever expected.

 

[lsbarchitect]

Times 2,
or 3 in this case...

Old/original size, .only a few years old, .newer.
They aren't worth the trouble to even try them.

Here's my original line compared to my replacement. Although the new is certainly smaller than the original, it does not appear to be as small as the one in you photo.
Just got re-installing the new fuel pump to see if for whatever reason it would miraculously work, so that I could send the old one out to be re-built. In the meantime, I'll install an electric fuel pump.

 

[Ward 57]

Here's my original line compared to my replacement. Although the new is certainly smaller than the original, it does not appear to be as small as the one in you photo.
Just got re-installing the new fuel pump to see if for whatever reason it would miraculously work, so that I could send the old one out to be re-built. In the meantime, I'll install an electric fuel pump.
View attachment 27241View attachment 27242

There is a difference and I wish I knew why. The original dimensions are available for the suppliers unless they can't convert ASA from the metric system the suppliers use, should not be a problem unless you have a lead foot and require more flow even with a rebuilt original you should be good.