Bad replacement fuel pumps 1955

[zeroroadkill]

The previous owner went through 3 aftermarket fuel pumps before he found on that would work! While fighting the carb float bowl leakdown problem I decided to replace the fuel pump thinking the diaphram might be cracked leaking fuel into the crankcase (gas smell in oil). Knowing the problems of trying to find a good manufactured replacement pump I ordered two from Larry's. Installed one and it just wouldn't pump enough to keep the engine running😡, the same-o problem again (see thread "Teapot stumbling". This time I gave up and installed the electric pump! Another thing I noticed was the brass fittings would not seal in these replacement pumps but did in the old pump leading me to think the threads in the replacement pumps were threaded too large? I tried fuel resistant Aviation Form-A-Gasket #3 on the threads to no avail, the fittings would screw all the way in and still leak! More Chinese crap!!! Buyer beware!!!

BTW, the electric pump works well, no stumbling, no hard starts after sitting, no stalling after hard acceleration...

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[biddle]

It might help others if you were more specific about the name/brand/part number and website link for the electric pump in question.

 

[zeroroadkill]

I would hope that suppliers of the unsatisfactory pumps would extend retun & refunds

We will see, call in for Monday! What pisses me off is the fact that they even stock this crap! Concours mentioned that they didn't have any in stock and that they were having problems with the supplier and manufacturing! YA THINK??? Even the Carter replacement was marginal.

 

[cokefirst]

This problem with fuel pumps is not new. I had to put 3 Airtex brand pumps on my 1956 Thunderbird before I found one that worked. I also find the fuel pump flex lines sold by the suppliers are apparently not made of alcohol resistant rubber and turn to mush after about a year. I returned 2 of those flex lines to Larry's because they were bad. To their credit, Larry's took them back with no issue. I posted a request on another vintage car blog and their suggestion was to make your own using the new fuel line and off the shelf fittings. I did not want to do this on my car. After some research, I found a place in Massachusetts that sells alcohol resistant fuel pump kits and also does rebuilding of your pump. They also custom make fuel flex lines with the alcohol resistant hoses. The cost is not cheap, but replacing the lines and pumps multiple times makes it worth the extra cost. They are called Then and Now Automotive.

 

[MRansom]

I would hope that suppliers of devective fuel pumps would extend return & refunds!

This problem with fuel pumps is not new. I had to put 3 Airtex brand pumps on my 1956 Thunderbird before I found one that worked. I also find the fuel pump flex lines sold by the suppliers are apparently not made of alcohol resistant rubber and turn to mush after about a year. I returned 2 of those flex lines to Larry's because they were bad. To their credit, Larry's took them back with no issue. I posted a request on another vintage car blog and their suggestion was to make your own using the new fuel line and off the shelf fittings. I did not want to do this on my car. After some research, I found a place in Massachusetts that sells alcohol resistant fuel pump kits and also does rebuilding of your pump. They also custom make fuel flex lines with the alcohol resistant hoses. The cost is not cheap, but replacing the lines and pumps multiple times makes it worth the extra cost. They are called Then and Now Automotive.

good to know! I have been using StaBil 360 Marine to help alleviate ethanol issues

 

[zeroroadkill]

I would hope that suppliers of devective fuel pumps would extend return & refunds!

good to know! I have been using StaBil 360 Marine to help alleviate ethanol issues

I may be mistaken but I think staybil only address the moisture in the ethanol fuel not the ethanol itself?

 

[HRUVDT564]

The previous owner went through 3 aftermarket fuel pumps before he found on that would work! While fighting the carb float bowl leakdown problem I decided to replace the fuel pump thinking the diaphram might be cracked leaking fuel into the crankcase (gas smell in oil). Knowing the problems of trying to find a good manufactured replacement pump I ordered two from Larry's. Installed one and it just wouldn't pump enough to keep the engine running😡, the same-o problem again (see thread "Teapot stumbling". This time I gave up and installed the electric pump! Another thing I noticed was the brass fittings would not seal in these replacement pumps but did in the old pump leading me to think the threads in the replacement pumps were threaded too large? I tried fuel resistant Aviation Form-A-Gasket #3 on the threads to no avail, the fittings would screw all the way in and still leak! More Chinese crap!!! Buyer beware!!!

BTW, the electric pump works well, no stumbling, no hard starts after sitting, no stalling after hard acceleration...
View attachment 13543

Thanks for sharing. I also ended up with an electric fuel pump. Mine does not have a switch but will look into that after seeing you post

 

[zeroroadkill]

Thanks for sharing. I also ended up with an electric fuel pump. Mine does not have a switch but will look into that after seeing you post

Also you might want to install a G-force cutoff switch in case of an accident and maybe put in a relay connected to the oil sending unit so wnen oil pressure is lost the pump will turn off. Somebody else posted this so I don’t have the details on how.

 

[Jeannie]

The previous owner went through 3 aftermarket fuel pumps before he found on that would work! While fighting the carb float bowl leakdown problem I decided to replace the fuel pump thinking the diaphram might be cracked leaking fuel into the crankcase (gas smell in oil). Knowing the problems of trying to find a good manufactured replacement pump I ordered two from Larry's. Installed one and it just wouldn't pump enough to keep the engine running😡, the same-o problem again (see thread "Teapot stumbling". This time I gave up and installed the electric pump! Another thing I noticed was the brass fittings would not seal in these replacement pumps but did in the old pump leading me to think the threads in the replacement pumps were threaded too large? I tried fuel resistant Aviation Form-A-Gasket #3 on the threads to no avail, the fittings would screw all the way in and still leak! More Chinese crap!!! Buyer beware!!!

BTW, the electric pump works well, no stumbling, no hard starts after sitting, no stalling after hard acceleration...
View attachment 13543

So you are saying you can replace the original mechanical fuel pump (if that is what was the original was) with an electric fuel pump. This one in particular works? Reason I am asking is my mechanic says I need a new fuel pump. The part that he found, CarterM/73066 , on two or three site says it does not fit my 1955 4.8 L 292 2 door convert. The part that I find GMB 525-8310 is compatible, so it says. So needless to say I'm confused. Would a mechanic that is not familiar with t-birds have difficulty with this kind of conversion, or with just finding the correct replacement part?

 

[zeroroadkill]

Search this forum for fuel pump and you will see several posts about pumps. Doug has posted some helpful posts. There are many chinese pumps that are junk. If you have an original USA made pump you can send it off to get rebuilt (see other posts). If you want to bypass the mechanical pump you can install an electric pump as I did. You can put it inline or bypass the old pump, but be aware if the old pump diaphragm’s bad fuel can leak into the crankcase. Best to also install a inertia safety switch (google) in case of an accident. If the vacuum side still works (wipers) just bypass it, if not you may want to replace it with a USA built pump or have yours rebuilt. If i remember correctly the USA oump has hex head screws? Check other posts. Good luck.

 

[cokefirst]

I do not know of a quality US made fuel pump. Mechanical pumps are a dying breed with the introduction of fuel injections and the electric pumps that power them. I would NOT purchase a new pump from any of the major brands, (Carter, Airtex, etc). If you have a bad original pump or a replacement that was US made, I would send it in, get it rebuilt and then reinstall it on your car. The current problem is that the rebuilders are overwhelmed with business and are having a hard time getting kits for the old pumps. It is simply my opinion that I would not put on an electric pump. I would also look for a core and have it rebuilt, Then you have a spare.