The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Glass top fuel pump rebuild

My fuel pump ('52 216) has a slow leak out of the weep hole on the rear face of its body. I believe this indicates the diaphragm is leaking. I have found a diaphragm at Tim Tygarts Obsolete Chevy Parts for about $14 vs $40 and up for the entire kit. Anyone have another source or have experience with this vendor? Any downside on replacing only the diaphragm? Doesn't seem like it would be a difficult task. Inputs/opinions welcome.

The diaphragm may be the only problem but I'd want to replace the check valves while I was in there.

Just make sure it's a "new" diaphram made with modern materials...the old rubber doesn't like the E15 gas we get these days (which is most likely what did your existing pump in).

Mike B

Forty9 Just curious, how long have you had the glass bowl top fuel pump on your truck before it started leaking?

Steve

I would say my existing pump is 4-5 years old. I've contacted the vendor in my post to see if the diaphragm is made of VITON which is supposedly more resistant to breakdown by todays fuel. No word back yet. Will advise what I find. Cletis: It may be false economy but with the entire kit going for 3 times the cost of the diaphragm I'd like to keep costs down. Heck some vendors offer a new pump for only about $10-$15 more than a rebuild kit. Go Figure.

My (limited) experience with Tygart's Obsolete Chevy has been good. It wasn't specifically on fuel pumps, rather larger hard parts.

The vendor rep advised that the diaphragm is made in China and she doubted that it was VITON. Seemed like a good idea at the time!

I have not heard or seen any rubber parts getting rotted out by E10-E15. Lots of stories that it COULD or MIGHT, but not a lot of photos of actual damaged parts. Now two cycle and marine engine.. yeah, cars, not really.

My 1944 dated NOS fuel pumps have had NOTHING in them but modern gas (E10) for the last 7 years... working fine.

And no, the white crust left by E10 fuel is ot much different than varnish left over from old gas... so at best its a tie.

I attempted to start the '47 today after a long winter hibernation......noticed the sediment bowl on the fuel pump was dry? I put a little gas in the carburetor and it fired right up. The top of the fuel pump now appears to be seeping gasoline, which must indicate a hole in the diaphragm. The pump is dual action type.

What's the consensus on these fuel pumps, rebuild or replace?

How do you remove the check valves? I've attempted but was foiled and wouldn't want to wreck a perfectly fine pump.

Screw a sheet metal screw into the valve, then use a vise grip to pull it out.

That is a great question Andy as the difference in cost between a rebuild kit and a new reproduction pump is negligible. Why are the rebuild kits so expensive?

The only reason to rebuild would be to keep an original AC marked part on the motor. The new units are not marked with the AC logo or part numbers.

That and the company that makes new units, Airtex, is a gamble... and these are made in the USA.. hahahaha so they MUST be high quality. NOPE.

I got a great price in a new vacuum fuel pump that was defective out of the box

https://www.tm9-801.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=1609&p=3386&hilit=pump#p3386

FLAPs would not honor the original sale price on the return (I could have went warranty return, but decided try and swap it at the FLAPs.

Since I have an original AC marked unit, that will get rebuilt so I knows it done right.

You may be right, on that...the rebuild kits should be significantly lower in price than the complete repro units.

You can buy a b&w/color printer for $29.99 and to replace the
ink will cost you $35. A small car is $15K but to replace only
the engine and transmission would cost you half as much as
the whole car. A cordless drill can cost you $50 but a
replacement battery can run $60.
Complete assembly's are almost always cheaper than individual
parts.
Just one man's experience but be careful buying from Tim
Tigart's Obsolete Parts, I've been stung on NOS parts from
them and would never recommend them to anyone because of that.
dg

The reason why parts cost more than the assembly is due to the fact that an individual part entails many more costs than an assembly.

Take a fuel pump assembly. Its a small box on the shelf. Its one SKU and easy to ID. Costs are low and inventory and handling costs are low.

Now take a check valve for the pump. They have to be bagged, tagged, documented, priced, and stored separately. You just doubled the costs for a business. One part vs two.

I hear you Denny. I guess it is all part of our planned obsolescence throw-away society. I had hoped to hide from that society by messing around with old trucks.

In my opinion, dealing with most of the aftermarket vendors is somewhat like navigating through a pit of vipers. Buyer beware! All of them have horrible parts descriptions and even worse images of items, it is a passive method of obfuscation.

how do i remove the glass top that has been sitting for 10+ years with fuel in it?