OK, so recently I tore off the fuel pump because it wasn't working and ordered what I thought was the same pump. What I got was a dual action Fuel/Vacuum pump. I was all set to send it back, when the part dealer asked me if I didn't have vacuum windshield wipers and brakes. The answer was, I'm only a cook...I don't know!!! LOL.

So upon further research, I learned that
1) I believe most stock 54's came with the vacuum variety.
2) My truck had just a fuel pump attached,
3) I did not see any rubber lines running out of the firewall which would indicate a vacuum system,
4) The trucks wipers and brakes do not work at all, even with the truck running, so that indicates possibly, that it is a vacuum problem. (The truck started, and all other electronic components like lights, heater, blinkers worked.)

So my question is...how do I tell if it is set up for a vacuum system? Is there another way to create vacuum other than a vacuum pump? There is a kazoo like looking thing sticking out of the head right near the coil that has 1 wire and one rubber tube attached, which I thought was some sort of ballast resistor necessary for the 12v conversion which was done to it.

Questions aside, if it IS a vacuum setup, I do want to convert it, as my daughter will be driving this, and for safety reasons, I want a more reliable setup.

Holy ****, can someone help me make sense of this? I am sending back the dual action pump, and getting the plain old fuel pump for now. But could use some advice for a general game plan.

Thanks.

 

I'm curious where you got that pump? Those are very desirable, and hard to find. Not much to converting to that, usually you put a vacuum reservoir somewhere, and use both the manifold connection and the vac pump, with check valves in each line, to draw down the reservoir. Then run the wipers off the reservoir.

I'd be suspicious that they gave you a pump that fits, did it appear right?

 

Got it on eBay. Listed as an ac 4931 or 4131 dual action fuel and vacuum pump.