Aren't you glad I didn't say my gas problem??

I have finally figured out the problem (not getting gas to the carb) with my '54 is a bad fuel pump. I was not out of gas as someone suggested. I was low but...

I took the fuel sender off the tank so I look into the tank since I thought maybe the pickup tube was loose or something. Much to my surprise the inside of the tank was in great shape! I was expecting dirt, gunk, etc as I have heard horrors stories from some guys here about their tanks. The inside was clean and shiny with just a little bit of dirt at the bottom of the tank. While I had my access panel open I made a new ground wire for the fuel sender since the old one was in bad shape.

I had my son blow air into the line back into the tank as I looked in and it made a lot of bubbles in the gas. So I figured it must be the fuel pump. I called the local franchise of Car Quest auto parts. They can get me one for $33 by Tuesday. I started to take off the fuel pump and I had trouble getting my socket and then my wrench on the nut on the right, the most difficult one. Could not figure out why so I got a mirror to see.

The pin that is the pivot to the arm of the pump was pushed against the head of the bolt! I tried to push it over with a screw driver but could not. I gave up and will try again tomorrow with a bigger screwdriver. Maybe I can tap it with a hammer. I guess that is why fuel pump is not pumping! It is an original stock pump with the glass bowl...

Has anyone experienced this with the pin on a fuel pump? Any ideas beside what I already mentioned?

 

It's likely the pin is completely out of the opposite side of the pump body, and not aligned with the opposite hole in the body. Turn the engine over slowly while watching the pin, you should be able to tell when the arm is no longer under tension. (This will likely take two people, or a lot of running back and forth between a breaker bar on the crank and the fuel pump). Once there is no tension on the arm, you have "some" chance of pushing it back in. It could well be that your pump is OK, just not functioning because there is lost motion at the arm.

The other alternative is to pull the pin completely out, so you can get the pump off and fix it on the bench.

PS -- this is a 215/223, right?

 

Woohooo!!
I'm very glad you weren't just out of gas (although that would have been a lot simpler to fix....LOL)

Good luck with the pin, who knows, if you can get it back in place the old pump might still work

Good luck with it, you'll be cruising soon
Bobby

 

Good idea about not being able to push the pin back in if the arm is not lined up with the hole on the other side. I can't push it out the other side the whole way because it is against the head of the bolt.

Yes, the pump might be able to function if I can get the pin back in. I haven't had it on the truck tooooo long, maybe 6-7 years. I should keep a log shouldn't I?... It is the stock type with the glass bowl. I got it on ebay a few years back to replace a newer non-glass bowl pump.

What about getting a cutting tool, like a dremel, down there cut the pin off so I can get a wrench on the nut if I can't push it back?
It is a 239 V8.

 

Dremel works, as long as you can get another pin (I would suspect True Value / Ace Hardware / NAPA has them, if it's a standard size)

 

I'd try wiggling the pin back in first just to see if the pump would work but I wouldn't spend tons of time messing with it before trying to get it out of the way. Since you have a new pump handy why not just take and push a screwdriver behind the pin and pry it, bend it, mangle it out of the way?

Bobby

 

Thanks...

I got the pin out easy enough, put a breaker bar on the crank and turned it a little and crawled underneath the truck to see better and the pin moved quite easy. Then took the pump off. I saw that it sucked when I moved the arm so I thought why not put it back on and see what happens. I hooked up the gas lines and cranked the engine to see if it pumped gas out in to a can and ... nothing!

So either the pump is not working or Could I have a hole in my hard gas line and it sucks air and does not pull the gas through?

I will try the new pump when it arrives.

 

My thought is to eliminate the gas tank and line. get a piece of tube and run from a gas can to the pump and see if gas moves thru then. you might have a clog somewhere.
Hope its as nice out your way as it is in chester county, close to 60 today.
good luck

 

It sure was a nice day, still nice at 4:50 pm, here in Clinton County. I messed around with the truck and then washed our 2 cars and did a host of other stuff outside.

That is a good idea about the gas can to see if it is the pump or the gas line. I blew air back into the line towards the tank and the air made lots of bubbles.

Thanks!

 

Just put your finger over the suction side of the pump and have someone crank the engine. If the pump is working, you'll feel the suction. My SWAG, you missed the pump arm when you put the pin in.

Edit: Guess I didn't read where you had the pump off in your hand. Did you try ;moving the pump arm with the pump in your hand? If working, you would feel the suction when working the pump by hand.

 

Yup, I did that. In my hand the pump sucked air. Put it back on the truck and no suction. I had my son push the starter button while I held my finger over the "In" hole and no suction...

Question: the arm goes on top of the cam, right?

Far fetched theory: Is it possible that my cam lobe is worn down from lack of zinc in the oil that it does not move the arm enough to activate the pump?

 

Look at the arm where it rides on the cam. The straight, flat side is the one that rides on the cam. Is that the top or bottom of the arm? I'm not familiar with Y-blocks, but I'd be surprised if you can put it in wrong.

If you take the pump out, and hold it into the block partway, you should be able to feel which way the cam is pushing.

 

The flat side is on the bottom of the arm so it rides on top of the cam, and that is how I have it.

 

Pretty hard to get it in wrong, most pumps won't bolt up if the arm is on the wrong side of the cam. It is possible that the cam lobe is wore down where its not getting enough movement to work the pump. Rare, but possible.

You might be able to get a rough idea by holding the pump up tight against the block by hand and have someone turn the engine over by hand. At some point the cam lobe working on the fuel pump arm should try and push the fuel pump away from the block

Bobby

 

The quick and easy solution is an electric pump... a lot easier than replacing the cam, if that's the issue.