Fuel System: Lark VI glass bowl fuel pump

[LeoH]

So I looked for threads about fuel pump rebuild and it's not clear that the fuel pump rebuild kits are something you can get and do on your own. The one thread I saw with any step by step instructions for the rebuild were for a pump on an 8 cylinder.

Is there a description of rebuilding a glass bowl fuel pump on a 170 engine I have overlooked?

[skyway]

Kit should be avialable from Dave Thibault in Massachusetts.
Rebuild is pretty straighforward, especially if you have an exploded diagram from a shop manual.
Be sure to scribe across the seam between the top and bottom halves of the casting, so that you can properly "clock" it when you reassemble.

[RadioRoy]

It's good to have a piece of flat glass to use as a flat plate. I take both halves of the pump and surface them on the flat plate with sandpaper to take out the warps and imperfections so that the diaphragm has a good chance of sealing.

[SScopelli]

Is there a description of rebuilding a glass bowl fuel pump on a 170 engine I have overlooked?

Here is a link for the rebuild process of a typical mechanical fuel pump..

http://www.allpar.com/fix/fuel/fuel-pumps.html

In essence as skyway said, pretty straight forward..

When you take it apart, take MANY digital pictures along the way.. Also, there will be two check valves on the middle body. This is critical that if you replace them that a) you put them back in the same direction; b) peen the ends so they do not pop out..

Its a Little tricky unhooking the diaphragm plunger from the arm, but practice, practice..

Finally, don't tighten the glass bowl bail to tight at first. Rotate the glass a bit as you tighten it down, but again, not too tight!

Dave Thibault is a great guy.

There are vendors on the west:
Chuck in Phoenix, Studebakerparts.com
Tom in LA area, Studebaker West.. 650-366-8787 as well.
only pointing that out being NV is on the west side of the Mississippi!


Hope that helps.

[LeoH]

Thank you for the tips and the encouragement. I was feeling mixed signals, with the kits available, but some folks weren't selling them anymore due to the kits not being installed properly, couple that with there not being any easily accessible images/video showing how to do it.

Other than some SDCer's older thread of a V8 pump rebuild. It also didn't seem clear that the kits would come with any instructions at all or of any use, so I was wavering towards buying a replacement pump, but I'd really prefer to rebuild it as long as it's a feasible chore...at least not any worse than rebuilding a carb.

Thanks for the tips for StudesWest and Studeparts.com. I'll give them a ring.

What specifically is tricky about the arm unhooking?

Scribe the body, sand the pump halves on a glass plate, lightly tighten the fuel bowl bail....

Not having done this, this is an ignorant question, how much fuel do I need to expect to catch/soak up when I take the pump off?

Also, I noticed, looking at the pump where it bolts to the block, looking at the pump, there is a nub from the pump body(for lack of a better description) that is towards the front of the engine and up against the bolt head on the right. It looks odd, is it supposed to be there? I haven't tried to remove anything, but glancing at the pump yesterday it almost looks like it would keep that right bolt from turning.

[LeoH]

The two suggestions didn't pan out. StuWest does have 1 original rubber kit in stock still and StuParts only sells the Airtex pump.
I'll try Dave's number tomorrow. Chris at StuParts did offer the number for Then and Now and I'll give them a shot too if Dave doesn't pan out.

[SScopelli]

The two suggestions didn't pan out. StuWest does have 1 original rubber kit in stock still and StuParts only sells the Airtex pump.
I'll try Dave's number tomorrow. Chris at StuParts did offer the number for Then and Now and I'll give them a shot too if Dave doesn't pan out.

Sorry they did not pan out..

SI has a kit for glass bowl ones

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb.dll?parta~dyndetail~Z5Z5Z50001003a~Z5Z5Z5AADVR~P60.00~~~~S3SV0P1OJE68228213335a~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z50001003a

[LeoH]

Not wanting to assume, and since I'm aware there are NOS kits out there, does anyone know that these are updated, alcohol resistant material kits at SI?
This is not a cost concern issue on my part, just not wanting to do it any more often than I need to.

[brian6373]

You can try Then and Now Automotive. They sell kits that are compatible for ethanol fuel. 781-335-8860

[LeoH]

Thanks Brian.

[altair]

I bought 7 fuel pump rebuild kits from Harold Houghton at houghton@classicpreservation.com . The instructions are comprehensive and easy to understand. The diaphragm is trickey however with perserverence you can do it. I disconnected mine by compressing the spring after I drove the pin out and fiddeled the arm out that way. These kits come with a diaphragm that has to be attached to the plunger, this can be done in a couple of ways. The first way is to press the rivet out with a hydraulic press and when the new diaphragm is reinstalled it can be reriveted back together. I used a tip from a #2 Robertson screwdriver as a drift. When I set it up in the hydraulic press I placed a rag around the piston because the first one I did was not in the press streight and shot out like a bullet in the shop and I never found it. Option 2 is to grind off the rivet and centre drill the shaft and reassemble with a threaded screw either an 8 or 10 - 32 a lathe helps for this. The 6 cylinder pumps have a clasp to retain the valves whereas the V8 pumps are a press fit. The diaphgrams are the same and the re-and-re is the same. I recommend pressing the rivet out because after it is reassembled you can't tell it was ever apart. Best of luck Dave

[LeoH]

Hm. Thanks for the process description Altair, but um, now I've got second thoughts about this; since I don't easily have access to a hydraulic press or a lathe. Can I use regular garage tools and equipment and take a fuel pump apart and put it back together?

[Charlie D]

You do not need anything special to do the rebuild.



LeoH,



The first picture shows the pump body with the old diaphragm separated from the valve housing. Just above the cam lever you can see a lead plug. That plug had to be removed before I could get to the cam lever pin.

I placed the pump body in a vice and with a small punch lightly tapped on the sides of the plug with the angle of the punch going away from the body. I was either very lucky or more likely the good Lord was watching over a dummy but the plug was loosened and I got it out with a pair of vice grips. The pin was then removed which in turn allowed the lever to be taken out and reinstalled with the new diaphragm. If I remember right the lever has to be held all the way down when the two bodies are screwed back together.

The post recommending many pictures to be taken is very appropriate. I wanted to make sure the air dome diaphragm was replaced correctly. The kit I bought did not have the umbrella valves (something about patent infringement). They are the things that look like little toadstools with holes in them. Anyway, I was able to tap them out with a small punch, replace the rubber pieces under them, and then tap them back in.

The fuel pump was put back together. Then and Now did not have the stone filters but provided a round, fine-screened filter. It is held in place by the spring you see in the glass bowl. I put the pump back in the vice and hooked it up to a gas can with clear tubing. It was very nice to see the gas being pumped in only one direction. Before the rebuild, this same procedure just managed to move the gas back and forth in the tubing. Hope this will help in case you decide to rebuild yours.

Charlie D.

[LeoH]

Wow, thank you very much CharlieD!! That's a great set of photos and very helpful comments. You said the kit didn't have the umbrella valves but you replaced them. How did you go about doing that?

[Charlie D]

I just re-used the ones that were in it. The round, rubber-like disks that were under each one were hard and evidently not doing their thing. The new ones were soft and pliable. I did not stake them when I tapped them back in because the fit seemed very tight and hopefully they will not work themselves back out.

Charlie D.