Fuel System: Airtex Fuel Pump #4227 written instructions

[TheSlyMiner]

Hi I'm a young Studebaker owner. I am rebuilding my 62 Studebaker Lark's fuel pump, an Airtex 1963 R3 ORIG I have the rebuild kit....took several months to get it. I need some help getting it back together since several months have passed by and there are some gaskets that the old pump did not have. I was hoping someone here would have some instructions for me to follow. The guy at Studebaker International that knows about this fuel pump is out of town for the next week. Thanks for any help.

[mbstude]

The original V8 fuel pumps were made by Carter, but both AC and Airtex made replacements marked 4227.

The Airtex version is inferior and isn’t really serviceable, are you sure you don’t have an AC pump?

If you have an Airtex pump, and a rebuild kit for an AC 4227, it isn’t gonna work.

It’s pretty straightforward - the two check valves have to be installed in the right direction, and the diaphragm and actuating arm have to be put together. Don’t forget the oil seal that goes between the diaphragm and the upper half of the pump housing. And make sure you “clock” the upper and lower halves of the pump in the right orientation.

The rebuild kits are meant for multiple applications so there will be extra parts in the kit that you don’t need.

——

If you do have an Airtex pump, and you purchased a kit for an AC pump, send me a direct message and I’ll help you out.

[Platech]

I have a Carter 4227 pump in my 1964 259 V-8 too and after we installed the gaskets and rebuild kit I have oil oozing out the small hole at the top. Not finding any parts for it I bought a Carter M2211 (China made) on ebay. That failed immediately so Im back to the 4227 in my pictures attached. Can I just thread that hole and put a screw in it to stop the oil oozing out? Studebaker International sells a pump thats really expensive, around $200 is that the only choice?

[GrumpyOne]

If you have a genuine 4227 pump, that number is stamped on the flange of the pump and I have one in my hands as I type this note along with an old repair kit for it supplied by Dave Thibeault way befor the "China" era. The kit is marked as "Fpa 230."

[JoeHall]

Check with Matt at mystudebaker.com, or call Phil Harris at Fairborn Studebaker and get one of his that's originally for Mopar 318, but modified to fit Stude V8.

[StudeRich]

Sorry to tell you, but ALL of those are Airtex, they are "Sold BY" many names; Master, Carter, NAPA, Carquest, Advance, O'Reilly you name it.

Please don't unintentionally muddy the REAL Carter Good Name.

A '55 to '62 Carter Original OEM Fuel Pump, they came in Metal Filter Bowl type ('63-'64), and Glass as shown, they Both have built-in Filters:



NO, do NOT plug the Vent hole, it will not work and destroy itself.

[Warren Webb]

StudeRich has told be that if you have a pump that has the arm that's riveted it's one of the Chinese copies, aka junk, so don't bother with it. Get a good one from one of our vendors & you'll be $$$ ahead!

[E. Davis]

I'm not sure you can get a "good" one from any of the vendors. All I found was rebuilt ones that required a core rebuildable pump in trade. To my knowledge there is no new American made Carters out there anymore. Phil Harris has said he is not redoing the mopar pumps anymore because of the cost of the pump so I'm thinking when the mechanical's go all we can do is replace with electric pumps.

[Dwight FitzSimons]

I have a Carter fuel pump off a '64 Commander 259 that I will sell for $20 + shpg. It is clean, but, of course, will need to be rebuilt.
--Dwight

[StudeRich]

StudeRich has told be that if you have a pump that has the arm that's riveted it's one of the Chinese copies, aka junk, so don't bother with it. Get a good one from one of our vendors & you'll be $$$ ahead!

Update: Not all V8 Fuel Pumps with the several Plates riveted together are exactly complete Offshore junk.

It is the AC and Airtex Pumps that used that type of actuator Lever, but there were hundreds, maybe thousands made in the USA by AC (GM) for aftermarket replacements for the Factory, OEM Carter Pumps back in the Day, that worked OK and CAN be rebuilt.

Then, more recently Airtex started Coping these AC Pumps and selling them to Auto Parts Store Chains because in the 1970's & 80's there was a Fair demand.

So it is THESE made since about 2022 by Airtex and sold by many well known Names like Carter that are Junk, Now, it is WAY beyond Leaking Oil, making Noise and a short life, they actually do NOT Pump at all, now in the 2023 version that I believe has been discontinued.