Fuel System: How to remove the Fuel Pump Bowl on a '53 Landcruiser

[dougmays]

Hey Folks...i unfortunately have let the 53 sit to long and the bowl looks empty...i've been trying to get it started with starter fluid and pumping the gas but no gas seems to be going in. i'm hoping the gas hasn't gunked up on me :/ i used to watch my dad do this in the past

i want to take the bowl off and fill it with some fresh gas and hopefully that'll be enough to get it going. I've got the clamp unscrewed and away from the underside of the bowl, but i cant figure out what comes next...i've tried turning it left or right but no budge. whats the trick?

any other advice would be greatly appreciated and sorry for the long vacation from the forum. good to be back

Doug

[rockne10]

Doug,
All that holds it in there is that clamp and the accumulated pressure of sitting in one spot for sixty years. It should just come off with some effort but, you will need to be certain you have removed all the old gasket and start with a new one.

[DWBookout]

I'm not sure where the pump is located on a V-8 so removing it may not be that easy. However, experience with my 1950 Champion causes me to suggest that you do remove the pump and check the gasket, probably replace, the gasket on the bowl. It may have dried out and is now leaking air, thus no fuel. Getting everything back together with the pump on the engine is a pain. You can replace or at least clean the filter screen in the bowl at the same time.

[RadioRoy]

There have been reports of starting fluid blowing out head gaskets. I prefer to dribble some gas into the carb with a small plastic bottle. It's tougher to do with the side mounted air horn on the 53, but better for the engine.

Once you get it to fire up, the pump should fill itself fairly quickly.

I would siphon the old gas from the tank first and put in some fresh stuff.

[Kurt]

Those high mounted fuel pumps on the early V8's are a pain.... Most likely the sediment bowl gasket has dried out, and the pump is sucking air. The nut on the bowl should loosen by hand, but if not a pair of pliers can be usefull. Remember left to loosen.... I added an electric fuel pump to my 51, to help with this very issue.

[studegary]

How long is "to (sic) long"? If it is more than three months, start with new gasoline and replace that filter/strainer gasket and check for any cracked or swollen fuel lines.

[dougmays]

Thanks everyone!

In the past when i've had this issue i usually use some starting fluid and spray a squirt or 2 into the air in take and after 1-3 times of doing that enough gas fills the bowl and it'll fire but that wasn't working yesterday :/ I also had a electric fuel pump put in but i dont hear it starting up...so i'm wondering if it's shorted out or maybe it, itself is gunked up :/

maybe i should start with the pump? or would some gas in the intake be more effective then taking the bowl off?

How long is "to (sic) long"? If it is more than three months, start with new gasoline and replace that filter/strainer gasket and check for any cracked or swollen fuel lines.

it's been about 4 months i believe. Where is the filter/strainer located?

[Tom Bredehoft]

Inside the top of the glass bowl, hidden by the metal of the housing is a fine wire screen. this is the filter/strainer. The gasket goes around the outside, against which the glass bowl presses when properly applied.

A couple of things you can do, blow, either by mouth or compressed air into the end of the fuel line (that goes to the tank) at the pump and have someone listen at the tank fill for bubbling sounds. If none, there's only fumes in the tank.

Or...wad up a rag, wrap it around the nozzle of your compressed air line and blown into the tank, to see what comes out the fuel line at the pump.

I had to rig up an IV bottle to feed the carb before it would suck fuel through the line after two years of non running.

[altair]

stuck fuel bowl

Hey Folks...i unfortunately have let the 53 sit to long and the bowl looks empty...i've been trying to get it started with starter fluid and pumping the gas but no gas seems to be going in. i'm hoping the gas hasn't gunked up on me :/ i used to watch my dad do this in the past

i want to take the bowl off and fill it with some fresh gas and hopefully that'll be enough to get it going. I've got the clamp unscrewed and away from the underside of the bowl, but i cant figure out what comes next...i've tried turning it left or right but no budge. whats the trick?

any other advice would be greatly appreciated and sorry for the long vacation from the forum. good to be back

Doug

With the screw off and the bail swung aside the bowl will usually fall off it is obviouslly stuck, a slight tap with a composition hammer will loosen it. I would suggest get yourself some spare bowls they are cheap and plentiful. Almost all the AC pumps use the same diameter bowls, some are taller and some are shorter but the diameter is the same. About a dozen different tractors use the same bowls, gaskets and screens and they are readily available through many of the tractor dealers, that is where I got mine. Dave British Columbia

[DEEPNHOCK]

Once you get the bowl off, and remove and replace the gasket and screen....

Pretty good maintenance tip would be to put some grease on the cork gasket. Just a smear.
Then, remove it annually, and clean and regrease the gasket.
That screen is pretty fine, and water does not like going through it, so cleaning it regularly is important.

[gordr]

Simply filling the bowl with gas won't help much, because the pump has to suck the gas UP from the bowl, and if the valves in the pump are stuck or leaky, it won't develop the vacuum to lift the gas from the bowl. Disconnect the inlet line from the pump, and put some fuel in a squeeze bottle, and link the squeeze bottle to the fuel pump inlet with a short piece of hose. You may have to get creative. Force fuel into the pump while cranking, and if the pump is going to start working, it will.

[55s]

If it isn't firing with starting fluid, then you have another issue.

(1) I don't use starting fluid - it can hurt engines. Use a baster to squirt gas into the carburetor if you have spark.
(2) No firing with starting fluid means you don't have spark or perhaps the carb isn't letting any fuel/air mix through
(3) Yes, the glass bowls almost glue themselves on.
(4) Fire extinguisher handy.

[Tom Bredehoft]

I made an IV bottle to feed the carb. while the car was was running, I conected the line from the tank to the pump and it finally started pumping. I quickly disconnected the line from the tank before I sprayed gas all over the engine.

[altair]

fuel pump

Simply filling the bowl with gas won't help much, because the pump has to suck the gas UP from the bowl, and if the valves in the pump are stuck or leaky, it won't develop the vacuum to lift the gas from the bowl. Disconnect the inlet line from the pump, and put some fuel in a squeeze bottle, and link the squeeze bottle to the fuel pump inlet with a short piece of hose. You may have to get creative. Force fuel into the pump while cranking, and if the pump is going to start working, it will.

I don't mean to be critical or pickey but I am a bit confused with your comment perhaps you can clarify. From what I understand a fuel pump has two flutter valves one allows the fuel to be drawn from the tank (ie vacuum) and the other allows the fuel to be delivered to the carburetor (ie pressure). I have a box full of old fuel pumps with the diaphrams as hard as bakelite and the inlet and outlet flutter valves were still serviceable. If a fuel pump will not deliver fuel there are only three things to consider A) damaged diaphram, B) hole in vacuum line from tank and C) no fuel in the tank. With a solid fuel pump and fuel lines three or four cycles will fill the bowl and carburetor. The system can be easily confirmed by covering the filler cap with seran wrap and tightening the cap down and blow air in the suction line at the fuel pump, if it doesn't pressureize then there is a leak in the system. With a small leak the fuel pump can overcome however will require some form of assistance to get it started Dave British Columbia