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Failing fuel pump

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:22 pm
by Peetee
Well that's sorted then.

The problems I've had over the last few trips where the car looses power and dies have been traced to the fuel pump. Despite dismantling, cleaning the points and various minor tweeks of the points gap that would work for a few metres or miles it seems the old pump was, well, just plain old. Today in the middle of nowhere Albert simply wouldn't go. The pump would cope with tickover but any throttle and it just stopped.
The breakdown people were called and they rang a local garage I've delt with before (they had an account at the petrol station I had worked at about 6 miles away :lol: ). The bloke appeared armed with a new fuel pump! He said "The boss thought you might need this. he said he cut his teeth on these cars". I was so lucky they were the appointed garage - no other one locally would have known this. :D :D
The pump went on and worked like a dream. I asked him how much I owed him and he said He had no idea. "How much are they?" said he.
"Erm, about £60" I said.
"How does £40 cash sound?"
"Show me to the nearest cashpoint!" said I.
So he got £10 for being such a decent bloke, and the next time I'm passing I'll drop a few beers in for the boss too. :lol
Oh and incidentally, Albert's performance has been dropping off recently. That's mainly the reason I took the head off. Turns out a lot of this was due to the fuel pump - it just couldn't cope with high flow. As soon as it was fitted the throttle response was fantastic. Up to this point gas flowing the head had made no difference whatsoever. Off for a rolling road sesh next week too.
Can't wait. 8)

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:44 pm
by Sidney'61
Mine did exactly that yesterday :-?
Going down the motorway it suddenly slowed down and the engine cut out, I stopped to the sound of the fuel pump ticking rapidly.
Hopefully it was just a freak incident.

Good luck getting Albert back to full health again :)

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:53 pm
by PSL184
Sidney'61 wrote: I stopped to the sound of the fuel pump ticking rapidly.
:)
Sounds like fuel vapourisation....

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:57 pm
by Peetee
If the pump was ticking rapidly then it's probably fuel vaporisation. Presumably you got it started again?
I thought it was this myself and even got round to wrapping up the fuel line with some sound deadening felt scavanged from the bootlid! Then, when it didn't make any difference I looked to the sky as I realised my mistake. the pump wasn't ticking rapidly - it wasn't ticking at all!

Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:42 am
by dalebrignall
thats good news,i had that ,when i got my car it supposidly had a new pump fitted i broke down on the a406 in london not a good plan.i put a new one on 2 years ago,off to the national tomorrow after work.

Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:45 pm
by rayofleamington
I stopped to the sound of the fuel pump ticking rapidly.
Fuel pump ticking rapidly means it's pumping vapour or air. Unless you've just spent 40 minutes in traffic it won't be vapourisation.

Air entry to the fuel pipe is something to check for!

Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:34 pm
by bmcecosse
Or running out of fuel - or sucking hopelessly against a vacuum in the tank because the breather is blocked!