Fuel Pump Points

[Stig]

Replaced the points in the fuel pump at the weekend and had to tweak the new set a bit to get it to work. There's a brass end-stop that hits the steel body of the pump which I had to bend to allow the points to open, or indeed to move at all! I bent it enough that there's now the required 30 thou' clearance when the springy contacts are pressed up to the pedestal and it seems to work happily enough but it seemed a bit odd that I had to adjust things that much.

Anyone else replaced the points recently to compare notes with?

[rayofleamington]

AFAIK, the end stop is deliberately set too long to make sure people consider setting the gap. Otherwise most people would just put the points on and it it goes 'tick tick' they'd ignore any further instructions.

[andrewsxt]

Is it right that the electronic fuel pump has the tick tick built in for originalities sake, or am I just the most gullible person in the world .

[rayofleamington]

The tick tick is more likely to be the pump working, not the points themselves.
As for the originality - I really don't believe anyone would add a noise to a part on purpose!
And some of the 'electronic' fuel pumps actually have points anyway

[ColinP]

When I replaced the points I had to set the gap - and quite a lot of adjustment as well.



maybe it's just the way them come (like Champion plugs...

Colin

[bigginger]

am I just the most gullible person in the world .

Did you know that the word 'gullible' has been removed from dictionaries?

a

[Cam]

Feeble, Andrew, feeble...

[bigginger]

That's me all over - but you'd be amazed how many people fall for it. You try it!

[Cam]

Nah, I'm not gullible enough to do that! Seriously though I know what you mean. Like when I told my mate he was paranoid. He responded very quickly with a panicked look and 'what do you mean?' Well, it made me laugh at the time!

[andrewsxt]

While we`re at it , why is there only one monopolies commision ?

[Cam]

[minor_hickup]

On the subject of fuel pumps i've been having problems with fuel pumps and wondered if anyone could give advice. I've been suffering from what seems like vapour lock. On a hot day if the car is run, then stopped and run again it cuts out from fuel starvation and the pump clicks away, sometimes anyway, sometimes it wont unless you tap it, is that because of any pressure caused by vapour? anyway i removed my inline fuel filter, which seemed to help, fitted a heat shield around the float chamber and it still keeps doing it even whem the ambient temperature is relatively cool. The fuel pump was replaced in December and is a brand new SU fuel pump. The engine is running a little hot at the moment could this be contributing?

Someone help because this is really rather annoying, especially as i took a friend to eastbourne and the last 10 miles home involved stopping every mile or so.

[Cam]

Sounds like you might have two problems there: 1. sticking points in the puel pump and 2. fuel vapourisation.

1. check the points are clean and not burnt/eroded
2. if the engine is running a bit hot then cure that as it won't help the underbonnet temperature.

[Blunt]

I've got exactly the same problem...

and it's been going on all summer.

I think I've read too many fuel vapour threads cos I keep thinking it's related to heat...but it's been hot all summer.

the worst occasion was a couple of weeks ago when I had to do some v. steep hills in bath....and I mean really steep...bennetts lane and snow hill (if you know em).

the car cut out as I tried the hill, and nothing I did could get it to the top...I jumped out and tapped the pump; it clicked a bit, so i carefully pulled the fuel line off the carb...nothing came out...so I tapped and out came fuel...but it kept cutting out....there was no power there either.

so I tried a slightly less steep hill.... the van juuuuuust made it, but I had to tap the pump again.

gave the van a rest with the bonnet up for half an hr before I drove home.

half way home it packed up again on a long hill...

it's been doing it on and off all summer though.

brand new fuel pump 6 months ago

I'm going to clean points again tomorrow...or even service an old pump and swap them over.

this vapourisation is characterised by a lot of clicking afaik...so it's not that.

[Stig]

Don't assume that a brand new genuine SU pump will actually stay working for months, let alone years. I had to send mine back and get it replaced when I first fitted it as the points were dodgy. I could've replaced them myself of course but why should I? If Burlen Fuel Systems (?) have a quality problem then they should b***** well know about it! Maybe they still do have a quality problem.

To be fair, the replacement pump worked fine for a few years with zero maintenance - until recently, so I don't recommend the zero maintenance approach.

[minor_hickup]

Well i finally put a new radiator in from ESM, which has cured the overheating and despite being very hot no problems with vapour lock, so i suppose it was the underbonnet temperature.

Regarding fuel pumps, ive never thought about maintenance, most things ill try, but im a bit like water, i dont mix well with electrics. If i dismantle the fuel pump am i likely to bugger it up? What kind of maintenance should i be doing and how regularly?

[Stig]

The book says to rub a piece of card between the points to clean them (every 12000 miles? -can't remember). It may require a needle file rather than a piece of card if the contacts are pitted but don't unless you have to.
Dismantling isn't complicated, it's only one nut to undo where the wire connects and you can take the cap off. No need to remove the points just to clean them but it'd make inspection of the state of the contacts easier, that's only loosening one screw anyway.

[simmitc]

I really don't believe anyone would add a noise to a part on purpose!

Except you can turn on a keyboard click to make it sound like a typewriter. But then again a good proportion of the world clicks "start" in order to stop.

[gavc34]

I'm a bit new into Minors as my last one 10 years ago was a 1971 that ran like a dream. My lastest inherited one a '57 has had a new pump fitted before I received it but the float chamber runs dry. leading to in conking out every 1/2 mile. Tapping on the pump gets it running again for another 1/2 mile. Any suggestions?

[Cam]

Well, the pump points are sticking. It's quite a common fault and not unknown even on a brand new pump. Try cleaning the points contacts as perhaps they still have some manufacturing grease on them.