Fuel Pump Question

[BrianDamage]

This is probally a stupid question, but I've never had anything with a mechanical fuel pump (well...I have but nothing that I've had to work on the pump)

anyway,,1951 Chevy 216... been sitting up for years under a barn...I remember my uncle showing me how he could get it cranked and running when I was about 15 (Im 39 now)

I've been playing around with it this weekend. I pulled the plugs, sprayed some penetrating oil in...changed the oil, hooked her up to a 12V and got it turning over good (6V would not even budge it)

the glass bulb type fuel pump was junked up real bad... I went to NAPA and picked up a "new style" pump (no glass)
got her put on... Im running a short piece of fuel line/hose to a 5 gal can...

with the outlet hose pulled loose, and the motor turning over, shouldn't I be seeing fuel pumping? Im not getting anything

[BrianDamage]

Just to clarify: I have a new fuel pump, the inlet hose in 5 gal gas can and nothing attached to the outlet side... With the engine turning over, I SHOULD get gas, coming thru the pump correct?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Root2812]

I can't say anything about the new fuel pump specifically but I just got mine running yesterday. Here is the tale.....

I flushed the old crap out of the tank...
Result... No gas at the carb but ran when gas was poured into the carb.

Went the fuel pump. It had a glass bulb called a sediment bowl. It was full of trash. I unscrewed the lid and cleaned out the bowl, made a new gasket, and put the bowl back in.......
Result... Bowl filled with gas but still no go.

Pulled the fuel line at the carb and gas came out... Hmmm...

Poured fuel in the carb and had someone crank it over. As the truck started I tapped a wrench on the carb to dislodge any trash and....
Result.. Vroom. Problem solved

SO thats my story. Check all the same places as I did and you will probably get it going with either the old or new pump.

Good Luck

[OrrieG]

Don't take this wrong, but I assume you reinstalled the fuel pump rod? If so, yes you should be getting fuel out of the pump with the inlet in a can of gas. Assuming the new pump has a good diaphram. Anymore it seems have the parts sold have something wrong with them. Could be the lobe on the cam that runs the pump may be damaged. Also, did you check the pump lever against the old one, I believe they are all the same but you might have gotten a pump that has a different throw. Just throwing out ideas...

[BrianDamage]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Don't take this wrong, but I assume you reinstalled the fuel pump rod? If so, yes you should be getting fuel out of the pump with the inlet in a can of gas. Assuming the new pump has a good diaphram. Anymore it seems have the parts sold have something wrong with them. Could be the lobe on the cam that runs the pump may be damaged. Also, did you check the pump lever against the old one, I believe they are all the same but you might have gotten a pump that has a different throw. Just throwing out ideas...

Ugh... That's kinda what I'm afraid of... I'll have to look at it closer... Maybe I'll get lucky and the pump is just bad
Posted via Mobile Device

[BrianDamage]

Ok.... So I'm thinking maybe I didn't Reinstall the rod? I found a video on YouTube that says you have to pick the rod up while installing the pump...this is a v8 on the video though... But I found another post that the 216 wouldn't have a rod, you just bolt the pump right in... So which is correct? Is there a rod or not?
Posted via Mobile Device

[OrrieG]

No rod...I has sb on the brain. I did find an article that said you can mount them upside down so the arm does not ride on the cam.