At 09:48 PM 7/16/03 -0500, Dave Ciaccio wrote:
>....
>I would like to know if anyone has a recommendation for a spare fuel pump
>to keep in the car for emergency? ....
To some extent this depends on your yen to maintain originality (or
not). The largest advantage to keeping the car original is for anyone
being able to order parts out of a catalog, and getting the right part on
the first pass. Or if you are particularly concerned about originality for
concours car show, that's a no-brainer. But if your car is a regular
driver with no aspirations for concours, then there is not a lot of
objection in the enthusiasts environment to changing the type of fuel
pump. In fact you may have already seen some referals to the Facet fuel pump.
If you want to keep it original, then you have two options for spare
parts. One is to carry a complete spare fuel pump, which is both expensive
and bulky. The other is to carry small parts to repair the original fuel
pump if you need it in a pinch. I personally prefer the small parts for
repair method, because when applied to several parts of the car it can mean
the difference between being able to carry all the parts, or being
overloaded with spare parts before you start to pack your luggage. Think
about trying to carry a spare fuel pump, distributor, generator, starter
motor, carburetor(s), water pump, voltage regulator, wiper motor, heater
motor, etc. Most of the repair parts for those things could fit in your
pockets.
The original SU fuel pump is one of those parts that is eminently
serviceable and may be rebuilt or repaired and kept running indefinitely,
as long as you understand how it works and carry the parts and tools
required. For parts you start with the diaphram and stem assembly. For
the MGA you have your choice of three, and only one will work, so you have
to know which one and get it right. The MGB has similar variations, as
well as positive or negative ground. Then you need a gasket and a set of
points, and maybe a condenser or diode depending on which pump, and an
inlet filter screen (not so important). I make that close to $50 (total
list prices from the Moss catalog). These parts in boxes are not
particularly small, especially the diaphram assembly, so even though it's
less weight than a complete fuel pump, it's not much smaller. Add to that
the fact that rebuilding a SU fuel pump is a bit of a fiddly chore for a
roadside repair, and it's not too surprising that a lot of people opt for a
complete fuel pump, or for an alternative.
Step up to the substitutes. Original type fuel pump is over $100, rather
bulky to carry, and not too easy to find at the nearest auto parts store if
you have to go looking for one in the middle of a road trip. The nearest
(slightly cheaper) replacement type may be similar in features but with
some plastic parts that can break at the most inopportune moment. This
happen to me once, on a mountainside 10 miles outside of Albuquerque, New
Mexico on a Sunday morning. Having found the only parts store in town open
on Sunday, there were few options, and a replacement original type unit was
not one of them. So I ended up with a universal type fuel pump with some
hose barbs and a couple feet of rubber fuel line and clamps, some crimp
type wire connectors, and a very small tubing cutter.
Once you commit yourself to cutting the flare nut fittings off of the
original steel fuel lines, you have many more options for a replacement
fuel pump. If you can connect two wires and two hoses and (hopefully) find
a way to mount the thing with at least one bolt, almost any 12 volt
electric fuel pump will do. If the one you get stuck with happens to have
too much pressure (about 4 psi limit), then you also add a fuel pressure
regulator, which can be pretty cheap (as long as you buy it from the right
source). If you get the right low pressure pump you don't need the
pressure regulator.
Enter the option of the Facet fuel pump. This is the little square box for
which the Brit parts suppliers want about $90. It's a popular option
because it's in the catalog, it's low pressure, it's less expensive than
the original type pump, and it's small. But it's also quite noisy. You
might get used to it in time, but I'd just as soon not put up with the
constant clatter. And even at that price it's a bit spiffy for my budget.
Having fought and lost the replacement fuel pump battle a couple of times,
I resolved to solve it once and for all with something functional,
reliable, affordable, quiet, and small enough to pack. Not expecting to
have to change it very often, I'm not so concerned about the price. If it
wasn't for the bulk and weight for carrying a spare I would stay with the
original type fuel pump and keep the flare nut fittings on the steel fuel
lines. But having already cut the lines, that's not a big concern of
mine. As fate would have it, the final price was also reasonable. For the
ultimate pocket size solution, check here:
http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/electric/fp102.htm
If you're packing this unit as replacement for the original fuel pump still
in your car, you will also need tools to cut the steel fuel lines and strip
and connect wires.
Happy and reliable motoring,
Barney Gaylord
1958 MGA with an attitude
http://MGAguru.com
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