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Re: Fuel Pump

To: tom.w.wagner@Central.Sun.COM (Tom Wagner - Program Manager)
Subject: Re: Fuel Pump
From: Ross MacPherson <arm@unix.infoserve.net>
Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 21:19:53 -0800
At 10:12 AM 2/18/97 -0600, you wrote:

>Is it normal for Lucas Fuel Pumps
>to stop for no apparent reason,
>then to tap on them to get them 
>going again.
>
>Tom Wagner


Tom,
 
As someone else already said. welcome to the wonderful world of Brit car
ownership.  Few are the Brit car owners who haven't been stranded,
somewhere-sometime, by a wonky fuel pump.
 
Now for the good news.....
 
These pumps can easily be rebuilt.  New points are readily available and are
(fairly) easy to install.  Once installed they need to be adjusted. And this
is CRUCIAL!!!!!
 
If your pump will hold pressure your diaghram is in good shape and shouldn't
be fidled with.  If your pump just plain quits from time to time and a
gentle rap gets it going then you have a point problem.   Open the
inspection cover and visually inspect for obvious burning or pitting.  If
the points are physically damaged don't bother trying to repair them, turf
them out and get a new set.  If they appear okay then clean them with heavy
paper.............yes paper, a match book cover works well.  Put the paper
between the contacts, compress the points and draw the paper through the
contacts. Do NOT use a point file.  Repeat several times.  To adjust the
points the pump has to be split at the diaghram.  There's a ring of machine
screws that join the two body halves together.  Remove these and keep the
diaghram pressed against the section of the pump that has the points.
Failure to do this will allow a multitude of little spacers to leap out and
find every nook and cranny in your shop. Adjust the points by unscrewing the
diaghram till the points are fully closed then a few extra turns. Turn the
diaghram clockwise (screw it in) till the points just tick over then back it
out four holes.  (Use the pump body assembly screw holes as your guide).
Assemble the pump in this position and your points are now set. 
 
Mr. Norman Knock showed us this procedure at a GoF West Tech Session last
year and we immediately tried it out on a friends TC.  He'd had nothing but
trouble with his pump quitting all the way down. We followed this procedure
and it hasn't even burped since.  Hope this helps............or at least
doesn't make things worse.;)
 
Cheers, eh!
   ___        \______           Ross MacPherson 
  / __ \ __ /       /------|)   arm@unix.infoserve.net
/  (___)---------/ (___)        Vancouver, BC, Canada
 1947 MG-TC 3528                1966 MGB-GT   


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