Fuel pump removal without gasoline everywhere?

[davester]

I'm about to yank my SU pump out and I'm having a flashback to the memory of gasoline running down my arm and all over the floor the last couple of times I did this many moons ago. Since I can't just use a metal rod to plug the line as I've done for flex lines on other vehicles, Does anyone here have any clever tips for avoiding or minimizing spillage.

 

[jlaird]

Golf tee.

 

[David_DuBois]

Loosen or remove the fuel line fitting where it attaches to the fuel tank (upper rear right side of fuel tank). The only fuel that will come out then is what is already in the line. If the tank is less than half full, just jack up the passenger side side of the car while changing out the fuel pump. Cheers - Dave

 

[tony barnhill]

Jack that side of the car way up in the air, leaving the other side wheels on the ground. You're gonna have to get up under there anyway.

 

[Steve_S]

Only because it hasn't been mentioned, a pair of small vise grips will pinch the line off nicely. Don't pinch so hard as to damage the hose, just a bit more than finger pressure. Or go with any of the aforementioned.

 

[davester]

Thanks guys. Now I don't have any excuse not to go out into the freezing cold garage (the temperature has plummeted in the last few days) and yank the pump. While I'm doing it I think I'll install a Facet backup pump a la Dave Dubois's website.

 

[tony barnhill]

Why? If you put a new SU fuel pump on it & it works, there's no reason for redundancy.

 

[RonMacPherson]

Might be he's related to Dale, our Puerto Rican resident redundancer.

 

[DrEntropy]

...indeed...

 

[WA1KWA]

Davester, let me reccomend one of the solid state SU fuel pumps. Looks just like the one you have now (only cleaner, naturally), but without the points. I've been using one for 10 years now, not a moment of trouble. Bolts right in in place of your original & only you'll know the difference.

Now, a question for you: You said "Freezing cold garage". I see from your location you are in Berkeley, California.

Please define 'Freezing cold' (note my location).

All in good fun, like our cars. Good luck with your fuel pump, however you decide to go.

Colin

 

[davester]

Every time I decide to do something, you guys interrupt my decision tree and throw me for a loop (but usually in a good way). I was planning on either just filing and adjusting the points on my "needs an occasional whack" SU pump, so I thought it would be good to throw it back in with the cheap Facet as backup, as suggested on Dave Dubois's site. I'm not too keen on spending over $200 for a new pump. However, do you guys think that a Dave Dubois rebuilt pump with solid state conversion (significantly cheaper according to his website and not much more than the Facet plus parts) would be sufficiently reliable that I could dispense with a backup pump?

For WA1KWA, Here's a picture I took driving from my house to work today. Unusual weather for Berkeley, but it's !#@!$ cold!

 

[tony barnhill]

I've always thought that if I'm gonna take the time to do it, I'm gonna do it right....& not have to redo it in a few months when my cheapie bandaid stops working....just my opinion though.

I mean, why even reuse your correct SU pump if you're gonna put the Facet in? Just use it by itself.

 

[davester]

I'll agree with you on not doing the band-aid approach (i.e. filing the points), but it seems to me that a pump rebuilt and converted to solid state by Dave D is not a "band-aid". I hadn't really thought before that I could forgo the hassle and aftermarket ugliness of a backup pump, but if you guys think a solid-state conversion significantly lessens the need for a backup, I'll go that route.

 

[tony barnhill]

Solid state is the way to go...neat thing about Moss' solid state is that it ticks like the points one....ask Dave if he can make it do that.

But, if his is totally rebuilt & the quality of Jeff's distributors, you don't need the redundant Facet pump!

 

[rick_ingram]

I'm sorry...but any component can fail at any point in time.

Are the chances slim? Probably, yes.

But when I'm out on the road and a loooooong way from home, I'll take the insurance/reassurance of a secondary pump already plumbed in, thank you.

I've had the pleasure of a fuel pump exchange in the parking garage of Mount Rushmore under the watchful eye of the US Park Service...a simple flip of the switch for the "redundant" fuel pump would have been a lot faster and saved the day for us. I could have then replaced the SU pump at my leisure.



FWIW - YOMV

 

[Steve_S]

Modern cars don't need backup pumps and neither should your classic. The most common cause of pump failure is non-use. If you drive the car a lot, points pumps are very reliable and can be repaired on the road if they do give you trouble. If the car sits a lot, solid state may be better since it will not suffer corroded or "gummed up" points. Another thing to keep in mind is that when a points pump begins to die, it can be "whacked" to keep it running for a while longer. When a solid state pump dies, it dies suddenly and cannot be repaired easily. This is one reason why I only run points pumps in most of my cars. Both types are good, but for different reasons. Choose whichever fits your needs, or if you're really worried about it then install a secondary pump. Then move on to mounting a spare coil. :wink:

 

[tony barnhill]

<span style="font-weight: bold">AMEN, BROTHER</span> - On the lack of need for redundancy! My 1979 that I bought new now has a little over 120,000 miles on the original fuel pump!

 

[davester]

OK, I'm convinced. I was originally just trying to follow what I thought was the general wisdom (backup pump), but it appears that I was wrong about what the general wisdom was. Also, I've driven my MG for approximately 100,000 miles with only one pump replacement that I can recall. I'll go for Door No. 2, the rebuilt converted pump with no backup.

 

[DrEntropy]

Dave's solid-state unit is likely to outlive the car. A Facet will serve but needs some plumbing changes. Go with Dave's unit and be done wifit. As long as the car is frequently driven you should have no issue.

 

[David_DuBois]

Dave's restored and converted pumps should last a lifetime (and yes, they sound just like the original pumps, even more so than the Hall effect pumps that Burlen Fuel Systems make because the employ the original toggle so the pump makes the sharp ticking rather than the softer sound made by the Hall effect pumps which don't use the toggle). That said, the pump is still an electromechanical unit and as Rick points out, can fail at any time for a variety of reasons. I use the pumps that I restore and convert in our two MGs and I also have a permanently installed backup pump for the same reason that rick states - I'll be dammed if I am going to change out another pump (regardless of how unlikely the need may be) by the side of the road again. It is not fun in 40° temperatures with a 40 to 50 mph wind blowing and it is down right scary to be under the car with traffic whipping past at 70 plus mph just feet away. Been there, done that and it will not happen again.

Davester - e-mail me at SUfuelpumps@donobi.net is you think you want me to restore and convert your pump.
Cheers,