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Fuel pump torque question

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M

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Can someone tell me how it is possible to use a torque wrench to tighten the bolts that hold the fuel pump to the engine block? There is hardly enough room to reach them with an open spanner, much less a socket and torque wrench. There doesn't even seem to be enough room to use a torque wrench adaptor (especially on the right hand bolt).
 
I always use a wobble extenion or a u-joint fitting to get at that back bolt. As for torque.... I just sorta do it by feel. There is a gasket & I've got Hylomar on it so I know it doesn't have to be super tight.

[digression on] I was reading a book a mechanic friend wrote about working on British cars -- when he hired a novice he would have them clamp bolts of various sizes in a vise and then wrench them til they broke. He wanted them to get to know what it felt like when a bolt was twisting apart rather than turning. I did this with a few old grade 5 bolts and also used a torque wrench just to get a feel for it myself. It was somewhat distressing how easily I could break them (about 12 lbs on the 1/4" ones I tried using a torque wrench).

Anyway, if you have some old bolts that is one way to calibrate your wrist for modest non-critical torquing requirements when you can get a proper wrench on it. [/digression off]
 
George,

Thanks... good advice. I am always very careful with bolts because I know how easily some of them are to break. This is one reason I use highest grade stailess steel bolts and, whenever possible, a torque wrench. But, one cannot be too careful....

Is your "wobble extension" the same thing as, say, what Sears sells as a "torque adaptor"? The items look like an offset device for the torque wrench.



UPDATE: George. I found a "wobble extension" on the Sears page and have ordered one. Many thanks for the lead.
 
Depending of course on which stainless and which carbon steel. For example, 17-4PH bolts are about RC31, while Grade 5 is only RC25.
 
well he didnt say which grade of SS and if you go to lowes and get SS I bet you are not getting 17-4 ph, and 300 series SS is non magnetic and 400 series is magnetic so sticking a magnet on it is not a sure fire way to determine if its SS or not

Hondo
 
George,

Many thanks. The photo of the u-joint socket arrangement makes it very clear.
 
As for the stainless steel bolts I use, I don't get them from Lowes. I buy them from Bolt Depot, and they are grade 18-8.
 
Hi, again, George,

Struck out... I have a 1/2" u-joint socket and it works fine on the front bolt (nut) of the fuel pump, but there is not enough clearance between the rear bolt and the rim of the fuel pump to get the socket on. There's no way to approach it from above and no way to approach it from below. So it is a mystery to me how it was put on and how it can be removed. Surely someone has solved this problem...

The only thing I can see to do (possibly) is to loosen and withdraw one of the securing screws on the rim of the fuel pump -- the screw closest to the rear bolt -- thereby increasing the room for the socket. Does that sound like the right approach to you?

None of the manuals recognize or mention this problem. Haynes, mysteriously, adds: "Note the special nut at the rear of the pump with a slotted head." No other manual, including the Service Instruction Manual, mentions this special nut. And it doesn't show up in the Spare Parts or Moss, etc. I've taken a good look at the nut on my car, and there is no slot. (???)
 
LexTR3 said:
So it is a mystery to me how it was put on and how it can be removed. Surely someone has solved this problem...
Click to expand...

I've had my fuel pump on and off a few times. ISTR I used a 1/4 inch drive w/ a u- joint and the requisite socket. Little tight, but not a major problem....
 
Update on difficulty in removing rear bolt on fuel pump.

I found the same exact question raised on another website. There were two answers (solutions):

1. "If you get a 7/16" open end wrench and cut the handle to 3 1/4" under the head it will work fine."

2. ".... suggested a 1/4" drive flex socket and short extension. This turned out to be the trick -- the short wall height on this socket... combined with the slenderness of the 1/4" drive extension allowed this rig to clear the pump body and slip right onto the nut, with plenty of room to ratchet."

UPDATE: Close but no cigar! The 1/4" drive is better, but the thickness of the 1/2" socket required for the bolt still doesn't clear the rim of the fuel pump. At best, the socket slips over 1/8" of the nut, and no more (???).

Kevin. YOu said it was a little tight, but did the socket go over the entire bolt?
 
Mine went over the nut at least most of the way. But all sockets are not created equal, and I've noticed that the Craftsman stuff has gotten noticeably thicker over the years.

However in similar circumstances, I have been known to take a grinder to the socket and reduce the wall just a bit. That voids the warranty of course, but usually the result is strong enough.
 
Randall,

Sounds like a solution. The wall is just a bit too thick, so I can find a 1/2 inch socket that I can grind down and devote to this specific task.

As usual, many, many thanks.
 
Randall,

I checked at the local NAPA store and found that probably all sockets now have the same wall thickness, except, possibly some from Snap-On tools. But those have to be purchased from the salesman.

I'm still leaning toward withdrawing the one securing screw on the fuel pump rim that seems to be in the way. I'm not ready to do this now, but will do it after I've completed other work on the car.
 
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