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Tips
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Lucas Fuel Pump

Bruce Bowker

Obi Wan
Offline
I would like to replace the in tank fuel pump on a 1964 E type with a new Lucas style but have been told that the hose fittings can be very difficult to find because of thread pitch etc.

Has anyone had any experience with these?

Thanks

Bruce
 
I would suggest you call someone like XKs Unlimited: 1-800-444-5247
One of their technicians might have a good answer for you.
 
I emailed them. Let me see what they have to say.

Thanks
 
Bruce, unless you're stuck with originality issues fitting a Carter P60504 in place of the main pump can eliminate the need for the lift pump. Either gut the original and leave it in place or substitute with steel tubing as the pick-up.
 
Thank you for your reply about location of the pump. It is possible someone changed the tank etc in that past. Currently I do have a pump in the wing. I am trying to solve a long running problem which has now been isolated to fuel. Only when the engine is very warm, it starts to miss due to fuel leaning out. Carbs are all fine and actually not overly warm. Fuel lines are not overly warm either so it is very doubtful it is vapor lock of some sort. I am trying to see if the fuel pump is simply not supplying enough fuel but again this only happens when the engine is hot. I have now had 3 pumps in this car, the first two were Facets and both failed.





XK's reply


Your email was forwarded to me for review. Is the car still positive ground ? If yes to go with the original may prove costly as you would need to purchase the banjo bolts and related pieces. I have listed the positive ground replacement pump along with the negative ground version in case your vehicle was changed over the years. All of the pumps are available at this time. Thanks for the inquiry.



Best regards,

Daryl
 
Bruce Bowker said:
I am trying to see if the fuel pump is simply not supplying enough fuel but again this only happens when the engine is hot.

You might try checking the fuel pressure when cold, then again when you are having the problem. A fuel pressure gauge can be had for $20-30. See if the fuel pressure is falling off when the problem occurs.
 
What pump are you running now, Bruce?
 
The car now has just GM electric pump located in the rear wheel well. The car has no other modifications. 3.8 engine

Here is a report:

We've had some cool and wet weather lately but yesterday it got up to
about 80 degrees late in the day and Kenny took your red E-Type out for
a road test. Everything went fine for a long time and just about when
he decided everything was OK the engine started breaking up. With the
ignition system having been gone over, we wondered if it could be a fuel
related problem. We hooked up our electronic fuel/air ratio testing
equipment to the car and went back out on the road and sure enough, when
the engine started breaking up the meter showed the fuel mixture going
lean. This morning we checked fuel pressure and it was actually a
little on the high side. When Kenny road tested the car with a fuel
pressure gauge and the air/fuel ratio meter attached and he could see
the fuel pressure drop and the fuel mixture go lean as he accelerated.
The breaking up happens under the same conditions but only when the
engine is good and hot. The in-line fuel filter was removed and checked
and it does have some resistance but it's not blocked.
 
I wonder if the engine heat-sinking is unrelated. I.O.W. the pump itself is also getting over-hot as time goes on, pump efficiency diminishes as a result. That Carter I referred to above has been used in several E-Type cars here, even feeds a V-12 (four CD175 Strommies) well. I put one in the trunk of my Spider over two years ago, it has fed the two 40 DCOE Webers without fault (so far) and I use that car every day.
 
The thinking now is that the current pump is getting hot and may well be the problem. Why it is getting hot.....???? A new one is going in and see what that does. I'll suggest a Carter.

Thanks
 
You may have a restriction in the hard line, or the pick-up maybe filled with soot? If this is a 1964, I would drop the collector at the bottom of the tank and check the filter. This is done under the vehicle at the rear. Would disconnect the pump end and the end at the filter on the bulk head and flush with compressed air.
Cheers,
D.
 
It may well be as Dave suggests: if the pick-up end is somehow restricted the pumps would be working extra hard to overcome it. That could be what's killing so many pumps so fast.

Running some denatured alcohol thru the solid fuel lines with compressed air wouldn't hurt, either.
 
The fuel tank is clean, lined and newish. But I'll have all that checked anyhow.

Thanks again
 
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