T'bird Help

This post is mostly for folks from the Squarebirds group at Yahoo groups, but I know I have at least one gear head reader that might be able to help.

I bought a new Fuel pump for the old 'bird, to try to get it back on the road. I spent a good part of Saturday morning taking the old one out and running to the parts store. The new pump I bought at NAPA and was only listed as for the 1958. Mine's a 1960, but the T'bird parts places lists one pump for all, so I thought I'd be OK.

The image at the right is of the two pumps side by side (Cick the image for a larger version). As you might be able to tell, the inlet and outlet are different between the two. On the old one, the inlet is the one on the left (with the fitting in it) and the outlet is on the right. On the new one, the ports aren't labeled like the old one's are and they are in different places. There is a port at roughly the same place as the outlet on the old one, but the other is to the right not the left and is on the other side of the lower gasket you can see in the picture (the pumps are upsidedown). Both ports are on the same side of that gasket in the old one.

What I'm wondering is which one is which? Should I take this back to NAPA and get one from somewhere else?

6 Comments

I'm no gear head, but if it were me, I'd assume the lower port is the outlet, based on it' location in the housing being nearly identical to the old one. I'd hook it up and give it a try, assuming you can get the inlet tube to mate with the other port in some safe manner. All the thing's gotta do is generate a few psi without leaking or exploding, so it shouldn't matter how it's hooked up, eh? If it works, you get to go cruising tomorrow. If it doesn't, then back to NAPA!

That's kinda what I think too, but what concerns me is the is seal between the ports on the new one and not on the old. (See the black ring between the ports? That's a rubber seal.) Probably not a big deal, and you're right, putting it on wrong shouldn't hurt anything. Then again I am playing with an explosive liquid in my attached garage ...

I figured it out. The obvious answer that Virusdoc gave was the right one. Also, it turns out the new pump matches the service manual. The manual shows a sediment bowl that neither the new or old one had, but the port positions were the same as the new one.

Since there was a port on the new one where the outlet was on the old, used that as the outlet and the other one as the inlet. All is right with the world and she runs without leaks. Now if the sun would come out agian ....

Glad you got it figured out...I was out of town spending the weekend with a bunch of other Jeep nuts in the hills of NC...;)

Been playing with the carb on the Rambler too...don't have it quite dialed in yet.

Do you have a heavy duty tubing bender?

I miss rides in the old bird.

Hey BEG, good to see you back here! Did you get all the corn planted?

Yeah, I've got a tube bender, for now. I had to get one 'cause I twisted and broke the metal fuel line going from the pump to the carb and had to buy a new straight one and bend it. I got a 'loan a tool' bender from Autozone. Then I screwed up the first one and had to go buy another new line. Oh well, live and learn.

I gotta return it and get my $15 back.



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  • Hey BEG, good to see you back here! Did you get all the corn planted? Yeah, I've got a tube bender, for now. I had to get one 'cause I twisted and broke the metal fuel line going from the pump to the carb and had to b...

  • Do you have a heavy duty tubing bender? I miss rides in the old bird. ...

  • Glad you got it figured out...I was out of town spending the weekend with a bunch of other Jeep nuts in the hills of NC...;) Been playing with the carb on the Rambler too...don't have it quite dialed in yet....

  • I figured it out. The obvious answer that Virusdoc gave was the right one. Also, it turns out the new pump matches the service manual. The manual shows a sediment bowl that neither the new or old one had, but the port...

  • That's kinda what I think too, but what concerns me is the is seal between the ports on the new one and not on the old. (See the black ring between the ports? That's a rubber seal.) Probably not a big deal, and you're...

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