1957 Aftermarket fuel pumps going bad .

[Bill Balkie 24172]

Hello, I purchased an after market fuel pump for my 1957 Cadillac . i do not have hardened valve seats so i add an aditive to compinsate for the lead . i have had two fuel pump go bad in just a couple of hundred miles . I do have the Original Fuel pump that came with the car in 1957 , this pump has a round dome like cover on the top .  I ordered a rebuild kit for this pump and plan to install it this week . i hope this solves my proplem with fuel pumps . Meanwhile i do have an auxelery pump just in case . I guess my question is , am i causing damage to these pumps by adding the lead aditive .  Any advise will be greatly appreaciated

[35-709]

Bill, see my other post concerning your valve seats.  As to the "lead" additive you are using, it is, or should not be, lead.  It may be a lead substitute, but it is not legal to sell lead for consumer use.  I would stay away from it, you do not need it.

[Len Sholes]

Bill re your fuel pump problems. What are you finding wrong with the ones that are failing? The only two iitems that might be effected by an additive would be the fibre check valves or the diaphragm.

[Bill Balkie 24172]

Hello Len , i am not sure  why  the first one failed i sent it back and they replaced it . The one they replaced also failed yesterday . I am not sure why at this point . Maybe i need to install a filter before abd after the pump . From what i am hearing , people are telling me to stay away from the additives just run straight premium gas .  Len  I think i will try the double filter , these fuel pumps must be very sensitive to the slightest part of dirt . It is a good feeling haveing the Electric spare just in case .   Thanks Len

Bill re your fuel pump problems. What are you finding wrong with the ones that are failing? The only two iitems that might be effected by an additive would be the fibre check valves or the diaphragm.

[Bill Balkie 24172]

 Thanks Geoff   I  am going to install a filter before and after the pump ,  i think my prpblem must be dirt related . however i just had my tank cleaned . i did notice some dirt in the filter before the carb. so i guess some dirt did pass the the Pump . Thanks again for your input ...... Bill

Bill, see my other post concerning your valve seats.  As to the "lead" additive you are using, it is, or should not be, lead.  It may be a lead substitute, but it is not legal to sell lead for consumer use.  I would stay away from it, you do not need it.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day Bill,

I noted that you just had your tank cleaned, so I am positive that there in lies your problem.

Unless an old tank is cut open, and cleaned and then put back together, no amount of cleaning whilst it is in one piece will get out everything.

Why was it necessary to clean out in the first place?   Rust?

I "cleaned out" a tank once, and thought I got it clean, but 6 months later, I was down to changing Fuel Filters once a month.  The first few days of using it, I was changing filters virtually once a day.

It was only necessary to install the filter between the tank and the pump.

Additives "Should not" affect the operations of any fuel system part, and if they did, there should be a Warning as part of the Label.

Bruce.

[Bill Balkie 24172]

Thanks Bruce, i think you are correct , if need be i will put a new filter on every time i take my car out . I will install a filter before and after the Pump .Do you think the pump will have a problem sucking the gas thru the filter ?  Thanks Bill Good luck wuth you 1972 Eldorado 

G'day Bill,

I noted that you just had your tank cleaned, so I am positive that there in lies your problem.

Unless an old tank is cut open, and cleaned and then put back together, no amount of cleaning whilst it is in one piece will get out everything.

Why was it necessary to clean out in the first place?   Rust?

I "cleaned out" a tank once, and thought I got it clean, but 6 months later, I was down to changing Fuel Filters once a month.  The first few days of using it, I was changing filters virtually once a day.

It was only necessary to install the filter between the tank and the pump.

Additives "Should not" affect the operations of any fuel system part, and if they did, there should be a Warning as part of the Label.

Bruce.

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

Bill:

Sorry to hear of your fuel pump problem.  I don't know how old your replacement
pump was, but rubber compounds do deteriorate with age and modern fuels contain
additives (ethanol among others) that will deteriorate them in short order.

When I bought a pump for my '55 (an NOS pump) I rebuilt it with fresh rubber
parts to insure it was going to be OK --- even though it was NOS.  I've never
had a problem since then.

Just my word of advice -- on rubber parts, when in doubt replace them!

Mike

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Thanks Bruce, i think you are correct , if need be i will put a new filter on every time i take my car out . I will install a filter before and after the Pump .Do you think the pump will have a problem sucking the gas thru the filter ?  Thanks Bill Good luck wuth you 1972 Eldorado   

G'day Bill,

The Fuel Pump will not have any trouble pulling the fuel through the Filter, until it gets totally blocked.

Me, I use the Plastic Filters with an opaque colour, and one can see the discolouration in the bottom at a glance, and then after I have replaced it, I dismantle it (Cut it open making sure without accidentally slicing myself) and check the contents.

Bruce.

[John Morris #23947]

I had this problem once. The filter bag inside the tank was so clogged, the pump had to work like sucking a watermelon through a straw. It ruined 2 pumps in short order. We flushed the tank and installed a new filter bag, no more pumps going out.