QuestionQUESTION: Have managed to obtain genuine Carter Mechanical Fuel pump for my 1964 Chevy II with 250 L6 motor. Car had a non-standard low pressure low volume electric pump that starved the motor at revs. Now I need to know how thick the spacer between engine and pump must be as this is no longer on the engine.
ANSWER: Spacer? There is a gasket, that should have come with the fuel pump. There is no spacer that I am aware of, and I double checked in two different parts books.
If you are having difficulty installing the fuel pump, it is probably because the push rod that actuates the pump has fallen down into the path of the fuel pump arm. You need to push this back up out of the way before you install the pump, and if the car was run for some time with no fuel pump installed, the rod may be stuck in the bore - you'll have to free it up with solvent and get it to move again.
If I have mis-understood your question, please post a follow-up to me and I'll try again.
Dick
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QUESTION: Dick, possibly I am the one who needs to explain better! The engine is an inline 6 of 250 cu inches displacement ( also known as the so-called 4.i liter). The pump has an inclined face on the actuating arm that is presented directly to the camshaft that has a seperate lobe for it. The pump is mounted on the lower passenger side of the motor and the camshaft is visible through the opening, slightly above the pivot point of the arm. I know these engines (from the 194cu in through to 292 cu in) with a spacer that limits the stroke of the pump in the "smaller" capacity motors to prevent excessive fuel feed. Trouble is, not many "genuine" Chevs survive here and the number of mechanics that can remember that far back is declining every year! The spacer was fabricated from a fibre/bakelite type of material and was pretty common on engines of that era.The gasket is usually supplied with the pump but the box contains a note stating "re-fit the spacer (sic) that is on the motor......." Please see if you can help.... maybe, just maybe there is still some oldtimer around who remembers the thing?
I remember the pushrod you refer to, my 350 V8 had one as did my De Soto V8. They were V blocks, not six in a line.... which goes fine!
Thanks. Frank
AnswerNo, the error was mine. I have not encountered this particular engine (this may sound strange, but it's a bit too new for me!), so I was unaware of the spacer, or that the fuel pump arm was directly actuated by the cam lobe. The parts book does not mention the spacer, so I cannot even give you the correct part number for it, I'm sorry.
I doubt very much that the thickness or the material is particularly critical, so if the problem were mine, I'd stack up a series of fuel pump gaskets (they are available at any auto parts store) until the pump arm just fits nicely on the cam lobe, and leave it at that. If you find some lack of fuel later, you can always take a few of the gaskets out to make the pump stroke longer.
I know this is not an elegant solution, but I have no better idea at the moment.
Dick
