QuestionHello,
I recently started to help a relative of mine replace the fuel pump on a 60's Impala with a 283-2v. He took it off and etc., but had a difficult time putting it back on. After fooling with it for several hours I remembered the fuel pump push rod had come down and therefore was in the way of putting in the new pump arm. I moved it back into position and installed the pump.
No fuel or pressure...
I took the new pump off and noticed that the pushrod felt stuck in its position. I grabbed it carefully and looked at it. It did have a few very minor blemishes on the metal towards the pump arm, but none towards the camshaft. I greased it back up and reinstalled everything...still to no fuel or pressure...Any help?
AnswerI'll have to guess here, but I think the fuel pump might have gotten damaged. You did the right thing by greasing and pushing the rod up against the camshaft- but perhaps the pump arm got bent to the side, or else unhooked from the diaphragm in all the fiddling around.
Try another fuel pump, or at least inspect the one you have.
You should be able to work the arm by hand (it's hard to push!) and hear the pump working - and feel the suction on the inlet side and pressure on the outlet side as you operate it by hand. There is a spring on the fuel pump arm, just inside the mounting flange that might have gotten out of place - it keeps the arm in contact with the pushrod thruout the stroke. The arm should be hard to push, and the spring should push it firmly back so that it resists the push rod strongly.
If that all checks out, then the pump is OK.
If that is the case, check that push rod rod again - maybe it isn't following the cam for some reason. Turn the engine by pulling on the belts or with a wrench on the crank pulley to see if the rod follows the camshaft - it should make one full stroke every two turns of the crankshaft.
Good luck - this is a strange one!
Dick
Dick
