If the pump should fail, what kind of damage, if any, would/could the push rod sustain?

JamesC

 

failed like you mean the push rod is concaved or mushroomed on the cam eccentric side ? if the pump fails its the diaphragm that fails or the lever may break overtime. Replace it and call it a day.

 

I haven't pulled the pump yet due to weather, but the car made a terrible metal-on-metal sound the last time I tried to start it. Gas had wet the floor under the pump. I've ordered a Carter M6626 for the OE replacement.

JamesC

 

Chances are all the damage that is done is the fuel pump it self sounds like the diaphragm is ripped and fuel is coming out the weep hole. I would still take the time to remove the plate and take out the rod for inspection. If it has severe wear toss in a new one and the cam lobe should still operate it fine. Putting a thin coating of vasoline on the rod will help keep it up during assemble and has a low melting point.

 

Hi James ,

This metal on metal sound , can you try to describe it ?

The reason I ask is , No matter how badly the pump failed , at a cranking over but not running engine speed , the worse sound I could imagine it would make might be a steady , repeating "Click , , Click , , Click" as the pushrod attempted to actuate the somehow failed pump . The metal on metal nature of the sound makes me wonder if more than one problem could be happening ?

 

A high-pitched screeching, I'd say. Happened when the motor briefly fired.

JamesC

 

Hi James ,

I don't want to worry you by speculating what could make such a screech sound , but , even at the low RPMs the engine was likely running it still , I would think , have more of a "click Click Click" nature to the sound rather than a screech .

I sure hope my hunch is wrong , but I do suspect you may have a leaking pump AND something else wrong (Stuck idler or air pump pully , perhaps ?)

I guess we'll have to see what it does when you replace the leaking pump .

PS , have you checked the oil to make sure the leaking pump hasn't diluted it with fuel ?

 

Well, never too old to be a numb nut.

I removed the card to give it another once over and what should I find from the install from a day or so ago? A washer—from nuts and bolts that I use for a carb stand—had stuck to the bottom of the carb base so that when I put the carb on the manifold, the washer created a massive vac leak. I know a vac leak can cause whistling, but I'm unsure that the caterwauling I heard could be attributed to that.

BTW, I checked pullies, and they spun freely and noiselessly, though they weren't, of course, under load. There was no smell of gas from the dipstick.

Everything is buttoned up, but I haven't cranked it yet.

Here's the link that started me down this road:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/carb...sues-fuel.html

JamesC

 

Hi James ,

GREAT find on the washer stuck to the bottom of the carb spacer , Hell ya I'll bet that could cause exactly the Screech sound you described !

It's good that no fuel made it into your oil and I'll bet that with the carb squared away and a new non leaky pump installed , you'll be fine .

Please let me know if the mistaken washer was the source of the sound , I have heard lots of vacuum leaks over the years , and some did in fact screech just as you described

 

Much to my surprise, the leak was the culprit. Furthermore, the car started and ran fine today. Still shaking my head at the whole business.

JamesC