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Did not want to resurrect an old thread on this topic, but I have a question about a post “Rescue Roger’s” made as follows:
”I went through 3 carters in 2 years. I have an Edelbrock in there now. The failure point is how the pivot pin is just swaged into the housing. If you look at your photo of the Airtex you can see the pin and how it looks like its just sitting there with to tiny little arms crimped partially around it. Just keep an eye on your fuel pressure. It will start running weird when this part fails, but it may give just enough pressure for it to run.”
This just happened in my 71, leaving me stranded 120 miles from home. The fuel pump had less than 750 miles on it. So I’ll be replacing a fuel pump shortly.
I see how the crimp points on the pivot pin are a potential failure point. My question is - would applying a small dab of JB Weld to the two crimp points help? Or would that interfere with the pump operation? Not sure if that pin rotates or not.
Last edited by gshedden; Sep 10, 2023 at 10:14 PM.
Search on the C-2 side for fuel pumps. One member made a bracket that bolts up to the two fuel pump mounting bolts and covers the pivot pin at the same time. It will not allow the pin to "walk off". Airtex did have a problem with the pin. Jerry
However, from what I've seen for modern replacement fuel pumps they don't have the hole going through the casting so pin walk isn't the issue.
The problem Roger is referring to is the crimps holding the pin on the modern pumps breaking which allows the pin to move away from its proper position so the pump arm no longer pumps. This crimp style is the way all of the new pumps are made. From what I've read here and elsewhere most pumps are Carter pumps now and simply rebranded as Delphi, etc. I have yet to find any modern pump of this style with anything but the crimped axle pin. Until a company makes the correct design all we can do it buy, break, and replace over and over.
The axle pin can be glued but it won't solve the extreme spring and leverage pressure being forced on those tiny crimps.
This is a new old stock Master brand (Airtex) pump with the newer design crimped axle pin
This is an NOS GM pump with the original style pin retention
However, from what I've seen for modern replacement fuel pumps they don't have the hole going through the casting so pin walk isn't the issue.
The problem Roger is referring to is the crimps holding the pin on the modern pumps breaking which allows the pin to move away from its proper position so the pump arm no longer pumps. This crimp style is the way all of the new pumps are made. From what I've read here and elsewhere most pumps are Carter pumps now and simply rebranded as Delphi, etc. I have yet to find any modern pump of this style with anything but the crimped axle pin. Until a company makes the correct design all we can do it buy, break, and replace over and over.
The axle pin can be glued but it won't solve the extreme spring and leverage pressure being forced on those tiny crimps.
This is a new old stock Master brand (Airtex) pump with the newer design crimped axle pin
This is an NOS GM pump with the original style pin retention
Thx 70s. I’m going to look carefully at the pump I just ordered to see if there’s a way to fashion a plate from thin metal, sort of in the shape of a gasket, which might sit over the crimp points to hold the pin in place. Probably not but maybe.
I’ve been running the Robbmc pump on my 496 since last year. Probably have around 4k miles on it and no problems so far. Took a little thought to figure out the plumbing but if I can do it anybody can.
Pat
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
Originally Posted by gshedden
Thx 70s. I’m going to look carefully at the pump I just ordered to see if there’s a way to fashion a plate from thin metal, sort of in the shape of a gasket, which might sit over the crimp points to hold the pin in place. Probably not but maybe.
That is a good idea if its thin enough not to move the end of the pump rod too far off the cam pushrod..it would have to support the pin and have enough meat to bridge the port in the block. if its clean and dry enough JB weld might help but it has to have enough of a gap to grip onto the pump housing. It could take up space and not compress if it was used as a support but I dont know if it would work to hold that pin in. All the force is moving against those swages.
The easiest way to improve this is to grind out the swage, remove the pine, drill though the housing and use a through pin. Sealing it and holding the pin in place could be solved with JB weld. You could repurpose a hardened drill bit as a pin cutting the excess off or sourcing a hardened pin from McMaster Carr
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
Buy the way I use electric pumps now, which have their pros and cons....if it fails it just fails, your dead on the water. But the pros are you can control your fuel flow if you are working on the engine and either need fuel without the engine running or shut it off so you can turn the engine over without pumping fuel.
Todays fuel pumps
