Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[bertie]

Hi everyone. Big apologies for not posting for a long while, virtually all the posts concern this young man :



His name is Bertie of course He`s a 1958 Ford Popular, his name came from a car my Dad had, a Morris 8 type `E` called Gertie so it`s in keeping Well, he`s had a long lay-off due to various reasons, passed his MoT in april with no problems and of course that will be his last. The problems started as I took him out and about.. we`d go for a while then he`d stutter and stop. Fuel starvation of course, it`s very common with Pops and there are various cures. Heat shields are now fitted surrounding the mechanical fuel pump but with an opening at the front for cooler air to circulate round it, and also underneath the carburetter to protect both from the heat from the exhaust manifold and down pipe. So far so good, but me being me I`d rather be sure as he`s got The Festival of Motoring`s 50 mile run a week tomorrow ( 26th August ) at the NAC in Stoneleigh and breaking down is not an option This is the existing fuel pump which failed a while ago :


For a while it worked but eventually it packed up leaving the mechanical pump doing all the work..and it became very unreliable Now, in my defence, I received and fitted the old electric pump without instructions.. I got instructions with its replacement - I quote : The pump must be fitted within 14"of the tank, at an angle of 45 degrees away from the fuel tank and it must be located below the level of the tank to allow it to be permanently primed. The location must be away from sources of heat above 60 degrees... Ahem I fitted the original 8 feet away from the tank, bolted flat, above the level of the tank and in the bonnet compartment where it would get a tad warm...and it had to pump air every time the engine tried to start I wonder why it failed then?



Here he is ready to undergo the run two years ago - it was cancelled last year- and he completed the 61 mile run faultlessly in very wet conditions. It`s a 50 mile run this year, and fingers crossed, he`ll do it again in appropriate style. I look forward to posting the outcome in just over a week. Thanks for reading this drivel, wish us luck!

[clan chieftain]

What a lovely wee unmolested Pop. Too many of these have been converted to all sorts. Much better in original condition.
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The Clan Chieftain

[Jim.Walker]

Interested in why you fitted an electric fuel pump in the first place?
I had a fair amount of contact with Pops. Driving and repairing. Including a trip round the Welsh coast. I never encountered any fuel problems due to heat or anything else. In fact I only remember two problems. One, the driver's seat back fractured in Snowdonia - a local garage welded that. And two a near fire caused by incorrect wiring of the rear lamp on the swinging rear number plate. Rust on the hinge had isolated it and an apprentice unused to Ford wiring colours had wired it up back to front. Frequent use of the boot on the Welsh trip completed the earth path through the hinge causing a short circuit. With not a fuse on the car things got very hot in the lighting department,
On the face of it you added an extra complication which let you down? If I was to add anything to the car it would be to introduce a panel of fuses unless it has already been done.
Of course modern petrol does contain more of the lighter fractions which evaporate more easily, so perhaps heat problems with fuel is a modern "common fault"?
AND ELECTRIC WIPERS
I would like to add that I hear many stories about the "common faults" of fifties cars with which I was familiar and most are not backed up by my experiences.
Jim.
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Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!

[Kelsham]

My experience with an Anglia back in the sixties agrees with Jim, I drove it for a couple of years without any problems with fuel.

Had new wheel bearings, and an inlet valve when I bought it and then it just started and ran.

Regards Kels.

[47p2]

You must remember that modern fuel is much more volatile than it was back in the 50s-60s and it is common for old cars to suffer fuel starvation/evaporation because of this. You should speak with Burlen Fuels, they make SU pumps and I'm sure they could solve your problem
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ROVER
One of Britain's Fine Cars

[bertie]

Thanks all for replying, largely I agree and there are many Pops which have never had this problem. I`m pretty sure that the problem has been sorted by the introduction of heat shields- a new mechanical pump was fitted last year and after a while the problem came back. Pouring water over the pump after it broke down got it going again almost immediately so in my mind it`s definitely heat related. The addition of an electric pump is a bit of belt and braces on my part, if one fails the other is there to take over if necessary as one can function without the other.I was becoming paranoid when driving him and instead of enjoying the experience I found myself just waiting for him to splutter and die.. hopefully that`s now just an increasingly distant memory!