Interesting Issue Recently - 48 Lincoln yet another fuel pump fail

[MarkV]

So on my 48 Lincoln I had yet another fuel pump fail. I go through them like toilet paper on this car, 3 in the last 8 years. So I put a new one on and still nothing! Ended up also being the fuel pump rod that was broken off as well. Replaced it and it works again! I have never had this problem with any of my cars.
 

The engine is a 51 mercury flathead which I absolutely love and it’s been in the car since the late 60s.

[TerryB]

Wonder if the rod pushing on the pump arm is defective?  Perhaps too long?

[Terry Bond]

Gee, looking at your title I thought you'd be talking about the latest issue of a magazine.

Terry

[Rusty_OToole]

One of the many bad design flaws of this engine was putting the fuel pump on top of the motor where it has to lift the gas rather than push it. This makes them prone to vapor lock, combine with a  hot running engine and today's vapor prone fuels no wonder the pump can't cope. Solution may be an auxiliary electric pump back under the gas tank.

[Grimy]

I think I recall that oversize (i.e., longer than normal) pushrods were available in the aftermarket for these engines, perhaps to compensate for wear of cam lobe or to get more diaphragm deflection.  We Cheap Charlies used to glue a washer into the cap to effectively provide a longer stroke.  You might want to check a Ford/Merc V8 supplier to see if they offer two different lengths of pushrod.

[Rusty_OToole]

Have heard of welding a worn pushrod and grinding it smooth to restore the length.

[MarkV]

This one actually snapped the lower part which was crazy. I’ve had hard starts for years thinking this was a long term issue