1953 V8 Buick fuel pump installation: a little trouble

[Guest TheDude]

What is the trick? I cannot get the fuel pump flush against the mounting surface. The arm is hitting inside the engine and I cannot get it where its supposed to be, wherever that is. I used a mirror and flashlight to look inside but I cannot see where the arm goes. When I try to maneuver it around it hits something. Does the arm have to be pressed down or up then released at the right time?

[Bill Stoneberg]

Question for you, did you compare the old fuel pump with the new and do they match ?

If so, then what happend if you push on the pump when it is in place ? Doe the arm move ?

It hits against the cam and maybe the lob is at a point where it wont go in. Bump the starter and see if it helps. Just some ideas. I am no0t that good on the early nailheads.

[Guest TheDude]

It is the one I took off the engine to have rebuilt. It is very possible that the cam is in the way. I did not think of that. I'll try to turn it a little. Is it possible that the cam moved when I removed the fuel pump? The car is not running and has not been running so it must have moved because the fuel pump arm was not supporting it. Thanks.

[JohnD1956]

Think about when you took the fuel pump off the first time. did you have to use the wrench to get the bolts all the way out? If so, chances are the eccentric that pumps the fuel pump lever was in the high position. This would have made the body of the pump press against the bolts for their entire length on removal.

I would do this: Use a breaker bar with a socket on the Crankshaft bolt to rotate the engine. You probably do not have to go far, a quarter turn of the harmonic balancer would do the trick. Then try to fit the pump to the engine and see if it lays flat easily.

JD

[Guest ZondaC12]

is the spring really that strong? in my case when i rebuilt my fuel pump i just pushed it on, it pushed the pump arm in, and i bolted it on. or maybe the cam wasnt quite to the peak but almost there or something <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> all i know is i had to push against the spring.

[Bhigdog]

Seems to me I read in one of the books somewhere the engine should have the #5 piston at TDC to ease installation of the pump. I'll try to find it later today......Bob.

[Bhigdog]

Sorry, That applies to 57 engines due to a change in the fuel pump eccentric.

[Guest TheDude]

I've been rotating the harmonic balancer and fitting the pump but I've had no success so far. I used a mirror and a light to watch inside and see the parts move, but I did not see a point where the fuel pump would go in further.

[Bill Stoneberg]

If you hold you fuel pump, can you move the arm in and does it come back out ? In otherwards, if you push the arm does it move ? If not, you have issues with the fuel pump and you will never get it in the engine.

The tip of the arm rides against the lobe in the engine, there is no slot you will see. It is built like a circle your 5 year old brother would draw after a being up all night. Kinda lopsided... Anyway as the arm rides on the fat part of the circle it pushes the arm in sucking fuel in. As it goes on the skinny part of the circle the arm goes out pushing fuel out.

[Guest TheDude]

Yes, I can move the arm. I pretty much sat on top of the radiator and moved the harmonic balancer by hand (I don't have a breaker bar). After I slight turn I would try to get the fuel pump in. It seemed like it got a little closer at one point but still not close enough to the mounting surface. Do I just need to get lucky with the position of the lobe?

[Aaron65]

I wrestled with mine on my straight 8...I finally got a few threads engaged on both bolts, then drew them in and everything went together fine...but that's with a straight 8! Make sure the pump is right first...