Farrar's car blog

[h22wut]

Oh man, now that's a good idea.

[Farrar]

Thanks, Cliffwood for the comment!

In other news, my fuel pumps have arrived at O'Reilly's. Like every auto parts store I have always dealt with, they took my phone number and said they would call me when they arrived, and then didn't. I guess I just won't bother asking any more -- I think Advance may have done that once, years ago, but no one does it these days. (And I doubt the girl behind the counter was just trying to get my phone number.)

Unfortunately, I am working until 7pm until next Tuesday and O'Reilly closes at eight, which is not enough time for me to get there. So it looks like I will pick up the new fuel pumps tomorrow morning, and install it tomorrow night or Friday. Still hoping I can get my a/c work done on Saturday.

Farrar

Picked up $140 worth of fuel pumps and 30-amp fuses today. Really hoping the new unit does the trick. I have only one more day until, ostensibly, an a/c repair day in Schriever...

Farrar

New fuel pump has 3/8" NPT fittings. Fuel pump carrier has 1/8" fittings. Will have to go to hardware store to find adapters.

In other news, found out why courtesy lights failed: ground came out of the relay socket. Pushed it back in and held it with a small screwdriver while putting the dimmer module back in; all good now.

Boy, is it hot outside.

Farrar

[content22207]

Are you sure your fittings are 3/8 NPT? That's a pretty big fitting -- 5/8" actual OD (larger than the square head on top of your old pump). I have never seen a fuel pump with fittings that large.

I have seen pumps with 1/4 NPT fittings, which is about 1/2" actual OD.

The bottom of your carrier is already tapped 1/4 NPT. I use a modified 1/8 to 1/4 NPT bushing to connect the pump to the screen through the bottom of the carrier (two 1/8 NPT close couplings are joined end to end inside that bushing).

Bill Robertson
#5939

[Farrar]

Are you sure your fittings are 3/8 NPT? That's a pretty big fitting -- 5/8" actual OD (larger than the square head on top of your old pump). I have never seen a fuel pump with fittings that large.

I have seen pumps with 1/4 NPT fittings, which is about 1/2" actual OD.

The bottom of your carrier is already tapped 1/4 NPT. I use a modified 1/8 to 1/4 NPT bushing to connect the pump to the screen through the bottom of the carrier (two 1/8 NPT close couplings are joined end to end inside that bushing).

Bill Robertson
#5939

I was only guessing. Maybe 1/4" is it, though: it is meant for 3/8" fuel hose.

After re-connecting the passenger kneepad (with a whopping two screws!) and its associated electronics (12v sockets and footwell lights), I am once again inside taking an air conditioning break. It's so hot outside that when I took out the glove box I burned myself on the lid, and no matter how much I clean the vinyl it gets coated in sweat before long. I am not sure I will work on the car any more today as it is now the hottest portion of the afternoon. (Heat index 110°F.)

Farrar

[Farrar]

A trip to the Home Depot yielded a proper reducing coupling for the bottom of the new fuel pump (1/4" MIP to 1/8" MIP), but no 90° fitting for the top of the pump. Just to see if I could make it work, I bought a straight 1/4" hose barb, and now I know why Bill uses 90° fittings: you can't get the closing plate on if you use a straight barb.

After looking at the amount of crud collected in the top of the fuel pump boot, I have decided to make a rubber splash skirt to hang off the back of that spare tire closing plate like Bill did, to stop water from coming up over the top of the tank. I have some black vinyl around which I bought for another purpose; if I can't get a piece of inner tube or something at e.g. Harbor Freight, I will just use some of that black vinyl. (Meant for the interior, but who cares?)

Good news: the pump is made in U.S.A.
Bad news: so was the old one.

Good news: I found the weatherstrip I was planning to use for my new trunk seal.
Bad news: it's raining again.

Well, I have my lights fixed ... so if it stops raining before it's very late indeed, I can give the fuel pump a 90° hose barb. I am off to Lowe's to see if they prove more useful than Home Depot in that vein.

Farrar

[Bitsyncmaster]

Try some local hardware stores for brass pipe fittings. Often I find a better selection at those than the large chain stores.

[Farrar]

Try some local hardware stores for brass pipe fittings. Often I find a better selection at those than the large chain stores.

Survey says: Ding ding ding ding ding!

Yup, I found a male-to-female elbow at my friendly neighborhood Ace Hardware. (Not as nice as Blackhawk, but still better than Lowe's and Home Depot.) A little Teflon tape and voila --

SANY0863.jpg

Problem solved!

I can now feel like I accomplished something today.

Farrar

[sean]

Problem solved!

Nice! Pretty clean install.

[Farrar]

Nice! Pretty clean install.

Thanks, Sean! I like to keep my mods unobtrusive and reversible.

Farrar

[sean]

I know you are utilizing the groves in the boot but since you are not running a boot cover, which you should, you should run a piece of padding or some other barrier to keep the boot clamp off the wires. You are asking for a split or cut wire(s).