Fuel pump replacement

[Rubber Duck]

Well, prepping the wife's 72 superbeetle for the spring season and whilst running it, noticed some wetness near the fuel pump area. The hoses looked kinda old, so I replaced with some brand new hose. Didn't make a difference. That's when I noticed that fuel was actually seeping out from the join between the brass part and the aluminium stand...a lot!

I guess the winter storage of fuel in the pump must've done it in.

Took it out. Had to take out the distributor to take it off too, couldn't find any other way to access the rear nut. Is there a better way?

Searching the threads, I noticed people saying they used multiple gaskets. Mine only had the one...between the flange and the pump. There was nothing between the flange and the engine. Is this normal?

What's a good pump to get? I ordered one from the local lordco for the interim. The guy said it was called "spi". But I'd like to get a better one if possible. Anyone heard of Machine 7? I googled it and the pump looks robust.

Here are some pix of my existing pump.

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Rubber Duck
1974 Westfalia

[wcfvw69]

http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Mechanical-Fuel-Pump-Upright-Engine-w-Alternator-p/113-127-025g.htm

These are reported to be decent pumps. They are the "C" clips on the rocker pin so they don't fall out like many of the other new pumps sold today.

You'd still need to check the fuel pressure after installation to make sure it's in the 3psi range.
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[hazetguy]

[Cusser]

If my VW, I'd go with one just like Bill recommended in his earlier post, with the clips on the horizontal pivot rod.

I've used a 13mm socket with the universal extension built-in, and not needed to remove my distributor or distributor cap on mine. Some have used an S-shaped 13mm box wrench for this and for front carb nut.

And I would leave the plastic flange in place !!! They can break !!!
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[Rubber Duck]

Guys, thanks for the replies. Bill, I was thinking of getting a rebuildable one, but maybe those are already few and far between. The one I currently have also ha the circlip on the pin, but I guess the seal or diaphragm inside just rotted out. Seems like a waste to change out the whole pump just because some seal gave way. But that's the way it is I guess.

Hazetguy, I did try a swivel socket, but my 13 mm socket is already too tall to fit on the outside nut, let alone the inside one. I tried, and I guess together with the height of the socket combined with the height of the swivel extension, it wouldn't fit. I think I'll pick up a 13 with built in swivel socket.

The distributor wasn't too hard to take out, but I was concerned that when I looked into the hole, there was a spring just standing there. Never seen this one in my 74 bus engine. Did I just break something?

Regarding the grease, yes, I will do that. The photo shows the pump as it looked when I removed it. I guess the PO did it that way. I'll make sure to pack it good with grease. As for gaskets, I hope the new one comes with them as the old one didn't!

Cusser, I wish I'd read the samba posts before taking the flange out. I was curious as to how long my rod was. Well, when I took out the flange, thankfully it didn't break, but the rod kind "fell" in. And I thought, oh Lord, what have I done. It was jammed tight to one side and nothing I did could pry it out.

Eventually, I put the distributor back in, took note of the position of the rotor and started moving the engine back and forth. There was a point where the rod loosened enough for me to take it out with a needle-nose plier. Phew!

Later, I read the Bentley and it specifically warned against taking the flange out before the rod. Yeah. Wish I'd read that BEFORE I did it. Lesson learned. Can't imagine what to do if the rod had fallen in somehow!
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Rubber Duck
1974 Westfalia

[Cusser]

[rockerarm]

Hi.
Your current fuel pump is probably leaking from an o-ring between the two colored metal parts. This is a sealed assembly. Some of the pumps I used 25 years ago had a screw top where one could access an area of the pump.
Since you have a generator, as I see in the pics, you can utilize a fuel pump that offers you the ability to disassemble it. In the classifieds there are many people offering pumps that may suit your needs, as low as $5.
One nice thing about a pump that can be accessible is with all the junk in the gas, plus the age of the entire fuel system, this is one area someone can look into even when the gas filter is downstream.
Hope this helps, Bill.

[Tim Donahoe]

I bought a Brosol about a year ago. It had a nice "C clamp". I didn't need to stack gaskets. Just one on either side of the Bakelite flange, and I got between 2.5 and 3 lbs. pressure.

Do not pack the crap out of the bottom of the fuel pump. Just grease the bottom leg. I overpacked mine and noticed the grease squeezing out of the weep hole about a week later. You can overpack, but you'll just make a little grease-turd on your motor.

By the way, when I bought my pump, it didn't come with gaskets. I had to buy them separately. You might want to by a few each, just in case you have to stack a little.

Tim
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Richard O'Brien

[Rubber Duck]

Hey Bill, mine is not a generator, it's an alternator as far as I can tell. Do you mean to say that only the generator model beetles could use the rebuildable pumps?

Tim, the store didn't have any gaskets. I guess I'll make my own. Thanks for the tip.
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Rubber Duck
1974 Westfalia

[hazetguy]

[wcfvw69]

[rockerarm]

[quote="Rubber Duck"]Hey Bill, mine is not a generator, it's an alternator as far as I can tell. Do you mean to say that only the generator model beetles could use the rebuildable pumps?

Hi. The pics that I see appear to show the bottom of a generator. You can use either style of fuel pump. But as far as I know only rebuildable fuel pumps are/were available for the gen style.

A tip to pass along here. Many people are aware of the ease of R&R the distrib by removing the 13mm hex nut for the distrib hold down clamp. If a person does enough of these he will occasionally find the threads for this stud pull out of the engine case. It is an easy repair but, in my opinion, totally preventable. In every one that I have removed the stud was only using, maybe, 2/3 of the available thread depth. My solution is to remove that stud, via the double nut method, measure the holes thread depth and utilize a replacement stud that will bottom out and be long enough to allow the clamp, spring washer, and nut.

Hope this helps, Bill.

[SBD]

Save the shaft with circlips from your old pump! They could come in VERY handy someday.
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[calvinater]

Great idea.
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"Albatross"!

[Cusser]

[SBD]

I've been stranded TWICE by those stupid rods without clips. Finally learned my lesson!
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"Just $99 down and $64 a month for 36 months buys you a brand new Volkswagen Beetle!"

[heimlich]

What is this about clips? Is that alternator specific?

I put a new gas pump in mine. it consisted of a flange, gasket(s), rod, and pump. No clips.

[wcfvw69]

[heimlich]

[wcfvw69]