Fuel pump - No tikky tikky

[tonyp]

Lotti's had a rest for the past month or so having a nice new rear wheel bearing fitted (rear n/s - full of water & a bit rusty / noisy) but all has been put back together & properly torqued tight. Time to fire her up. Jump in, key in, all looks good, hey, hang on, no tikky tikky, carbs are bound to need priming, whats up ?

Jump out, grovel underneath & fiddle with fuel pump wires, check fuses, no joy. Not a bad connection then.

Recall Tiger days (twin SU pumps) & give pump a good bashing with fist. Ouch, bits of skin everywhere. (next stage would have been a bashing with a hammer ....)

Hurray, lots of tikky tikky, jump back in, fires up, no probs.

Clearly internal contacts are dirty / on the way out. New pump needed ? any ideas when ? Never had this before, although she's usually driven at least once a week.

Presumably a reasonably easy job to put a new pump in, although I haven't read the bit in the manual yet, it all seems pretty accessible, just need to get the tanks empty.

Anyone had similar ?

[molemot]

There's now a replacement for the contacts in SU pumps, it's electronic so doesn't have the dirty contact/wear issues..and it even ticks like the original!! I believe you can rebuild your old pump with the new switcher.

Electronic Conversion Kit Pos

This Kit enables you to convert your own SU Fuel Pump to electronic 'pointless' operation. It is polarity concious which means you have to order appropriate to your car. You will also need a screwdriver, 2BA spanner, thread locking adhesive and an analogue ammeter reading up to 3 amps to fit and adjust this kit. This one is positive earth, for negative earth refer to 015.471.

Part number: 015.471

Pack size: each

Price:

[andydclements]

The SU pump failed on my Riley recently.

I blocked off the pipes to and from it, removed the unit. you can easily remove the pivot pin for the contacts and clean those up with emery paper.

[Bazza 907]

Whacking the with a hammer workds for me every time (at least twice a year)

[molemot]

Used to fly a Tiger Moth which needed the hammer treatment to the impulse magneto before trying to start it..lots of useless propswinging if you didn't know!

[tonyp]

Used to fly a Tiger Moth which needed the hammer treatment to the impulse magneto before trying to start it..lots of useless propswinging if you didn't know!

My kind of guy - I'll fly with you anytime !

Thanks all, we'll see how it goes on for a bit

[lostu]

hi tony,had the same thing happen to me a couple of months ago.whilst i was working on my alternator i was leaning and loosen the spade terminal too the little round fuel shut off valve,as it was cold and the car had been sitting,so i gave a gentle tap with a screwdriver and when i made contact with the terminal yes ticky,ticky etc.i found this fault as i tried too start previous and the car was starved of fuel trying too start as if run out of fuel,but like i said this was the problem.it sits before the long first fuel pipe to the first carb. cheers stu

[Tony K]

I think with regular use you should be fine.

[pomoz]

G'day

I also had the same problem few years ago ... when i came back home(Norwich) after few months in OZ...

Turned on .... no ticky ticky ... not impressed .

Then spannerman suggested getting a fuel pump kit .... installed it ................ no problem ... i can learn to sing along with TICKY TICKY .

Then the same thing happened over her in OZ a few months back .....after not starting car for 3- 4 months, after blowing a hose and not getting around to replace hose.....

Replaced hose .... gave fuel pump a bit of a tap with handle end of screwdriver ......... TICKY TICKY

Learnt that.......... to start car every two weeks min .... just to keep fuel pump alive

pomoz

[iainskea]

The trick is to ignore the warning signs of a fuel pump dying and break down at traffic lights in peak hour - it takes real class to ask for a push...

One tip from me: take off the fuel line at the carby and use the old pump to empty the tank, before disconnecting the pump. This will save you having to find drip buckets for 10s of litles of fuel under the car.

Sounds obvious after you do the latter once...

Iain

[molemot]

Always amazing how much is left in the tank when the fuel gauge needle is bending against the "Empty" stop...unless you REALLY need there to be fuel!!

[pomoz]

Oh yes,,,,,

The fuel gauge.............

It is going down from half full ... to EMPTY a alarming rate

The low fuel light keeps flashing .... and wont stop .

You call in to servo .... put enough to get you home ......

Bloody hell ...... it is almost to FULL !!!!!

At least..... i dont mind as i have not been caught out on a lonley road

Pomoz 87 S3 HC na