Who makes a good fuel pump for a nailhead?I have notice my rivs clear fuel filter is empty when i drive it around the block a few hard times and the carb starts stumbling....no fuel.The tank is full and when i disconnected the mail fuel line it poured out alot of gas. I'm thinking i have a cheap pump and it just can't keep up.o No:
Bob, you may be dealing with vapor lock,,,,, how close is the fuel lines to heat sources???? the lines need to be at least 1'' from the block, exhaust manifolds, ect.... you say that when you drive it hard it does it...... the pump is working or you could not drive it at all.... just a suggestion..... before you do any changing , wrap the lines in some insulation material and see it that changes anything.... a/c cars had a fuel return line that prevented that.... it could be that at some point some body could have installed a non a/c pump on a a/c car.....
since we are on the subject of fuel pumps. Is there anyone that makes a pump with threaded fittings so I can put AN fittings on?
That I know, but the stock pumps are push-on inlet., with a 1/8" npt out. I want npt's on the inlet and out.
Wow, I feel stupid now. Your totally correct. I could have sworn that I had threaded inlets/outlets . A quick search on Google turned up nothing.
What is there differance between a/c pump and non a/c pump? I have two pumps that look the same to me.My car does have a/c.
A/c cars have a return line that goes back to the tank..... it is usually right beside the supply line that comes from the tank.... in the nailhead years the fuel filter had a T nipple that connected to the return line.... but I have seen some pumps with the return on the side of the pump....But i have looked at so many fuel pumps down thru the years that I cant remember which does what....but any way the return line keeps the fuel cool by recirculating it back to the tank and the tank of fuel acts as a heat sink to prevent vapor lock....also fuel pressure prevents vapor lock,,, if the pressure is high enough the fuel wont boil....but if a metal line is close to a hot engine block or exhaust manifold the fuel can boil into a vapor and then the carb will not meter right [in the early stages] and eventually only vapor will be reaching the carb... which it cant handel and the engine shuts off.... but in the early stages of vapor lock the engine will be getting just enough liquid to to carb to keep running , but not good.... A carb is nothing but a fuel atomizer.... it takes liquid fuel that will not burn and turns it into a vapor which will burn,,,, a certain amount of heat will help it to do that, but too much will cause percolation and vapor lock problems.... this is why there is heat risers under nail head carbs and why we cool the fuel when it gets too hot....
I found the return line tucked in the inner fendero No: and i have the old filter that had the second little end for the return line.I will give that a try and see if it works.I no my other buicks all have them in the pump,i have never seen it like that but there are allot of thing in this 64 i havn't seen.I could believe it took 2 hours to swap out the rear!!!! Felt like a ford 9in.I wish GM still used them!! I will say it was very heavy. Thanks again,This BUICK V8 board is the BEST.:TU:
Bob, dont tell any body, but i have a 800 lb gorilla staked out in back that changes those 3rd members for me.....:Brow: :Brow: :laugh: :laugh:
DOC: Thanks for explanation, but I am a bit confused. I understand, why there is always a pressure in fuel system to keep boiling point higher. This is physics. But please, how does work this "cooling fuel return system" ? I have Riviera 66 with Nailhead 425 and from fuel filter there is this return hose. Does that mean, when pressure in filter reaches some limit it is automatically returned to fuel tank? If so, how is this system cooling fuel? I just still do not get it )) Thanks, Lukas.
The 1st. thing you should check is the fuel line hose from the tank to the steel line on the frame. IF the hose has a small crack in it from being 50yrs. old it can suck air & not enough fuel & IF in the right location will NOT leak fuel even when full. ANY of the rubber hoses forward of the tank WILL leak fuel IF ANY of them have a crack. In the past I've had trouble with running when hot. Hooked up a pressure gauge in-line. Had good pressure when 1st. started cold. Drive for 1/2hr. or more & the fuel pressure would drop to 1/2-1lb. Fuel pumps are available from NAPA or Advanced Auto. As for the return. ANY excess fuel needed is returned to the tank. As stated the fuel being returned to a much larger body of fuel acts as a cooling effect with the actual tank being the heat sink. If the tank is under coated then the heat transferring capabilities become less. Tom T.
Doc is correct about vapor lock. My 425 (431 actually) Nailhead was not an air conditioning motor when it left the factory. It is AC in it's new home in my Chevy truck. I did have vapor lock issues, but moving a metal line that carried fuel along the right side of the intake manifold to 1 1/4 inch high standoffs and mounting the line in rubber pads solved the problem. A standard 425 fuel pump from AutoZone works fine.
All Nail head fuel pumps are not the same..... The breakdown of years are: 1953 -1956 // 1957 - 1958 // 1959 - 1965 // 1966 ( 1 year only) Looking at your list of cars -- I presume you are asking about one for a 1964..... I have NEW Ethanol - gas compatible fuel pumps -- and I have 1 N.O.S. ++ A C ++ 40371 FUEL PUMP w/ a "CG" date code (CG -- stands for (C = 3) (G = 7th) -- July 1963 production) ---- purrrrfect for a 1964.....
I had all kinds of fuel starvation issues with my '64 Wildcat w/o AC. I tried everything that has been said by others at least once, even new metal lines, insulating the exhaust pipe and the gas line, new fuel pump, rebuilt an original pump, had the tank professionally cleaned, etc. All helped a little but I still had starvation issues at high speeds (70 mph or better). I finally resolved the issue by converting my system to an in-tank electric fuel pump, which was fairly straightforward, using a 1987 F150 low pressure (in-tank) fuel pump and an AC car specific fuel pick-up assembly. I believe you can search my posts and find the info. I believe the factory was in error placing the fuel filter bracket on the thermostat housing (at least my '64 is that way). It seems counterproductive to have fuel flowing through an area that will be near 180 degrees at most times. I no longer use that fuel filter but use an in-line filter just ahead of the carb. I keep a filter in the stock location for looks.
The original question was "where can I buy a god fuel pump". I have two pieces of advice: 1) Don't buy an NOS fuel pump. The rubber is probably already rotted. 2) Have your original pump (if it has screws and is rebiuldable) rebuilt with alcohol tolerant parts.
Bob's Automobilia has nailhead (and straight 8) pumps and rebuild kits. 8 ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil in each fuel fill up can cure vapor lock... Edit: We've been putting Marvel Mystery Oil in the Roadmaster since 1970. It's never had vapor lock...
