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Triumph TR6 - Another TR6 Adveture/ Advice on Fuel Pump

Well I had another TR6 adventure.

Driving with my wife to visit relatives the car dies on a 2 lane highway about 25 minutes from the nearest larger town on Saturday around 1:00 PM. Eventually concluded it was the fuel pump. No gas being pumped to carburettors. We called CAA (AAA) and they said they would be about 2 hours for a flat bed tow truck. I called British Auto Sport my local parts supplier (2.5 hour drive away) and he was closing at 2 PM but agreed to leave a fuel pump outside for me. He suggested perhaps an electric fuel pump could get me going. Called Carquest (Auto parts supplier)in Leamington (closest major town) and he had a 1-4 psi electric fuel pump. He was closing 2 PM as well. He rounded up some wire, fuel hose, clamps , but connectors. Luckily, my cousin lives near Leamington and was home. He graciously went to Carquest , got parts and drove them to me. Also Mark a local mechanic who stopped, left his number and when we called also graciously came with crimper tool to crimp the butt connectors since the small set of pliers I keep in the car couldn't do it. By 3:30 I had jury rigged the fuel pump (picture attached) and connected the power supply of the pump to the parking lights. Turn on parking lights- turn on fuel pump and away we go.

Moral of the story- keep a spare fuel pump with you.

We got to my relatives place. Visited and went home Sunday (3.5 hour drive) Swung by my parts supplier and picked up fuel pump. About 10 minutes from home and 8:50 at night, all of a sudden smelled anti freeze. A few minutes later all sorts of steam coming from car. Decided to continue drive keeping eye on temperature gauge. Had to pass a slow guy and unfortunately left him in a cloud of steam. Got home and discovered pinhole leak in hose that feeds intake manifold. Never overheated but probably wasn't too far from running out of antifreeze. Engine got a nice cleaning from ethylene glycol spray.

Michael Petryschuk

Connection of power to parking lights. Black wire to red wires and connector.

Thank goodness these cars are somewhat easy to access stuff and work on.

Michael Petryschuk

I suspect it is the ethanol in the gas that is burning out the fuel pump. This is the second time since car was rebuilt in 2005 that the fuel pump was replaced. The original fuel pump lasted until 2009 or so from 2005 rebuild (after going 10 years plus from 1969 to 1983- car sat unused from 1983 to 2005) and now this new replacement 2014.
Michael Petryschuk

Michael- Are you using the Ethanol proof diaphragms that are available?
DNK

I guess not. Not that I am aware of. Didn't know that was an option. I will investigate further

Thanks Don
Michael Petryschuk

Update

Fuel pump diaphragm did not fail. It was the linkage between the operating rocker arm and the rod that pulls the diaphragm down.

This linkage is metal on metal and the metal ears on the diaphragm rod wore to nothing and the rocker arm was going up and down but the diaphragm wasn't

Somewhat disappointed. That was a new pump in 2008 - 21000 miles on it since. Looks like a cheap design

Probably can fix it but not sure how reliable it will be and the new pump isn't a whole lot of $$. Just toss it in the scrap I guess.
Michael Petryschuk

Those pieces are known to fail with a certain brand of new ones.
There's a fix but can't remember.
Saw it at a Tyee tech session a couple years ago
DNK

Michael,
It appears that your electrical connection to the PDWA is disconnected. If so...,why?
db
Doug Baker

Hi Doug

Stupid brake warning light stays on all the time and I think the PDWA switch is shorted. I haven't wanted to take the time to trouble shoot it since it will involve probably removing it and having to rebleed the brakes. Brakes work fine- I don't think it is because the plunger is pushed one way or the other since the light came on with no failure of any part of the brakes. So to turn the light off I pulled the plug. Brake lines are rust free. All brake components new when rebuild done in 2005 and have 30000 miles on them now. So I am not too concerned about failure in this area.

Update on fuel pump- I put a new mechanical fuel pump in and after about 210 miles (one trip)on Sunday it started pissing out fuel through the top cap. I had to reconnect in the electric fuel pump to get home since I was 90 miles from home. Got home late Sunday and haven't bothered to see why the leak started. Lost about a gallon to a gallon and a half of gasoline before the leak was discovered as I was visiting my father in law and a neighbour came over to say the car was leaking gas big time in the parking lot.

This is the second time a fuel pump has failed in short order on me (I didn't elaborate in the thread above but the one I did in 2009 failed after 2 hours of driving and I had to replace it again- that replacement was the one that failed Sept 5)

I am beginning to think I am cursed when it comes to fuel pumps.
Michael Petryschuk

Michael- Buy the rebuild kit from "Then and there "
http://www.maritimedragracing.com/antique_auto_parts_cellar.htm
Then you'll be fine
DNK

Don...thanks for the link for the rebuild kits, though I wasn't the one who asked for it. Now I have it saved for the inevitable. In the small world department, I saw their address was in Weymouth Mass, and since I lived the next town over and was stationed at NAS S. Weymouth, I looked at a map. Turns out they are located in what appears to be the same building which used to do VW repairs....and my 86 Jetta spent a lot of time there!
RF Ickrath

Ick-
Rebuild info here
http://www.74tr6.com/fuelpump2011.htm
DNK

Wow. That guy who cleaned the fuel pump did a fantastic job. Makes me want to send my whole motor there! Good info...thanks! Sounds like a good winter project...rebuild an old fuel pump to carry as a spare.
RF Ickrath

You need to see his whole site
I HATE him
DNK

Thanks for the links Don

I am on the fence of going to the rebuild kit. I still have to see why the latest new fuel pump started leaking as badly as it did. It wasn't the diaphragm but the seal on the top. I got a replacement unit free from the shop I bought the new one from 3 weeks ago. When I install it I will see why the failure occurred

It looks like I will have to spend some time and upgrade my website to rival 74TR6.com. Very impressive site.

One of these days I will figure out how to better balance work, leisure and creating elaborate websites
Michael Petryschuk

His good friends site is here
http://tr6.danielsonfamily.org/index.htm
Just as good of information
Plus he sews and builds really nice interior panel kits and tops that he sells on the 'bay
DNK

Further update

Removed the offending fuel pump and found the gasket that seals the top piece (not at the screw) to have been sucked in and unseated. The screen was also not seated in one area due to a slight depression in it.

I surmise that the screen when assembled was not seated properly (from the depression in it). The gasket then was not seated evenly and from pumping action of the pump eventually got sucked in and allowed gas to pour out around it.

New pump installed. Hopefully my fuel pump problems are behind me.

Michael Petryschuk

Depressed screen although not easy to see in picture.

Michael Petryschuk

This thread was discussed between 09/09/2014 and 05/10/2014

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