[TR] TR4 Fuel Delivery Issue & Mod

[albert runyan]

We stopped selling this pump about 5 years ago.  Our current fuel pump is
made in Italy and we do not have issues with them.
regards,
Albert
TRF

On Mon, Aug 10, 2020 at 11:43 PM staffel <staffel at comcast.net> wrote:

>
> Several years ago on an evening  club drive in the Catoctin Mts of
> Maryland my TR4 developed running/ hesitation issues. Then it got dark &
> started to rain. Could not drive the car steady over 45mph. Typical fuel
> flow clogging issue symptoms. Fortunately we made it into Fredericksburg
> and a Motel.
>
> Next morning, still raining,  the issue was apparent: in the bottom of the
> Glass fuel bowl- a pile of 'rust dust'.  Cleaned the bowl & nursed the car
> home 30 miles, but it kept dying. Fortunately a Jag club friend came by and
> got his trailer & towed me home.
>
> Further examination determined sediment also in the CD carbs fuel bowls.
> So much for the fuel pump 'screen' being 'effective'.
>
> Also examination of the fuel pump (original) revealed a weak diaphragm, so
> while working on the carbs, ordered a new pump from TRF.
>
> A few months later got everything back together.  The engine started right
> up & ran fine. But no matter how I tried to seal the threads on fuel feed
> of the original  curved pipe inlet 'nut' to the new pump ( pipe dope,
> teflon tape, rtv) the leak wouldn't stop.
>
> Magnifying glass exam of the original Triumph  Male pipe 'nut' and the
> female threaded bore of the new TRF pump revealed a slight thread mismatch
> - Chinese machining. It was not Metric either.
>
> So after talking with TRF, I decided to forget the mechanical pump and
> install an electric pump, ala Jaguar V12s & Jensen Healey / GTs (Lotus 907).
>
> Well, I installed a couple of  different new electric  pumps  adjacent to
> the mechanical pump.
>
> They would never 'self prime'.
>
> Now, returning to the project. I removed the mechanical pump, & DRAINED
> the tank of the old fuel. It seems that the gravity feed when the tank is
> less than 1/2 full requires the elec pump to be very low ( like the
> original input height of the original pump, to receive fuel.
>
> So I am redetailing the frame (cleaning & new paint) and securing the new
> fuel line, inline glass Filter & elec pump  right on the frame. This allows
> the steel feed line from the tank ( after Dremel Tool cutting) to match the
> new location of the electric pump.
>
> Next will be modifying a new copper fuel line ( semblance of originality)
> to meet the elec pump feed right behind & adjacent to the Water pump. The
> original copper pipe mated to the back of the mechanical pump , ran up and
> forward along the engine at the cylinder head level to the front of the
> engine & then across to the carburetor feeds.
>
> Finally hope this resolves the fuel delivery issue.
>
> I  wanted to share a warning about the TRF pump supplier manufacturing
> glitch. So others can not waste years getting their TRs back to Roadworthy
> status.
>
> Obviously not going to drive a car with weeping fuel near a hot engine. At
> least on the TR4 & 6s, ( unlike Jaguar 6s ( have 2) or V12s ( have 3),
> Jensen GTs ( have 3) ; the exhaust Manifolds are on the opposite side of
> the engine.
>
> Sherman D Taffel
> Columbia MD and Goldvein VA
> 65 TR4 CT 50054L
> ( per VTR the last known TR4 produced & shipped to USA)
>
>
> Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S10, an AT&T 5G Evolution capable smartphone
>
>
> Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S10, an AT&T 5G Evolution capable smartphone
>
> ** triumphs at autox.team.net **
>
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