Triumph Spitfire 1500 - Fuel Pump - Confused

[McJim]

Am in the middle of changing the fuel pump in my 1976 Spitfire.

I ordered an early type pump for my early 1500 but when I finally got round to removing the existing pump, it appears to be the later model one plus there's a spacer block.

The engine was rebuilt about 2 years ago after it nearly failed on us on the 2018 RBRR but the engine block was changed as it was too badly damaged by whoever rebuilt it before I owned the car but the internals were retained.

The number on the engine block is FM 042773 HE, which I thought was an early 1500 engine.

Whoever rebuilt the engine in the first place also fitted a Mk 3 cam, which makes the engine really torquey.  Nice.

So what now?

Can I fit the early pump I bought and omit the spacer?

Will it be okay with the Mk 3 cam? 

Do I have a late model engine block?

Any help appreciated as I have the mechanical capability of a pomegranate.

I can't understand it.  The guy on YouTube made it all look so easy.

Signed,

Confused from Scotland.

Edited April 29, 2022 by McJim

[yorkshire_spam]

Shouldn't be a problem with the cam, if I remember rightly the early pump (short arm) is fitted without spacer and later pump (longer arm) with the spacer but are otherwise interchangeable.

Somebody who knows for sure will be along any minute to confirm or tell me I'm an idiot I expect.

 

[Clive]

Sam is correct on teh pumps. Though it seems many new pumps are too high a pressure, so need about 3mm of gasket to reduce the pressure.

[McJim]

Thanks chaps.

One of the studs came out rather than the nut on the end.

It would only catch on the block with just a couple of threads which led me to believe that previously it had been a case of whatever pump was to hand when the engine was originally rebuilt, which would appear to have been the later version.

I'll give it a go with the new older version and no spacer in a couple of days as my back is killing me after the forced labour of painting the garden fence.

Tea and sympathy gratefully accepted.

Signed,

An old, decrepit man from Scotland who's now less confused.

Thanks again guys.  You're not a bad bunch.

[thescrapman]

You do need longer studs for the long arm pump.

[McJim]

I have a feeling that I have one long stud and one short Colin.

I'll have a look tomorrow and probably be on the phone to Canleys next week with my luck.

Jim.

[yorkshire_spam]

The pump on my 1500 (late type) is just bolted on.

[glang]

As an observation, didnt Triumph go to the spacer block arrangement to reduce heat transfer into the pump and the consequent risk of fuel vaporisation?

[McJim]

Well, still no further forward.

Had to refit the two(!) spacers just to be able to tighten the nuts of the studs.

The new pump wouldn't go in with either no spacer or only one.

Not a drop of petrol coming up from the tank to the new pump.

Used a tyre inflator to blow back and clear if there was an obstruction from the pump to the tank and that was clear, however, it did do a decent impression of a jacuzzi.

I was quite enjoying it for a while looking in the open filler cap until I started to get a bit light-headed and dropped my cigarette.  Don't know where it went but it's not blocking the outlet anyway. 

Calm down, calm down!

I've never smoked a day in my life but I've mislaid the lighter I was using for a better look.

Now stuck, unless anyone "in the know" has a trick to make sure the new fuel pump is properly fitted.

At this rate, I'll miss the two days of summer we get up here and the opporchancity to go "Taps aff!"

Signed,

Buzzin' and Wired to the Moon from Scotland.

[glang]

Are you sure the operating arm of the pump is ending up on top of the cam as you install it? You have to thread it in and can feel resistance as the arm comes in contact with the cam and you do up the nuts. Apparently its just possible to get the arm under the cam and of course itll never pump anything then. Once you think youve got it installed correctly and finished smoking😁 you could try running the engine with the pump sucking directly from a container of petrol...

[PeteStupps]

Jim do you mean you had to fit the spacers because the studs are too long to tighten the nuts down otherwise? In which case, shorter studs or just bolts would be the solution. As glang says, the pump's lever arm should press on the cam when you slot the pump into position, so you should feel some spring pressure if you push the pump against the block before tightening the nuts.

If you've got an early non-spacer type pump it won't work with the spacer fitted, or won't work very well at least.

Studs or bolts should be 5/16 unf threads, by the way.

Pete