Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Just removed the fuel pump from my 53 clipper, and will be flying with it to NY and bringing it to Goulds Monday morning for a rebuild! (Diagphram leaking after I rebuilt the pump myself a few years ago)
Trying to air it out good so my luggage doesn't stink. haha. The things we do for our hobby!
Seasons greetings,
Tobs

I would put it in a large ziplock back, and then another. You may also want to to flush it with something as bringing something that was once saturated in fuel onto a plane is going to get the security folks pretty nervous. I can see the chemical detectors throwing a fit over it.

I am sure the X-ray guys are going to say "What the hell is that!?" or it's German equivalent.

Wouldn't it be cheaper to just ship it??

I carted a Packard radio around the US a couple of years ago in my hand luggage, and it always elicited great excitement when it went through the x-ray machines.

I dont think in this day and age I would try to put something soaked in fuel in my luggage. I can see being interviewed in a small room and a possible cavity search!


If I had to do it, I would take the pump apart, throw away all the gaskets. Wash all the parts with hot soap and water in the sink, then then run it thought the dishwasher a couple of times on hot by itself. Then double bag all the parts in Zip Lock bags.

In German, it would be "Was ist den los hier? Eine Bomben?".

This is what Transport Canada ( and I am almost certain most countries air safety agencies) states about carry on luggage
"Automobile parts - These may include engines, carburetors or fuel tanks that contain or have contained fuel, ........etc."
No mention of fuel pumps but I am it is included in "etc." and you would be prohibited from bringing it on board. I like BigKev's idea but additionally stow it in the checked baggage not carry on and hope for the best although a bomb sniffer dog worth it's Alpo would throw a conniption if it was allowed anywhere near your bag no matter how well you pack it.

Well, The fuel pump and I made it. We got delayed about 9 hours in Amsterdam -because of weather, not security - (had to stay in the airport -no "coffee shop visits")
I had taken out the gasket to the bowl, and hit the whole thing with a blow dryer for a while so it was pretty free of stink. Wrapped in an old shirt and sealed in a plastic bag.
I mean it is perfectly legal to take a liter of congac or whisky, that has got to be more dangerous than an old fuel pump...
Goulds did a very pretty job on the rebuild, so that membrane will be one less thing to leak/ make troubles....
Happy holidays!
Mike

How lucky you are to make it without difficulty. Just heard on the news they shut the Bakersfield CA airport down for several hours because someone had 5 soda pop bottles full of honey in his luggage. The detectors flagged them as explosive type material and when suitcase opened, they called out a hazmat team because one of the inspectors complained of feeling faint from the fumes. Must have been some really potent honey.

I often heard solid cheeses and chocolate in suitcases also cause false hits on some of those detectors. I don't know if it's something about the consistency or the chemical signature.

The worst experience I ever had was on a business trip in Europe. I flew from Sandsted Airport (outside of London) to Rotterdam, Holland for a business meeting and then back to Sandsted. So I was only in Holland for about 5 hours carrying just my large rolling laptop bag.

The customs agent wanted to know who goes all the way to Holland for 5 hours. So they proceed to go dump out the entire contents of my laptop bag, and have a narcotics dogs sniff me and my bag looking for drugs. At least I didn't get the rubber glove treatment!!

I don't fly that often, but it frequently is on one-way tickets as I fly one way and take a cruise liner back. I've been subjected to the "random bag dump" a few times, no fun.

And to think, back in the 60s I used to fly to my summer place down in the Great Smokies of NC with my shotgun in my checked bags, and the shells in my carry-on, declared same at check-in, and that was that, never a question.