Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

I'm looking for recommendations on where to purchase a rebuild kit for the fuel pump on my '56 Clipper. I have the Maintenance Manual, but I would appreciate any additional insights or instructions on rebuilding the fuel pump.

If Max or Kanter or one of our other vendors cannot supply a kit or pump then many of us have bought kits from Then and Now Automotive.then-now-auto.com/fuel-pumps/ You can call them or send an email to identify your pump brand and number to ensure the correct kit and obtain the current price. I don't recall what I paid for the last kit I bought as it was several years ago but the price was reasonable.

Wherever you buy the kit one caution is to ensure the vendor is supplying a recently made kit using a fresh modern rubber composition and not selling a decades old or NOS type kit. The old rubber can be hard and dried out but even if in pristine condition it can be destroyed very quickly by the ethanol and other chemicals blended into todays gas.

The manual has decent instructions on how to perform the rebuild but one other thing is to move the operating lever to get it at full travel so the diaphragm is at its maximum stroke before tightening the screws holding the casting halves together. If you do not perform that step the diaphragm will be tight when clamped down and can be stretched or even torn when the pump makes a stroke.

Kanter will do an exchange for $140 and the pump is guaranteed.

Kits with detailed instructions with photos fromclassicpreservation.com/fuelpumpkits.html
Just call or email for the cost, but the kits on eBay hover around $50. Also the owner of Classic Preservation will rebuild your existing pump.