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The general recommendation is to have the filter before the electic pump to catch anything that could damage the pump itself. You could put a plastic one back there then you could see if it's picking up any debris from the tank. I would also now check any inlet screens as well.

It sounds like you have loose debris in the tank that is clogging screens, filters, etc. The old style glass bowl filters will allow you see if water or dirt is in the sytem. Farm supply stores often stock them and old car parts vendors may stock them.

Another thing to check is the gas cap. It is most likely a vented cap, or supposed to be, and it is essential that the cap vent is not clogged or restricted. It also needs to have a good gasket to keep bugs, water, and road dust out of the tank.

If your gas tank filler neck has a rubber hose section, as many do, be sure it is not decayed and allowing dirt/water into the tank or shedding rubber flakes into the tank.

Kev - I had removed an existing fuel filter at the fuel tank, in front of the electric fuel pump. The concern before was that it was causing a loss of suction. I put a new one in tonight to protect the mechanical pump.

TxGoat - There is a glass sediment bowl at the mechanical pump. It looks clear from what I can see. The gas cap is a good question. I'll have to check and make sure the vent is clear. The gas tank neck was in good shape. I took a borescope down and everything was clean there. Hard to tell what's going on in the tank, but it didn't look terrible.


So tonight I removed the electric fuel pump completely. I was concerned that is was restricting flow, and I don't use it anyways. I've never needed one on my '54, so I figure it's not necessary here....assuming the fuel pump is working correctly. I replaced it with a plastic fuel filter so I could see if I'm pulling particles from the tank. And I replaced a rubber line I had missed with fresh rubber.

I replaced the fuel filter at the carb with a fresh one. I remembered that the filter I put on there a few weeks ago was the same filter I had used on my brother-in-law's car briefly (before we had found the fuel tank to be bad). There is a very high chance that the fuel filter was already clogged with debris and varnish.

Daylight ran out so I could only go up and down the gravel driveway, a distance of probably 400-500 yards. I really gave it some gas and it felt much better....no hesitation, no roughness or stumbling. And it didn't die. It's not a great test, but it's positive.

Next I want to rig up a gravity feed for gas, so I can check the fuel pressure and volume flow with the engine running.

-Kevin

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You should not need an electric fuel pump. Filters located ahead of the fuel pump are a prolific source of trouble.

The filter screen in the stock fuel pump will catch anything that will harm the fuel pump. A bowl type filter between the pump and carburetor will catch finer stuff.

You'll always have more or less trouble with a dirty tank or one that sheds debris.

A dirty gas tank will put you out and under, whether it's to clear a clogged line or a fouled pump or carburetor, or to clean out or replace plugged filters.

Modern paper filters can clog very quickly, and may not appear to be dirty while being restricted or plugged.

Some of them will stop fuel flow, especially if they're on the tank side of the system, if even a tiny amount of moisture gets in them.

They often cause mmore problems than they solve.

A clean gas tank is a must for a dependable running car.

If you must have an electric fuel pump for priming or for backup or to clear vapor lock, connecting the electric pump's outlet to the fuel line between the stock pump and carburetor would be a good idea. The valves in the stock pump would prevent backflow and make it very unlikely that the electric pump could pump fuel into the crankcase.

A check valve added to the line on both sides of the electric pump would add further protection. Connect the inlet side of the electric pump to the fuel line between the tank and the stock pump.

This arrangement would put the electric pump in parallel with the stock pump, and the stock pump's valves and the two check valves into and out of the electric pump should prevent fuel from going the wrong way.

TxGoat - the electric pump was installed by whoever did the restoration originally. I'm assuming it was done as a "in case it's needed" sort of thing. I say that because the wiring and switch were obviously all done at the same time the rest of the wiring was done, before the car was even running. I don't know that it's ever been needed. Certainly we've never needed to use it all. I've never experienced vapor lock.

The only reason I have a fuel filter between the tank and the pump right now is to see if I'm pulling any particles from the tank. I was able to get a borescope into the tank, but it was really hard to see what was going on inside. It didn't look bad from what I could tell. Couldn't see any rust. If the filter stays clean then I will likely remove it completely.


In other news, I'm continuing to put the front end back together. I've decided that fenders are evil and the fender welting is the devil. Working with that stuff is an exercise in frustration.

I need to fix some alignment issues between the radiator, hood and fenders, but I'm getting close.

-Kevin

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Not terribly important, but I spent what few minutes I had last night cleaning up the whitewalls and wheels. The whitewalls were covered in 8 years of dirt, dust, scuffs, and discoloration.

Steps were 1.) Wipe down with water to remove dirt, 2.) spray a section with Bleche White and scrub with Magic Eraser, 3.) Spray and wipe section with water, 4.) apply tire shine to white section, then different cloth for the black section.

Then cleaned and polished the wheels and chrome. Very happy with the results.

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They look great!

What did you use for tire shine on the whitewall, after the Bleche White? They look great!

I used Meguiar's Hot Shine. I used two rags and sprayed the shine on the rag, not the tire....one for the white only, and one for the black only. The black part of the tire gets filthy and you don't want the dirty rag getting onto the clean white.


I'm having a bear of a time getting the body gaps right on the hood/radiator. I've loosened all the bolts everywhere, but I can't seem to get the radiator to "twist" to open the gap on the driver's side. It won't push anymore to the passenger side....that whole side is super tight from the radiator back to the running board. Any tips?

-Kevin

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