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

Rebuilding my 9116 fuel pump using a great kit from Then and Now. The fuel sediment bowl was quite rusty on the inside. After loosening as much rust as I could mechanically, I submerged the bowl in Evapo-Rust for a couple days. Most of the remaining rust dissolved. After wire-brushing it out, this is what I was left with. An interior surface pock-marked like the face of the moon.








Figured I needed to seal the surface with a coating of some sort and found POR-15 Gas Tank Sealer. I have never used this product. It has a lengthy 96HR cure time. Anyone have any thoughts on this product before I break it open?



I got the idea to seal the inside surface of the bowl when I removed the fuel sediment bowl on another fuel pump 3867 that I have here. Whoever restored that pump had coated the inside of that bowl with some sort of similar sealer product. It looks pretty good to me. As I’m sure it’s true with anything, 99% of the success of the product is in the prep.

Looks like a good plan to me.

I can't see any reason why not to do it although the pockmarks don't hurt anything, presuming they're not through the metal. Just be sure that the metal is absolutely clean so that the coating doesn't loosen and cause problems later.

I haven't used POR-15's tank sealer, but I've had good luck with their other products. Looks like a good plan to me.

Here’s the progress as it cures. I guess we’ll see. It took another overnight bath in Evapo-Rust with a finish wash of acetone and a thorough dry with a heat gun before coating. I wasn't satisfied with the rust left in the pock marks. Other users have reported the sealer failing and flaking off, but they also didn't do all the prep correctly, so doing my best to avoid that fate.






Both the 9116 pump and the 3867 pump seem to be cast pot metal. Pretty impressive, intricate castings. Pump 9116 hasn’t operated in probably six decades and was a story of fossilized gunk and grime. Are they silver painted or plated inside? It appears there’s some reflectivity wearing off the inside of 9116 and flat-out gone from interior surfaces exposed to fuel. Note the difference between the vacuum chamber on the top and the fuel chamber, bottom.










All three pieces to this pump are casting marked 1947, perfectly appropriate for an early 1948 car. Neato.

With all that pitting your coating should have some good mechanical adhesion. If it were to start coming off at least it will get caught by the screen. I suppose you could check it after a year just to see if it's okay.

It does appear there is some sort of coating in your pump. My 53's fuel pump does not appear to have the same coating.




I'm glad you appreciate that your fuel pump is correct for your car. I too appreciate my car having it's factory original parts!

It would appear your pump may have had the same silver reflective coating inside, it just looks to be worn away (like mine). I do wonder what it was. It's tuff stuff, whatever it is.