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This pump has been down about 1-2 years sitting. My old greasy leaking but working pump has been down 6 months but i really don't want to rebuild it.

It's very possible i put it in wrong, it did suck some air when i operated it on the bench. I just put it in and bolted it up. I'm guessing now that's not the right way

I'll head back to the manuals section. I'd love if i just installed it wrong.

I haven't found anything under service manuals or counselors that specify a correct way to install the pump...do you roll it over so that a certain cylinder is up so that the lobe that drives the pump is out of the way and install it?

Any help or advice would be appreciated :) I don't usually have as much trouble with the larger things, but these finder details are what really shows my lack of experience working on these motors.

I'd be surprised if there was anything substantive in the shop manual about installing a fuel pump, it's just one of those intuitively obvious things as long as you don't get it cocked and try to use superhuman force with the wrench (or of course, it it's the wrong pump). It can be a bit easier (but not necessary) if you move the cam lobe away from the lever to reduce the compression of the diaphram spring as you tighten it. Just insert the pump (right side up, of course), lever against the cam lobe, and tighen evenly both sides to pull the flange up to the block. If it fails to function normally and the pump is internally OK, two causes might be wear in the pump pivot shaft and arms, or a worn lobe on the camshaft.

There is no set position for engine. Some pumps--and unsure if yours is one of them--have long enough levers that when installing, if cam is in a position that requires pump lever to be pushed in so pump can bolt, it isn't done and lever is placed improperly. Rather than push the lever in, some will slip over or behind the cam. Then, instead of being pushed on the proper surface, cam rides underneath and tries to move lever. V8 pumps can be accidentally installed that way--for a short while until lever or something else breaks.

I would remove the pump, manually cycle lever and things to see if there is suction or pressure at the ports. If there is re-install making sure all goes in proper. If no suction or pressure, then disassemble and find out why. Kev did an excellent how to rebuild it article if you have not read it.

Removed pump and tested, when i operate it in the vice, both the fuel and vacuum side work when hooked to a vacuum gauge. Checked the fuel pump originally on the car and it worked the same way (or did lack of working). Put both on the car and rolled over and no suction on the vacuum side of the fuel pump or vacuum pump.

Installation was as i thought originally, didn't need to force anything. Slid my finger in the hole and it seems that by the shape of the cam, you wouldn't be able to get the arm over the eccentric anyways.

I put grease on the lever arm and when i took it back out you could see something was rubbing on the correct spot on the arm, and no marks or wear on the underside of the arm to show it riding on top.

One arm on the fuel pump is made of riveted together plates in the same shape, making an arm. The other pump is a round arm with a flat side to rub on the driving eccentric. Both have the same bolt pattern and the arms have the same amount of play before operating the pump and arms seem to be at the same angle.

All these testing tonight makes me sick to my stomach; it would seem that the cam on this engine must be wore and not able to drive the pump...is this a common occurance? I would think they would design it so the pump wore and not the cam. I hate to move to an electric pump not just because of the cost and pain in the but of hiding it and regulating it, but because i want to retain my vacuum wipers and the vacuum assist on the fuel pump. I hate to migrate to electric wipers, and 12v neg ground, etc, etc because of this issue. I also don't want to tear the engine down and pull out the cam!

A little bitter because this motor was supposed to be a running setup.

Advice is welcome while i stew this over.

Guess there is always a first but never heard of a Packard cam wearing that much. If memory serves, the pad on pump is not quite as wide as cam so you should be able to see or feel a pretty good groove if worn. You say the pads and arms appear same angle. Are the contact pads the same height in relation to bolt holes? Can you get a rough estimate of how high the cam is in one position and then turn the engine and take another eyeball measurement or two to get an idea of how much travel. Can't tell much from the cam picture but it looks like it should be slightly more than valve lift.

I am not familiar with the Packard Streight 8. But by and large and for the most part, across a wide variety of engines, the "cam" u speak of is only a bolt-on-and-off eccentric "disk" on the FRONT of the cam GEAR. IF it is worn then u should be able to feel rather rough surface on the "cam". Actually it is usualy called a Fuel Pump Eccentric. If there is no rough surface the eccentric should be ok.


Check the ARM movements of the 2wo pumps u have. Be sure that they pump moving int he SAME direction. Make sure the arm movement is the same for BOTH pumps.

This assume that the "other" pump was correct????? Did the "other" pump actually work????? That is to ask:
Have u with your own eyes and your own ears actualy SEE and HEAR the engine or any engine ever run with the "other" pump????

I wish it was just an eccentric on the front of the camshaft like a V8, but it seems to be a lobe on the camshaft like a lifter lobe, built in. The fuel pump bolts farther back, directly into the block, vs a timing cover like a v8.

I put about 3-4000 miles with the old fuel pump on a different motor in this car. These motors are both supposed to take the same fuel pump, from what research shows (and i could be wrong on that.)

Putting my finger in the cam hole, the lobe seems smooth like rubbing a lifter lobe, but larger around than a lifter lobe. Can't get my head in there to see. Definitely didn't feel a grove or like i was rubbing ground down rough metal.

I'm going to head back out and feel how the 288 lobe feels, and then see what i can feel on the 327. Maybe the 288 pump was just on the edge of it's wear limits with the arm and the 327 is exposing that?

Perhaps there were different lobe sizes and i have two wrong fuel pumps?! maybe both work work on the 288 but neither on the 327?

Arm travel and direction and movements seem the same on both pumps on the bench.

I could put my finger in and roll the motor over, but that seems like a recipe for disaster. Maybe the wife can roll it over for me by hand while i feel.

See if u can wiggle the eccentric or spin it with your finger. If u can then it has worked loose from the cam sprocket.

"I could put my finger in and roll the motor over, but that seems like a recipe for disaster. "

VERY dangerous. U could loose or severely mangle a finger.