fuel check valve

[billwill]

It's not clear whether a bulb-type priming pump would work in the engine compartment as you would be trying to suck fuel through the mechanical pump.

Fitting it between the chassis pipe and the mech pump would (I suspect) be rather difficult to do as there is not much room down there near the starter motor, that you could reach easily. There might be a more suitable type of priming pump for that location; e.g. something with a lever action.

[h20hamelan]

Yes
tough to pull though the mechanical pump and valves, but is that much different from pushing.
if so, why is pushing through the mechanical different from pulling, check valves etc

there are the lever mechanical pumps, but a electric inline may also save the day sometime if the mechanical were to fail.

so I may still put a electric in-line, and I don't have room in my boot as I have relocated the fuel-lines. So I may need to put it before mechanical inside of engine bay???

I would like to seal the carb so it does not leak into engine, as I don't think evaporation is the issue??? maybe it is and i don't know yet.

[rcraven]

It's not clear whether a bulb-type priming pump would work in the engine compartment as you would be trying to suck fuel through the mechanical pump.

I've done it as a temporary measure and it worked perfectly.

[h20hamelan]

hey reraven
did you place yours after your mechanical pump ?
or before...
thanks

[rcraven]

hey reraven
did you place yours after your mechanical pump ?
or before...
thanks

After the pump, just where the fuel line goes into the carburettor.

[h20hamelan]

Thanks
Should have also asked rcraven, what is you experience to not have the pump there.
Did you fix the carb, or did it only happen after a long time without being run?

kind regards

[rcraven]

Thanks
Should have also asked rcraven, what is you experience to not have the pump there.
Did you fix the carb, or did it only happen after a long time without being run?

kind regards

I'm not quite sure what you mean, but:
(i) I've only used the priming pump as a temporary measure two or three times when the engine has failed to start after being unused for a long time; but the pump has always got it going when all else had failed;
(ii) I don't like the idea of keeping it plumbed in permanently because (a) I don't normally need it, (b) it's an untidy layout and (c) I think it resists the flow of fuel slightly and I don't want to discover eventually that this strains the pump and causes some other problem.

[h20hamelan]

thanks
sorry I was not so clear.
I only wanted to know why you needed it, and if there was a fix for why you needed it?
but if it is only every now and again.

So I take it, you are careful not to spill fuel when you remove the prime-bulb. And/or may have some fuel shut off or check valve after bulb so you don't loose some of the prime?
Or the bulb-primer is right at the horizontal carb connections and you don't loose too much fuel?

Sounds like it will work for me, as it is only after the car has been sitting for two weeks or more it is more difficult than I would like

[rcraven]

So I take it, you are careful not to spill fuel when you remove the prime-bulb. And/or may have some fuel shut off or check valve after bulb so you don't loose some of the prime?
Or the bulb-primer is right at the horizontal carb connections and you don't loose too much fuel?

I just try to be careful when I remove in. It leaked once when the engine was running (that was my fault) and caused a fire and I thought I was about to lose the car, the garage and me, but I extinguished it before it had done anything worse than melt the oil pressure gauge pipe.
So it's not something I use unless I have to.
The reason I think it may restrict fuel flow if left in permanently is that I have to blow quite hard to get air through it in the direction of fuel flow. Maybe that's not a valid test or maybe my particular hand primer is more restrictive than others.

[h20hamelan]

Wow sounds fairly scary
Although I like to think I think first before acting, I can see this happening to me.

I suspect that boats (and I suspect others) keep their fuel-prime-bulbs in-line but this may be for little 9.9 and small outboard motors. But then again there are big outboard motors and what do they do.

Maybe there is a way to do this, if the T ( I am speaking of my strombergs ) were converted to a t ( four openings rather than 3 ) one would be able to simply cap off the top tee now a Tee, with a screw or make it a schrader, at the highest point fuel would be pulled to.

If the prime-bulb had the schrader depressing pin it would allow the open position when you inserted the bulb.

who thinks this may work

[Quart Meg Miles]

Loose fuel under the bonnet isn't going to look good on an insurance claim!

I'm fitting a Facit Posiflow as I'm tired of blowing down the fuel filler to prime the carbs following a few days of not driving; I'm sure the problem is worse with modern petrol as I never had to do it in the early days.

[promotor]

What about fitting one of these primable fuel pumps :



Pretty much exactly the same as a Lotus pump except for the external priming lever - the rest is similar such as bowl, lever arm that gets it's signal from the jackshaft etc etc.

[Chancer]

I was going to say that I recall some early 60's cars having a priming lever, what were they fitted to?

I had many cars from that era I reckon it was either an MGB, Anglia or maybe a Triumph Herald or Spitfire.

[billwill]

That looks a good idea, I wonder if they can still be obtained.

[PBrown60]

My first car was a 1966 Triumph Spitfire. It had a mechanical fuel pump with a primer lever built into it.
I wonder if one would fit and do the job. My Elan has an electric fuel pump so I never thought to look for where the mechanical one is installed or had one to compare.