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[charley fitch]

A friend of mine recently had the pin in the fuel pump start working it's way out on his TR6. It allowed the oil to pump out, which is how he spotted it.  I recently saw an article in the TRA newsletter about this problem with newer TR3/4 fuel pumps.  Unfortunately the article did not have a remedy except replacing the unit.  Has anybody out there developed a fool proof way to  remedy these pins from working their way out?  I  am researching this before it happens to me.
Charley Fitch 

[charley fitch]

Well it did happen to me after all.  The pin in the fuel pump started making its way out from one side (and of course it was the firewall side where it was almost impossible to see).  So faced with it happening to me, I decided to try something, that is besides replacing an almost new fuel pump.  I used some scrap sheet metal and made up two small plates each about 1/4 inch wide by an inch or so long and used JB WELD to attach them to the sides of fuel pump just outside of the pin.  This has been on now for a couple of months and I believe it is still holding.
 This is one of the newer fuel pumps and not an old style.  This one does NOT have a primer lever and was bought about two years ago. 
The old style pumps have circlips on the pin or the pin does not extend all of the way through the pump housing.  This newer pump has a pin with NO circlips and does extend all of the way through the housing and has nothing to hold it in place.
 I pass this on as aalert  to others withthe newer fuel pumps.
Charley Fitch  

[vila]

Hi Charley

My 1933 Chevrolet has the original fuel pump that is very close in design to my 1962 TR4 AC pump with the exception of lacking the primer and no clips.  It even uses the same diaphragm, valves, screen, bowl gasket, and mounting gasket.

I had the same problem with it several years ago.  I found a 1933 Chevy service bulletin that had an article on rebuilting the fuel pumps and it said to use a punch to nick the edge of the hole on both ends so the pin would not work its way out.

My pin was exactly the same length as the hole, but it had a chamfer on each end and the procedure worked fine.  If the pin was just slightly shorter than the hole and lacked the chamfer, that would work also. 

That is what I did and have not had the problem since, but I still check it occassionally.

The only problem would be if the pin were longer than the hole from one side of the pump to the other.

Bob Beers (Vila)
1933 Chevrolet
1962 Triumph TR4
1984 BMW 633 CSi

[charley fitch]

Your suggestion was my first thought.  However, I did not trust it as like you said the length of the pin was such that it did not appear to me to allow me to peen over an edge and have it work.  I  did try the peening anyway but then moved on to a more obvious stop for the pin.

I thought of another possible fix and that was to use a wire welder and attach a short piece of wire to each side of the pin.  This is something that would be done before the pump is loaded with fuel however and would be done off of the car.
Charley Fitch 

[TR3driver]

I've not had the issue, since I use original pumps (and rebuild them as necessary).
But if I did, I would probably try to fabricate a longer pin, with room for circlips.  A chunk of ordinary drill rod should do fine.  Turn it in a drill motor (or lathe if you've got one) and use a Dremel cutoff wheel to grind the notch for the circlip.

The pin serves as a pivot for a reciprocating lever, meaning it wants to work back and forth every other engine revolution.  Trying to stake it to the soft "pot metal" pump body just doesn't seem very secure.  And I have heard of people breaking their camshaft when the pin comes partially out, and allows the lever to jam.