Some
pumps can be easily rebuilt, others
cannot.
The design of the newer pumps makes it next to impossible
to get the old diaphram out. The only way you will know
for sure that yours CAN be easily rebuilt is to take the
upper pump body off of the lower pump body. If your pump
is still good and you are doing this in advance of the
pump failing you can do this without removing the pump if
you wish. First you want to clean the pump so you don't
get any dirt inside it. Then you remove the large ring of
6 screws around the lower pump body. (Not the 4 screws
that hold the cap on). If you have a metal fuel line
attached to the pump you will have to remove it. Be sure
to keep a metal container handy as the line will drain.
Do this outside, never with a cigarette nearby and never
with a electric "drop cord." To separate the pump halves
you may need to carefully wedge a putty knife or kitchen
knife around the circumference to break the seal. (Are
you sure you removed all 6 screws?) Once it pops up you
can move it out of the way. You will be looking at a big
rubber disc with a shiny plate in the middle. In the
upper left of the above picture you will see this disc
(the diaphram) in this picture it is upside down. Se the
peg coming out of it with the"T" on the end? To remove
your old diaphram you have to push the metal disc down
and turn the disc 90 degrees so this T will be parallel
to the slot that it is in, in the bottom of the pump. I
usually use the palm of my hand or both of my thumbs to
press down and turn. With just a little amount of
jiggling and experimentation you should have the diaphram
pop up. To reinstall it you simply line up the T with the
slot you see down below, put it in and push down and turn
90 degrees and it will be "latched" again.
If
no amount of pushing and turning 90 degrees every which
way will allow the diaphram to pop up you have a later
style pump which as of yet we haven't found a way to
dismantle easily. It can be done, but requires some
talent to press out the lower pin. With these you'll find
all kinds of positions, none of which will allow the
diaphram to pop up and be removed. One position will tend
to keep it pulled down in the body, you don't want this
if you are reassembling your pump for use, you'll need to
push down and turn it back so that it has that spring up
and spring down feeling when you push on it. But look on
the bright side, at least you didn't order a kit only to
find it would not help you...
Even
if you have the older style pump and decide to get a new
pump, I would suggest saving your old one, as there may
come a day when new pumps are not available and an
old-style rebuildable one will be nice to
have.
Do
you have some old pumps and are trying to figure out
quickly which are easily rebuildable? Check the arm that
goes inside the engine block, does it have a pronouced
rounded-off look? I haven't seen one of those that isn't
rebuildable. The newer style pumps have an arm that has
one bend and then is straight, is also longer then the
old style. Most of those I've seen have the pesky
diaphram attaching method, but not all of
them.