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I recently noticed an illustration (first pix below) in the MPC of the fuel delivery system for a '59 430. It shows an inverted glass bowl filter attached to the outlet of the fuel pump, pointed towards the carb. Does anyone have a system that looks like this?
When I got my TBird it had an inverted glass bowl fuel filter but I can't remember how it was oriented. It turned out that the element in the filter was plugged and I replaced the glass bowl fuel filter with a threaded canister type fuel filter, I think the 1960 430s may have had this threaded canister type of fuel filter. After seeing the illustration, I decided I would try to go back to a system similar to the illustration. The distributor cap is right behind the fuel pump so there isn't any space to fit a fuel filter directly behind the fuel pump. So I put a 90 deg. street elbow in the fuel pump outlet to direct the fuel line toward the left side of the engine.
I have had a lot of problems with fuel pumps over the years so I want to be able to change the fuel pump easily without affecting the rest of the system. To that end I put a union between the street elbow and the fuel filter. I also want to be able to check the fuel pressure at any time so installed a fuel pressure gauge right after the filter. Then another 90 deg. street elbow to connect to the line to the carb (see second pix). I know this isn't how it came out of the factory but it was the best I could come up with.
Now back to the fuel pump problem. I've had this problem as long as I've owned the car (35 years) but it seems to have become worse since I had the engine rebuilt a couple of years ago. The engine has always run hot, especially in stop and go traffic. I installed a fan shroud a year or so ago but that hasn't helped. Earlier this spring I experienced a number of situations where the engine almost stalled. So a couple of weeks ago I installed yet another new fuel pump. On a warm day (about 25 deg. F) last week, the engine started to sputter again. Experience has taught me that if I recognize the impending situation soon enough, I can usually work out of the problem by shifting into neutral and working the accelerator pedal - this seems to help pull gas into to the float bowl and all is well again, at least for a while.
I am now wondering if I am having vapor lock problems. As you can see on the gauge, the fuel pressure is about 6 psi, which is what the manual specifies. The engine was fairly cold when the picture was taken. When the engine is hot, the fuel pressure drops to about 4 psi.
Does anyone else have this problem? Any solutions?
I have thought about using an electric fuel pump but would I then need a return line to the gas tank?
When I got my TBird it had an inverted glass bowl fuel filter but I can't remember how it was oriented. It turned out that the element in the filter was plugged and I replaced the glass bowl fuel filter with a threaded canister type fuel filter, I think the 1960 430s may have had this threaded canister type of fuel filter. After seeing the illustration, I decided I would try to go back to a system similar to the illustration. The distributor cap is right behind the fuel pump so there isn't any space to fit a fuel filter directly behind the fuel pump. So I put a 90 deg. street elbow in the fuel pump outlet to direct the fuel line toward the left side of the engine.
I have had a lot of problems with fuel pumps over the years so I want to be able to change the fuel pump easily without affecting the rest of the system. To that end I put a union between the street elbow and the fuel filter. I also want to be able to check the fuel pressure at any time so installed a fuel pressure gauge right after the filter. Then another 90 deg. street elbow to connect to the line to the carb (see second pix). I know this isn't how it came out of the factory but it was the best I could come up with.
Now back to the fuel pump problem. I've had this problem as long as I've owned the car (35 years) but it seems to have become worse since I had the engine rebuilt a couple of years ago. The engine has always run hot, especially in stop and go traffic. I installed a fan shroud a year or so ago but that hasn't helped. Earlier this spring I experienced a number of situations where the engine almost stalled. So a couple of weeks ago I installed yet another new fuel pump. On a warm day (about 25 deg. F) last week, the engine started to sputter again. Experience has taught me that if I recognize the impending situation soon enough, I can usually work out of the problem by shifting into neutral and working the accelerator pedal - this seems to help pull gas into to the float bowl and all is well again, at least for a while.
I am now wondering if I am having vapor lock problems. As you can see on the gauge, the fuel pressure is about 6 psi, which is what the manual specifies. The engine was fairly cold when the picture was taken. When the engine is hot, the fuel pressure drops to about 4 psi.
Does anyone else have this problem? Any solutions?
I have thought about using an electric fuel pump but would I then need a return line to the gas tank?
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