[ckeen74]

Hi all,

Been largely dormant for a while since my spider's been pretty reliable and I've got two little kids at home. But the 3-port fuel pump I got used from APE many moons ago has finally given up the ghost (13.6 volts at the plug, but will only spin once in a blue moon), so I need to replace it with something that'll get me back on the road. I realize there are other options for replacing the pump - the modified two-port Bosch spider pump jumps to mind - but my relentless devotion to original-spec (which directly correlates to laziness for me!) and the amount of wrenching time I have right now dictates that I keep it simple and just swap an NOS or rebuilt unit in.

I had to deal with this 7ish years ago on my Alfetta, and at that time Alfa Parts in Berkeley had just started carrying rebuilt pumps. The first one I got failed after a short amount of time, so I'm which vendor you who've kept the 3-port pump have used, and whether it's been reliable (not casting aspersions on Alfa Parts btw, I was very glad they tried the rebuilding path since there was no other way to get them).

Thanks,
Chris

 

[ossodiseppia]

A fellow BB'er used these guys:

FUEL INJECTION CORPORATION
Office:
2246 N. MacArthur Dr.
Tracy, CA 95376

Phone: 925-371-6551

 

[91spiderNV]

The pride of ownership trying to use original-spec three outlet pump is commendable. Always carry a hammer to hit it when it gets stuck. I do hope you have changed out all the original fuel hoses. If you change to new hoses all you need to do to convert to new two port is to eliminate the “T” return with a straight hose. Easy peasy.

 

[ckeen74]

Thanks. I'll call the place in Tracy.

Unfortunately I'm beyond the hammer "fix", I've been doing that and it worked quite a few extra years. Changed the original hoses a few years back so it's safe, but good to know the replumbing is so simple. I thought you also need to reduce the size of the outlet or install a pressure regulator?

One thread I read said something about rebuilt pumps being $900 because they are also in some Por$che. So that might test my quest for keeping it original...

 

[ossodiseppia]

Yes, Porsche guys pay good money even for used pumps. The last NOS three port pump I was had an asking price of $800

 

[ckeen74]

Wow, I didn't know I had a goldmine in my storage room and garage. Wonder what else is common with Porsches....

Seriously though, hopefully the increased interest means the rebuilt ones are more durable. The originals certainly seem to have a long service life if mine are representative.

Any additional vendor recommendations or experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks again,
Chris

 

[ckeen74]

Just called Fuel Injection Corporation - gave them the part number off a spare I had lying around (0 580 970 001) and she quoted $395 for rebuilding my pump. I'm ready to go ahead once I have a few minutes to pull the pump off the car, but if anyone has any experience with them before I drop that much money, I'd appreciate hearing it. If they're good, I'll send in the spare for the sake of having a functional extra on hand.

 

[ossodiseppia]

@Dr.G used their service. I have read about them somewhere......in the past. I would use them in a heart beat, if I needed one of my pumps serviced.

 

[Dr.G]

They do an excellent job and I didn't know how bad my old pump was until I got mine back from them. Remember, a rebuilt pump fits properly and no messing around with jerry rigging a substitute is worth the extra money.

 

[ckeen74]

Thanks! How long has it been that you've had the new pump in use?

 

[Dr.G]

4 years. A lot of their business would be the Porsche crowd I think. We are lucky enough Porsche owners used similar pumps and Porsche owners keep their more popular than Alfas cars going with original style parts.

 

[ckeen74]

Finally found some time/energy to get down to the garage and get a new filter and pump in. It looks very nice, and the rebuild process itself was smooth and pretty quick. The little clamps I got a while back to pinch hoses shut are magic, and I had very little fuel spillage.

Unfortunately, once I.got everything in, and reconnected the battery, the pump wouldn't spin. Checked voltage again at the connector and it's 13.6v. Pretty sure that means it's DOA, though I will try plugging it in on the spare Alfa that's in the background, or giving it power directly from the battery.

Are there any pitfalls I'm missing? Seems like full power at the connector means it should come on...

 

[Dr.G]

Bummer. Is the ground good? Whatever the issue they will make it right. Sorry you had that issue, always frustrating, but mine works fine.
Those fuel shutoff clamps are something I've never seen before.

 

[ckeen74]

Think I got them at Harbor Freight... I forget what they were labeled as, but it's much easier than using vise grips.

And yeah, I'm not worried about them standing behind their work, they seem very reputable, which is why I was mostly surprised and wondering if the mistake was mine. Will post back when I try another power source.

 

[Jim G]

The clamps are copies of the Snap On hose clamps from the late 80's

 

[ckeen74]

To answer Dr G's question above, I didn't explicitly check the ground, but when I stuck the test probes in each side of the connector I got 13.6v. So that seems to imply I have a good ground. A few years back I ran power via a relay directly from the battery, so maybe it's worth checking those connections, but then why would I have power if any of that is not working?

Confusingly, when I connected the pump directly to the battery, it spun. So it's clearly not DOA. The connector seems tight too. I'm a little confused where to go next.

 

[Jim G]

Make sure the wires in the connector are going to the correct terminal. Positive to positive. Etc.

 

[ckeen74]

Thanks. The orientation is kind of set by the wires going to the connector being, um, 40ish years old and stiff. Maybe this is a stupid question but I thought reversing the connectors would just make the pump spin in reverse, but not stop it from turning on? I suppose it's easy enough to tun it by 180 degrees to check, I'll do that when I check the grounds.

 

[Jim G]

Thanks. The orientation is kind of set by the wires going to the connector being, um, 40ish years old and stiff. Maybe this is a stupid question but I thought reversing the connectors would just make the pump spin in reverse, but not stop it from turning on? I suppose it's easy enough to tun it by 180 degrees to check, I'll do that when I check the grounds.

Seeing that you don't know exactly how they rebuild them and that they also mostly do ones from Porsche. You never know if they might be reversed on the pump. Also the female end of the spade connectors do get opend up after years of being pulled on and off. Also by the metal getting weaker form age. It could just be that the connectors on the harness have opened up.

 

[DPeterson3]

The wires back to that pump live a tough life. We’ve gotten used to living in a plug n play world. When I redid my Montreal, I ran a new wire from front to back, and installed a new ground. Old wires can show full voltage, but be so internally corroded that they’ll have much reduced current carrying ability. So, a VOM test may not tell you the whole truth.