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Fuel Pump 377-410 (1500 Spitfire) on 1500 cc Midget

Last post 09-16-2009, 12:03 PM by enfoprefect. 2 replies.
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  •  09-15-2009, 5:37 PM 21070

    Fuel Pump 377-410 (1500 Spitfire) on 1500 cc Midget

    Just installed above mechanical fuel pump (being sold as replacement for the original) on my 1978 1500 cc Midget (with spacer as original).  Works great as far as pumping fuel.  However, inlet tube totally interferes with steering column (ends about 3/8 inch to the right of the steering column, no space to safely run a fuel line.  Neoprene hose rubs severely on steering column.  Furthermore, pump outlet can only be connected to feed line to carburetor via some weirdly convulated hoses.  Nothing lines up on this "replacement part".

    Any ideas (other than buy an electric one) would be greatly appreciated.

    berfor.48@sbcglobal.net

    Filed under:
  •  09-16-2009, 10:11 AM 21074 in reply to 21070

    Re: Fuel Pump 377-410 (1500 Spitfire) on 1500 cc Midget

    Hello Befo48.

     

    This pump should have come with instructions telling you how to install it. I apologize if we somehow managed to miss getting them into yours. I’ve sent a set to the e-mail address you cite below.

     

    Please allow me to take a moment to explain what’s happening with many of these parts.

    Every day, another of these little classic cars goes to the wrecking yard… never to return. The market is shrinking. The manufacturers can no longer afford to build many of the application-specific parts. However, if a part will fit a number of applications (especially if the differences between those applications is small) they will make one version of the part for all applications. That’s what we have here.

     

    A manufacturer that cannot profitably re-tool to make ten thousand of an application-specific pump, can probably afford to tool up to make eighty-thousand of a pump with eight different applications. If a part is application-specific and there is not enough demand to justify the re-tooling expense, the manufacturer will simply stop making the part. Having to modify a part to make it fit our car is a million times better than sending the car to the wrecking yard because we can’t buy the part we need.

     

    In the case of this pump, this engine was used in many different applications. In your case, the steering shaft runs close to the pump. In other applications it does not. So this is a challenge that you are facing, but another purchaser of this pump won’t face.

     

    Solution: As the instructions I sent you will demonstrate, you can simply undo the screws that hold the top and bottom sections of the pump together, and the “re-clock” the pump head.  It will take less than ten minutes.

     

    As a matter of practical reality, I’m grateful there are still makers of parts that fit these classic cars at all. Keeping these cars on the road is a labor of love. We couldn’t do it without the flexibility the manufacturers are demonstrating.

     

    Blaine Graham

    Moss Motors Technical Support


    Working on automobiles is inherently dangerous. Moss Motors, Ltd. is not liable for injury or damage due to incorrect installation or use of their products. All products are sold with the understanding that the safe and proper installation and use of the products is the customer’s responsibility. Follow factory workshop manual procedures and instructions, but use current shop safety standards and common sense. Some tasks will require professional advice or services which Moss Motors cannot provide.

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  •  09-16-2009, 12:03 PM 21078 in reply to 21074

    Re: Fuel Pump 377-410 (1500 Spitfire) on 1500 cc Midget

    Thanks for the explanation, Blaine. We do need an occasional reminder of the fact that the numbers of our favorite toys are shrinking. It's too bad but understandable that economics don't really favor us.

     


    Bayless
    Never express yourself more clearly than you can think
    '48 Prefect
    '67 Sprite (project)