VINTAGE FUEL PUMPS RESTORATION SERVICES

As a sideline to our main distributor rebuilding service, Vintage Werks offers a rebuilding service for early fuel pumps of the type used on 25 hp and 36 hp VW beetle and transporter engines and early 356-A and pre-A Porsche models.

Go to listing of Fuel Pumps for Sale   Vintage Werks fuel pump restoration involves complete disassembly of each fuel pump we receive followed by a thorough cleaning of all parts.  Cleaning includes a solvent wash and for metal parts, blasting with a very fine resin media that polishes the surfaces without unnecessary abrasion. Smaller hardware parts such as machine screws, clips, washers and nuts, if reusable, are then plated in clear zinc.  The fuel pump base is carefully faced to create a flat surface that will mate with the resistex base and engine case.  All larger parts are washed thoroughly again in solvent to remove any residual blast media.  The original diaphragm is restored by grinding off the rivet which secures the old gasket material, drilling and tapping a hole for a machine screw to install a new gasket.  The fuel pump is then reassembled with the restored diaphragm and tested to assure the internal valves are seating to allow proper pump function.

About the Fuel Pump Base

Fuel pump bodies for both the early VW and Porsche engines consist of lead-zinc metal castings which are relatively soft yet brittle. With age, they can oxidize and when subjected to continual pressure as from the pushrod, they can warp.  On virtually every fuel pump we have seen, the pump base is warped which in turn creates the nearly ubiquitous oil leakage around the fuel pump commonly associated with the 25 hp and 36 hp VW engines.  While we resurface the fuel pump base to create a better fit between it and the resistex base, you must be aware that warping of the base will resume as soon as the pump is put into service again although this progresses relatively slowly.  The base can of course be refaced periodically to minimize the affects of the warping in terms of oil leakage. However, eventually enough metal will be removed that the base will no longer be serviceable.

About the Diaphragm

In our experience, the part which most often causes a problem in the fuel pump is the diaphragm. With age, it hardens and cannot be actuated or develops a leak in which case it fails to hold pressure. While there are replacement diaphragms available separately or as part of a fuel pump rebuild kit from both Brazilian as well as German manufacturers, they are rather expensive when added to the labor cost to rebuild the pump. Likewise, there are (or were until recently) aftermarket replacement pumps available for the early engines, but these also are relatively expensive compared to rebuilding an original pump.nbsp; To keep costs manageable and in the interest of originality, we began remanufacturing original diaphragms by replacing the old gasket material with new material of a like quality. In the process, we make the diaphragm indefinitely rebuildable by replacing the central rivet with a machine screw which can be removed and new gasket material put in place at any time. To accommodate our customers, we offer precut gasket material separately for those who which to carry a spare.