My opinions


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Posted by Clint Dixon on Sunday, December 14, 2008 at 19:09:06 :

I see posts here lately from folks trying to diagnose carburetor problems. The answers have all been really good as far as the things to check and adjust. A couple of thoughts bother me though - that no one has addressed the unnecessary addition of aftermarket in-line fuel filters and electric fuel pumps on our old trucks. No one should have to install either on a Power-Wagon.

I regard the addition of fuel filters and electric fuel pumps as band-aide fixes. Like tics on a dog, they are always immediately removed from stray trucks that I take in and care for.

All FFPW (Farm Friendly Power-Wagons) were factory equipped with both a mechanical fuel pump and a fuel filter. The filter was either integral with the carburetor, as in the early ET1, ET2, or ET4, CARbureTER, or as a separate divorced assembly screwed to the carb inlet like the later E7F1, E7S1, E7T1, and E7T2 CARbuteTERs. (Disclaimer here – I am not real familiar with the later 251 engine equipped WM300 models.)

In any case, addition of either of these components usually means that a previous owner was trying to create a quick fix. The factory fuel pump operates with a deliberate mechanical action. If it is not delivering enough fuel, it means that it is either worn out and needs to be rebuilt, or replaced, or there is a problem elsewhere in the fuel system. The early integral fuel filter functions by straining the fuel between tightly compressed brass rings. It is very effective, quite stout, never needs to be replaced unless carelessly damaged, and is easy to remove and clean. The later divorced filter assembly has a glass sediment bowl (some models had a metal bowl) with a porcelain element. The porcelain element, though somewhat fragile, is very effective in filtering out contaminants and easy to clean. The glass sediment bowl affords the additional benefit of diagnosing the cleanliness of the fuel system by viewing the contaminants that have been filtered out and fallen to the bottom of the bowl.

The glass sediment bowl on the mechanical fuel pump should not be confused with a fuel filter. It looks like the bowl on the carb divorced fuel filter, but its function is not the same. It captures chunks that are strained by a screen. These are chunks that are too large to flow through the valves in the pump; the fuel filter filters finer particles before they reach the carburetor.

I have nothing against being prepared for emergencies. Strategically locating an electric fuel pump that can be quickly connected to override a malfunctioning mechanical unit is planning ahead. Nothing however, creates the feeling of being in tune with the truck or the satisfaction that comes with carrying a new or rebuilt fuel filter in the glove box and knowing that you have the tools and ability to get the old girl moving again regardless of the conditions.

Next time – we'll discuss why one never fixes a leaking roof with Black Jack or stuffs an old bath towel in a broken windowpane.


Junior



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