look what i found in my fuel pump...

[hueyhoolihan]

thanks to the moderator(s) for deleting my duplicate thread. quick work!

yep...got my new-to-me 1941 convertible running the other day, after spending about three weeks getting it sorted out with new points, condenser, battery, battery cables, voltage regulator and new carburetor, so i took it out for a drive, put five gallons of fresh gas in it, and soon after it was running on about four or five cylinders any time i gave it gas...barely got back to the garage, yet purrs like a kitten at idle. so pulled the fuel pump today, thinking it might be a fueling issue. and look what i found!

debris at the top of the pic is what's left of the cork gasket. the screen (still somewhat clogged) is on the left. and the grit (see bottom of pic) was partially above the screen and some of it below.

in addition, half of the gasket that sits between the pump and the block was actually IN the block when the pump was last installed by a previous owner! what a mess.

pump rebuild kit is on the way, although i'm now questioning whether or not i really need to rebuild it, inasmuch as it was clearly pumping well enough, if and when it's able to get enough fuel, that is! and i suspect that the vast majority of the debris that got past the screen never made it into the other half (as yet to be disassembled) of the pump. maybe i'll remove the six screws hold the top and lower halves together and take a quick peek. what do you think? maybe just take some carb cleaner to the top half and wait for the new screen and cork gasket for the lid, and then a quick re-install, eh?

and yes, i've already bought a paper fuel filter. it will sit between the firewall and the pump. as i suspect there'll be plenty more debris where THAT came from.

BTW, for those interested is diagnosing problems, the symptoms created by this problem could have easily, IME, been caused by some type of ignition failure. the only thing that tipped it off for me was that i knew i had recently installed points and condenser and that it idled so well, and so, was disinclined to think "ignition". and OTOH the symptom (massive failure to fire on all cylinders) only manifested itself when fuel demand increased. not only that but removing the fuel pump was a simple task...