The Alfatross has two fuel pumps: an electric SU pump mounted under the car near the fuel tank and a mechanical FISPA pump mounted on the right side of the engine. Both were in pretty good condition other than having old, hard diaphragms and gaskets. The latter, being simple and mechanical, was easy to restore, but the SU was another story. In the first place, it had a lot of parts.
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The SU fuel pump is a beautiful device, but subject to
failure of the electrical contact points switch. |
I surfed the Internet looking for specifications and parts for SU pumps and discovered Dave DuBois at
SU Fuel Pumps and More (
http://homepages.donobi.net/sufuelpumps/). After reading his articles on SU fuel pumps I realized that not only could Dave supply the parts I needed, but could also replace the original stone-age "contact points" technology with an optical triggering device that would dead-reliable.
I sent my pump to Dave and it was one of the best experiences I have had with sub-contractors. The information about SU pumps on his Web site is encyclopedic. He tells you exactly what your pump needs and what he will do to restore it. He tells you how your pump will be tested following restoration and that he keeps a copy of the data on your pump on file for future reference. The prices for his services are clearly stated, along with shipping charges and optional insurance.
For me, the icing on the cake was the photo of Dave's testing station. I always ask sub-contractors to provide a photo or two of their workshop, just to have a more complete record of all the work that is being done on the Alfatross's parts outside my own workshop. Most of them don't do it. I don't know why, in this day and age of cell phone cameras, they can't be bothered to send back a snap or two along with the item they're restoring, but they don't. Anyway, Dave has that covered, too.
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| Dave DuBois' test station. Impressive! |
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| Dave's solid-state replacement for the original points. |
This type of modification during restoration is in line with my overall restoration philosophy: yes, it is a departure from 100% originality, but it is unobtrusive, undetectable, and it improves reliability. For me this is an acceptable compromise.
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| The finished electric fuel pump, tested and ready for installation. |
So my pump was returned run-tested and in better-than-new condition. It has a one year warranty on parts and a
lifetime warranty on labor! All this for just $121.62 including shipping, or $127.32 if you want the $400 insurance option (as of 2012). He also lists other SU repair services you can contact in the US, the UK, and Australia. Now that's the kind of contractor you want to deal with.
Thanks, Dave!
