NEW= Never Ever Worked

 

Good to hear the problem is solved, the last thing you would rule out is a new fuel pump, does aggravate the problem when trying to find something else being the fault

 

I received an exact same rebuild kit a couple of years back from CARS (Buick parts supplier). Vague mention of ethanol compatibility. Did not use, tbe diaphragm was FLAT! No Thanks, I sold it off. Still nothing out there having OE quality.
The original AC 4460 diaphram had a PLUNGER shaped diaphram. Take a close look. NORS Rebuilt units used OE style diaphrams.
Still Looking . . . . .

 

Fuel pumps are an area in my mind where i just dont have a clear cut winner for good ones. Or its just that all of them are so hit and miss anymore. i have an edelbrock on my Camaro that has been on for year, so i guess that one is decent, but the Holley that was on my 55, which i assume was new when the engine was put together, lasted a year-ish, before it just crapped out on me, putting me on the flatbed. I used to think i could handle most roadside issues, but when the pump went, i was stranded. no amount of backwoods engineering was going to make fuel go from the tank to the carb without a pump. I carry a spare with me, as well as i have installed an electric on at the tank for emergency. It has also proved handy for filling the bowls when i go playing with my carb.

 

This is why I recommended either a NOS AC fuel pump, or a good used rebuilt AC pump. You can't beat the original parts, when things were made in America and not imported from China.

Steve

 

I have a friend that had the same issue with a repro chinese pump, They are trash.

 

Here are photos of one of the AC fuel pumps I rebuilt for Steve.

These are the parts that come in the kit. The small valves are made differently, but are working just fine in the rebuilt pump now

I ground off the head of the pin holding the main diaphragm in place. They provide a pin with small "c"clips

Valves were replaced

The lower cover rubber seal was trimmed down about 1/4 inch to fit better.

A new seal was installed for the rod attached to the main diaphragm

The rest of the assembly was straight forward.

Mikey

 

I am confused, I am trying to install the correct fuel pump for my 1957 283 4 barrel, factory assembly has a 5594262, but all I read is 4460, or 4913 , where do I get the correct information from? Thanks in advance 😎

 

When looking for an original pump, I see listings for Airtex and NOS boxes with pumps that cannot be disassembled and rebuilt.
There also appear to be AC pumps with different bottom styles or screws.
Some have straight slot screws around the perimeter and some have hex head screws.
The bottom cover sometimes has a single hex head bolt as in your example above. Sometimes a single straight slot screw and sometimes two straight slot screws.
Which of these combinations are "correct", assuming the "4460" is stamped in the edge of a casting that hasn't been ground down, and "AC" is molded into the very top of the casting? Are they all correct?

 

The 4460 is the generic supply part #. The # on the side of the casting is the important number. Often times this # will not be correct on rebuilt pumps
because the top casting is basically the same for may years. 58 and up use the same casting, but the mid section is made differently. So you have to
look at all of that. As to the bottom bolt. It should be a hex bolt, and fine thread. Rebuilders used lots of different ones to "get the job" done. The screws should also be slotted head and have washer like flange on them. Even these are hard to find now.

Mikey

 

The casting number on an original 4BC AC fuel pump should be 4913. As Mikey said, the pumps part number is 4460. If you are looking for a correct pump, only AC pumps are OEM. The pump shown in Mikey's post #7 is a very nice condition used correct 4BC pump. He also rebuilt a NOS AC pump for me which is not shown in the photos. The Nos pump is currently installed and WORKING on my 56 Nomad! The other branded pumps Airtex, Delphi, etc... are generic offerings, and all are made in the same Chinese factory. Anything new is almost assuredly made in China.

Steve

 

In recent years the biggest problem I've come across was getting decent parts. No matter who I got them from, or what I paid, the failure rate on various parts is just unacceptable.
I put a brand new headlight switch on a all new build, with a brand new wiring harness, and the switch lasted less than 6 months of rarely being used. One night coming home from an evening car event my headlights began flickering and going off and on. I could push the switch off and back on to get them working, but it only lasted maybe 30 sec. before going bad again.
I was close to home, and also close to an auto parts chain store, so stopped and bought a new switch. Installed it the next day, and it was good. Still working a few years later when I sold the car. But I'm sure it was an offshore built switch, so no telling when it will go out again.

 

The first part I had to replace on my stored-for-40-years '57 was the fuel pump.
I got one from Napa several years ago that at least can be taken apart for repairs.
It worked for testing, but I haven't driven the car enough to know whether it will hold up.

After this discussion, it seems I ought to hold onto the old one, and get it reworked:

 

The first part I had to replace on my stored-for-40-years '57 was the fuel pump.
I got one from Napa several years ago that at least can be taken apart for repairs.
It worked for testing, but I haven't driven the car enough to know whether it will hold up.
View attachment 367951 View attachment 367952 View attachment 367953 View attachment 367954 View attachment 367955

After this discussion, it seems I ought to hold onto the old one, and get it reworked:
View attachment 367956 View attachment 367957 View attachment 367958

Steve's first one just like that lasted 3-4 years. The last 2.....never worked right, right out of the box. Get you AC one rebuilt. Save yourself the
troubles later. Same company that sell the rebuild kits Steve posted, also rebuild and re-color the pump. I had them do one for Mickeys project.

 

And I don't know how it happened, but I paid $38 for this Napa pump in late 2017. Now, the same part number is $124!!

 

Here is the link for the rebuilding/ re-coloring service. They will rebuild and restore any AC fuel pump.

YOUR 1955-66 AC FUEL PUMP RESTORED #4262 4445 4656 4657 40083 CORVETTE CHEVY | eBay

THE PUMP NUMBERS AVAILABLE UNDER THIS SERVICE ARE AC 4150, 4262, 4445, 4656, 4657 OR 40083 & MORE. WE MUST HAVE YOUR PUMP TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE WHICH TAKES 6-8 WEEKS. WE MUST HAVE YOUR PUMP TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE WHICH CAN TAKES 6-8 WEEKS.

www.ebay.com

Steve

 

I've been helping out at a local restoration shop with a 57 sedan/283 2bbl and we had the exact same thing happen over the last few weeks. First was from a specialty retailer and second was from the local parts supplier. Both died within a few hours of run time. A third (Holley) is on it now and surviving for the time being. If we had the original a/c, we would have gone the rebuild path by now. It's amazing the level of crap that is out there.

 

Can the new pumps be rebuilt with the kit listed in the first post?

 

I don't know if they can be rebuilt with the kit or not. But why would anyone even consider doing that?

 

Depends on what you have on-hand, I guess. It would be nice to know if the kit will work on the new pumps so you could have a dependable rebuilt replacement on the shelf for a backup. I can understand a guy with a numbers-matching car not wanting to rebuild a newer pump, but for the rest of us with non-numbers cars, why not?

 

Because the Chinese pumps are junk from the get go, and no rebuild kit will ever make them reliable. They are designed very cheaply, and will only work for a short time if at all. Watch e-bay for a used correct AC pump and rebuild that. BTW, the rebuild kit costs more than a new cheapie Chinese pump.

 

Well I don't know that for sure. But I am going to take one apart and see what is inside. If the rebuild parts fit, it may be a go. BECAUSE AC pumps
don't grow on trees anymore.

Mikey

 

Interested in this thread – dealing with same issues on a 2-y/o fuel pump install that has seemingly gone bad.

Is it ok to put a new kit into one of the aftermarket units, if openable ... or should it be done to a proper AC pump?

 

Interested in this thread – dealing with same issues on a 2-y/o fuel pump install that has seemingly gone bad.

Is it ok to put a new kit into one of the aftermarket units, if openable ... or should it be done to a proper AC pump?

Also ... are all the available rebuild kits as good as each other? Some available in stock here in Australia, but just want to check if I need to be wary!)

 

Don’t know what you are talking about, but I have serious reservations that you know anything. I have rebuilt dozens of OE AC 4460 type pumps and in every one the main diaphragm was flat. The last 2 I did for Steve were NOS in a early AC box and were flat

Mikey

 

To add to that kit, both check valves had smaller passages than original valves.
I am not intimate with the pumps' design. But it seems to me that a bellows/plunger shaped diaphram would accommodate a certain stroke more than a flat diaphragm.
However, there was another kit with only a flat diaphragm. The purchaser had to salvage the link from the old diaphragm.
We are lucky with SBCs where one can purchase various flavours of the same part. In dealing with Buicks, Only a crimped pump with a fixed 5/16" Inlet is available today when 3/8" is the spec. Basically a Chevy Fuel Pump with a Buick Arm. I suppose better than obsoleting the part.
I purchased an old rebuilt but unused "OE pump" and disassembled it to freshen-it-up with a kit. Even the 70s rebuild had OE components. I reassembled the Pump and installed it. Ethanol compatibility, is asking way too much, a challenge to restore to original!
In Summary, I've observed OE components being of better design than replacement.

 

4460 is the AC or rebuilders group #. This number covers many applications. But really only tells you the type pump it is. The 4913 is the 4 digit
number that was stamped in the flange of the pumps used during 55-57. 5594262 may be the GM part number if you could find one in the GM
box.

4460 style pump: Not NO AC logo on the top. This is an older, but NEW Airtex pump

4913 stamping in the flange of the top section of the pump. The top of this casting will also have AC, like this Restored one I sold.

Mikey

 

5594262 is the assembly line part number. That was changed to 5593256 in the 1957 parts book, so an NOS box will probably have that number, if searching e-bay. The flange numbers are also noted.