Flathead Fuel Pump Question

Howdy all. Tim here. Just a quick question...I am putting an electric fuel pump on my 59AB. So I am going to take the mechanical one off. At some point I remember someone telling me that the pump rod that runs off the cam needs to remain inside for oil pressure. Is there anything to this? It doesn't make sense to me that it would simply be bouncing around in there...Is there something that I should know about this? Any help would be great.

I know this may be a stupid question..so lash away!
Tim
MBL

 

If I remember right you have to plug the pushrod hole on the 59 blocks but not the 8BA. I'm sure some of the flathead gurus on this site will will verify or correct me on that. John

 

No issue of pressure loss--bushing plugs the gallery. I think in late flatheads even the bushing is irrelevant, but would have to go look at one...some bushings have a tiny pinhole to lube rod.
The actual issue is internal oil control--engine will actually push mist of thrown oil propelled by crank through breather if hole not plugged. This, the little tin baffles, and the tube at front are necessary to control oil in the valley, and I think you should also keep the baffle tube that goes beneath the breather. Kevin came up with a good answer for all issues simultaneously--leave part of pushrod in hole! Now, all is as original. Keep a segment with the little umbrella on it, shorten lower end so it no longer rides cam (saves .00000003 horsepower in parasitic drag).

 

Ok..so I am a little confused...so I should put something in there or just leave it alone...or cut the pump pushrod....I was just going to put a block off plate on the intake and leave it at that.
Tim
MBL

 

Either cut the rod or press a 7/16" Welch plug in the hole and keep the breather on the stand for engine ventilation. If you run the engine with hole uncovered and look at it with a flashlight you'll be amazed at how much oil comes up ouuta that hole. Worse on 59A than 8BA. I believe 8BA has the small drilled hole Bruce is talking about.

 

I hate to cut a good fuel pump push rod..but whatever...if it is the thing to do..then...So I should leave the breather deal on and not cover the hole..good call...cause I was gonna do that..not thinking of the breather at all..

so the idea is to cut the rod below the umbrella part so that it is short enough to not interfere with the cam? Then the umbrella portion just covers up the hole? The rest is together to ensure there is breather capability?
Sound right?
Tim
MBL

 

Easiest fix is to buy the Welch (Freeze cup type) plug at NAPA. Cut a piece of 3/8" all-thread about 12" long. Glue the cup of the plug to one end of the rod with silicone. Carfully insert into bushing down thru the hole in the intake and tap the plug in with a small hammer. Twist the threaded rod to break the silicone loose, put the stand back on the intake and you're finished.

 

Drive out the fuel pump push rod bushing in the block. Turn the bushing 90 degrees and reinstall in the block. This will take care of any oil issues in the motor.

 

The oil flow around the bushing in a 59A is 360 degrees; rotating the bushing won't do anything but loosen it. The bushing completely seals the middle of the 360 degree passage that routes oil around the pusrod bore. Some bushings are said to have a pinhole to lube the rod--I don't know why, as its oiled the same way as most solid lifters, by all the ambient liquid and misted oil. I believe that if these really exist, they are scarce, but that's a reason I suggest leaving a length of pushrod in the hole because it would be very difficult to tell if the hole is there in an assembled engine. Some tuners totally seal off pushrod hole to allow flow straight through--Ron has detailed one way of doing this stuff--but there's little need. Oiling system isn't really a problem on flatheads.

 

On my 8ba, I just pluged the hole and made a cap for the pump base. works fine. I put a pcv valve on the cap i made and a old chev. oil (327) tube in place of the stock tube. this made a closed system also plug the old down draft tube hole. get filtered air from the air filter to the chev. oil filler tube.