Joe Lucia - Opinion on Fuel Pump

[Greg F.]

Joe,

I reviewed the archives on this topic but I never found a solid answer. You always give good direction, so I'm soliciting your help...please.

I have a 71 small block (all original). I want to replace my fuel pump. The original part is 40769 and I see that 41240 has replaced it and has a shorter cannister, correct? I also see that you recommend Carter #M6106 as a good replacement.

If it was your car, which fuel pump would you buy? Also, I see Paragon has a 40769 for $155, but I don't know if I want one that badly.

Thanks in advance for your direction/help.

Greg

[Joe L.]

Re: Joe Lucia - Opinion on Fuel Pump

Joe,

I reviewed the archives on this topic but I never found a solid answer. You always give good direction, so I'm soliciting your help...please.

I have a 71 small block (all original). I want to replace my fuel pump. The original part is 40769 and I see that 41240 has replaced it and has a shorter cannister, correct? I also see that you recommend Carter #M6106 as a good replacement.

If it was your car, which fuel pump would you buy? Also, I see Paragon has a 40769 for $155, but I don't know if I want one that badly.

Thanks in advance for your direction/help.

Greg

Greg-----


Yes, the 41240 has replaced the 40769 and the 41240 does have a shorter canister. AC has not manufactured a mechanical fuel pump in over 25 years. I believe most of those on the market are manufactured by 1 or 2 sources. So, I expect that the Carter is probably the the same thing you get in an AC box. However, it's possible the Carter may still have the longer 40769 style.

Which one would I buy? I'd probably go with the AC, but not because it's any better than the others.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Joe Lucia - Opinion on Fuel Pump

You're going to want to buy a fuel pump with the longer canister, or your metal fuel line up to the carb won't fit correctly. I know this from experience on my friend's 70. He had to order a couple of different ones at the local auto parts store to find a long canister one.

Patrick

[Jim T.]

Re: Joe Lucia - Opinion on Fuel Pump

Patrick do you still have the information on what auto parts store you found the long pump for your friends 70?

[Patrick H.]

Re: Joe Lucia - Opinion on Fuel Pump

I can ask him to check his receipts.
I know what store but I'll check into model number and part number.

Patrick

[Joe L.]

Re: Joe Lucia - Opinion on Fuel Pump

You're going to want to buy a fuel pump with the longer canister, or your metal fuel line up to the carb won't fit correctly. I know this from experience on my friend's 70. He had to order a couple of different ones at the local auto parts store to find a long canister one.

Patrick

Patrick-----


Yes, I should have mentioned that issue. I thought about that after I had shut my computer down and gotten into bed, though.

The problem is I'm not so sure that the longer canister pump is manufactured anymore. As I mentioned previously, AC has not manufactured these mechanical pumps in years. So, the fact that they discontinued the 40769 and replaced it with the 41240 provides a hint that their manufacturing source did the same. Since their manufacturing source is likely the same as the manufacturing source for all the others, I expect that other brands are equally affected.

I know that for awhile, the longer canister was available from some of the other brands. In fact, I think that Carter was one. However, that may have been due to existing inventory which is why your friend may have been able to find one a few years ago. I'm not so sure it still is. However, if anyone finds out, I'd like to know about it.

One possible "solution" to this problem as far as a properly fitting fuel line goes would be to use the 77+ fuel line which was originally designed for use with the 41240 pump. While not "correct", it would still provide a "factory fit" type fuel line rather than a "field-fabricated" one.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Joe Lucia - Opinion on Fuel Pump

Gents,

Here's what my friend said when I asked if he had the receipt on hsi pump from last fall.

"I ended up taking the one back from Advance Auto because at the time I thought it was the wrong pump because the fuel line still didn’t line up.
That was before I found out that I needed that brass 90 degree elbow to screw into the lower side of the pump. However, I still kept the receipt. No. 41240 for $33.98.

There were some other parts I needed from Paragon and went ahead and found the correct pump and ordered it through them.
70-81 replacement turns out has the same model number as the Advance Auto pump only this one is an AC Delco pump and with my NCRS discount,
paid $27.00 vs. $33.98 at Advance Auto."

So, that's what I know. I won't see the pump myself until a few weeks from now, but the one listed above from Advance was a long one - we had previously returned a short one from them.

Patrick

Addendum -
Here's a pic of the 41240 pump from Advance Auto: