Solution to a stuffed fuel pump on the Canning stock route

Imagine trying to do that with a more modern fuel injected vehicle. Bob.

Love your profile picture!

A friend of mine used the same technique in 1967 when crossing the Nullaboor, only the vehicle was a ex police Studebaker with Chev V8

Nick

My wife and I tried that trick back in the mid 1970s while driving a Holden powered Bedford van that had developed a fuel blockage between the pump and the tank. The only difference was we used the fuel tank off a trail bike that was tied down in the back. We redirected the steel fuel pipe from the carby to the pump so it stuck up through the hinged engine cover inside the van. It was then a simple matter to push the short rubber line from the bike tank over the end of the pipe then turn on the little tap under the tank and drive off with her balancing it on top of the engine cover.

The funny part came when we stopped at a service station to refuel. When the young attendent ran up to the window to serve us I said hang on a second then turned off the tap, pulled the rubber hose off the pipe, passed the bike tank out through the window to him and said fill it up please! I wish I had a photo of the look on his face.

I had to do a very similair trick to a VK HDT Commodore many, many years ago. Ended up tying a 5L can to the roof via the sunroof and syphoning the tank to top up the can every ~20kms. But I hadn't realised that the casing had cracked on the fuel pump (mechanical rocker off the motor on 5L V8) and so it was leaking oil at the rate of 2l oil every time I topped up the 5L can. Got to Geralton on my own fuel but had to flag down cars for oil !!!

Cheers

Captain

My inlaws did that set up with a EH Holden on the way to Birdsville, only the M/Inlaw had a Gallon tin between her legs and a hose to the fuel pump, they had ruptured a fuel tank but managed to save some fuel and get a bit in some plastic containers they had, the funny side of that experiience was the ol girl was going to light a smoke, ol fella near had a bloody fit and grabbed it before she sent them to mars ...lol.

Cheers Axle.