Are repop fuel pumps reliable?

[Greg L.]

I'm needing a fuel pump for my 69 L36 and would like to get one of the common reproductions. I bought one a few years back but the aluminum housing was so badly corroded that I couldn't accept it cosmetically and returned it and never did get another one. Now that I'm actually ready for a new one I'd like to hear what you all think about the current repop ones. Generally how is the reliability of them and are they all about the same from each vendor or do some vendors have better ones than others?

It's obvious that the repop pumps are more far costly than standard replacements but if the reliability is there I'm okay with spending the extra money, just not too keen on it if they only last a couple years and then need to be replaced like repop batteries were or maybe still are...

Any thoughts and advice on this is appreciated.

[John D.]

Re: Are repop fuel pumps reliable?

I got the AC Delco replacement for my car a few years ago. It looks remarkably close to an original minus the AC lettering cast on the sidewall.
No problem at all with durability using today's gas..

[Joe L.]

Re: Are repop fuel pumps reliable?

I got the AC Delco replacement for my car a few years ago. It looks remarkably close to an original minus the AC lettering cast on the sidewall.
No problem at all with durability using today's gas..

John and Greg-------


I think Greg is referring to the relatively high $$$ "reproduction" fuel pumps rather than current replacement type pumps. I don't know much about the "reproduction" pumps but, as with many "reproductions", I'm always skeptical of the "beyond skin deep" quality.

As far as the replacement AC Delco pumps, I have no concerns about them, at all, and that's what I would recommend that anyone use. I totally agree with you that they are also very close in configuration to the original pumps. In my opinion, to spend big $$$ to get a "reproduction" pump of questionable quality mostly just to get the "AC" feature is unwise.

Folks also need to keep in mind that a fuel pump has serious safety implications and it's also a component that a failure can leave one stranded someplace where they don't want to be. Not worth it in my mind.

[Rich G.]

[Joe L.]

Re: Are repop fuel pumps reliable?

A bit off brand, but I just bought a reproduction fuel pump for my 63 Corvair. The original was weeping a bit and there are no rebuild kits for these so our only choice is new made by who knows. Installed, drove one mile. Failed. Put the old one back in and continued to drive. I’d love to get an AC pump.

Rich

Rich------

There currently exists no AC-branded fuel pump for a Corvair. However, a brand new replacement pump is available from Carter. I'd use it without hesitation.

For use in a driven car and considering modern-day fuel blends, I'd prefer a currently manufactured replacement pump even to NOS. The current pumps will have internal components designed for current fuels and the components will be NEW. However, for an NOS pump, see below. The second one is GM #12355881, a 1993 replacement for the GM #6415433 (which replaced the original GM #5656774).



https://www.ebay.com/itm/60-61-62-63-64-65-66-67-CORVAIR-NEW-OLD-STOCK-NOS-DELCO-4886-FUEL-PUMP-6415433/221881569231?hash=item33a92c0fcf:g:kE4AAOSwFWVZpy-y

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1961-69-Chevrolet-Corvair-Fuel-Pump-GM-NOS-AC-4886-GM-12355881/331335569742?hash=item4d2523914e:g:MykAAOSw4shYB8RU

[Rich G.]

[Joe L.]

Re: Are repop fuel pumps reliable?

Joe

it was a Carter pump that failed. According to the Corvair Society there were a bunch of faulty diaphragms that got out into the world years ago. I bought this one from Parts Geek. Currently there is a company called Airtex in Ohio making these and they seem to be favored by Corvair guys. I ordered one from Clark’s Corvairs .

I, like you, thought I was doing the best thing by getting the Carter pump. May have been on the shelf for years. Many Corvair guys have converted to electric pumps because the mechanical pumps have been so unreliable. Originality is not a concern in that world. Reliability is.

Regards
Rich

Rich-------


This greatly surprises me. Carter has been a major manufacturer of fuel system components for many years, including OEM. Of course, I do not know that Carter actually manufactures these fuel pumps. It could be Airtex that manufactures them and sells to Carter. It's hard to imagine that there could be more than one manufacturing source for these Corvair fuel pumps as the market has to be infinitesimal at this point. In any event, regardless of who actually manufactures them, they ought to last a whole lot longer than a day. There's a lot of product liability involved with a component like a fuel pump so that, alone, ought to ensure some level of quality.

[Dick W.]

Re: Are repop fuel pumps reliable?

Rich-------


This greatly surprises me. Carter has been a major manufacturer of fuel system components for many years, including OEM. Of course, I do not know that Carter actually manufactures these fuel pumps. It could be Airtex that manufactures them and sells to Carter. It's hard to imagine that there could be more than one manufacturing source for these Corvair fuel pumps as the market has to be infinitesimal at this point. In any event, regardless of who actually manufactures them, they ought to last a whole lot longer than a day. There's a lot of product liability involved with a component like a fuel pump so that, alone, ought to ensure some level of quality.

To my knowledge, Airtex is THE manufacturer of replacement manual fuel pumps. At least they were about five years ago. They are reboxed as Carter, AC, etc with the respective manufacturers numbers stamped on them.

[Rich G.]

[Dick W.]

Re: Are repop fuel pumps reliable?

Old pumps do not have a diaphragm that is compatible with E10 plus they have probably gotten hard from age

[Joe L.]

Re: Are repop fuel pumps reliable?

Old pumps do not have a diaphragm that is compatible with E10 plus they have probably gotten hard from age

Dick and Rich------


Do we know if these pumps are being currently manufactured or is all available stock manufactured in some "ancient age"?

[Rich G.]

Re: Are repop fuel pumps reliable?

Joe

The Corvair society president told me that Airtex is currently making pumps and they can be had from O’Rielly Auto Parts. And at least one other store, neither of which is close by me, so I ordered one from Clark’s.

This is link from Clark’s talks about problems in the paragraph at the top.

http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalog.cgi?show_page=65

Rich