Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The old Skinners Union (SU) fuel pump had to bang the floor with a hammer story. I think every British car owner I have met told that story or some variation on it. Always with a mischievous glint in their eyes. The SU pump was a diaphragm pump that used a electric solenoid to push the diaphragm one way and spring pressure to push it back. As a rod connected to the diaphragm moved back under spring pressure a rocker assembly would close a set of points and energise the solenoid again. At full travel the rocker assembly would disengage the points and so on etc. As time goes by, the electrical contacts get worn and pitted and thus the points, though touching, are too corroded to allow electrikery to flow. When you are driving road vibrations jar the points enough to keep the pump functioning; but, at a traffic light, the pump stops until you jar the connections with a sharp rap on the floor above the pump. It really gives the girl of your dreams on the seat next to you the feeling you are "slightly crazy in a nice sort of way." John Collier Once when driving a bright yellow VW double-cab pick-up, I had the throttle cable break and had the aforementioned G.O.D. sit in the box and at my shouts, above her laughter, pull on a very short string to work the throttle while I steered, shifted, braked and what not. Charming Days of Yore > Dale, Tom and others wrote: > >> I used to carry a hammer that was used to bang on the fuel pump cover > when it stopped. > > So maybe by hitting it with the hammer all you were doing was jogging the > loose terminal. You were applying Mechanical Engineering methods to fix an > electrical problem.