Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/08

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Subject: Re: [Leica] R8 cars now SU fuel pumps
From: John Collier <jbcollier@home.com>
Date: Tue, 08 Feb 2000 22:53:33 -0700

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.