That’s my Iris blue Bugeye (“The Egg”) getting retrieved by a flat bed tow truck a few weeks ago. The fuel pump failed, a nice looking little German model which started pumping furiously (without moving fuel) because the diaphragm failed. Below on the right is a picture of the one that came with the car, which broke. Alongside I have also shown an Ecco brand pump that comes with plastic fittings- I much prefer metal ones.
Sadly, we have seen lots of these aftermarket alternatives fail.
We have had zero failures with the square solid state pump we sell. This is the most reliable set-up that we have found, and they live on almost all of the cars we have shipped to customers around the world. The Egg will get one too (click this text if you want to order one).
Last week, we were putting together a Bugeye with a working pump and fuel pressure regulator in place. Lots of people use higher pressure pumps and adjustable pressure regulators to step down the pressure for SU carbs, which only need 1.5 to 2PSI of pressure. But the regulator has one more diaphragm in the chain that you just don’t need.
In fact, on a test drive this week, I felt something unusual on my right foot as I applied the accelerator pedal. Heat was all I could discern, and while it felt a little like a snake bite, my sock also felt wet. So I switched off the engine to evaluate and found that my shoe had filled with fuel. This particular regulator was located next to the pedal box and the diaphragm inside it failed, thus causing a gasoline rainstorm on my pedicure.
I’ve had plenty of brake fluid land on my shoes while driving, but this was my first fuel-foot. So I would rip out your regulator and put in the correct low pressure pump.
Every diaphragm has a limited life span, so it’s best to get rid of them all. The diaphragm on the mechanical fuel pumps original to the car will tear and can send fuel into your sump and/or onto your hot manifold. SU pumps have diaphragms that can tear. And regulator rubber can also perish. The square pumps are piston powered and seem much more durable and so far, represent the best path to reliability. My car looks great on the truck below, but I would have much preferred to have driven home!
