Around the shop – Page 13

501 fuel pump foibles

September 29, 2023 by bugeyeguy

Even after 400 Bugeyes, sometimes last-minute failures happen and need to be addressed, even on 501! As we prepared the first production Bugeye, AN5L/ 501 for its appearance at this weekend’s Audrain Concours D’elegance in Newport, Rhode Island, we noticed a fuel smell upon startup. Upon inspection, we found a steady drip coming from the fuel pump. You can see in the photo below the peeling paint, a tell-tale sign that we had a fuel leak.

Original Sprite fuel pumps were painted green along with the rest of the engine. The peeling of this paint tipped us off to the origin of the fuel smell.

We just rebuilt this fuel pump a little over a year ago, so the reason for the leak is currently unclear, and we didn’t really have time to investigate, as 501 was due to be loaded on the trailer for Audrain at 9 AM this morning. Leaks like this are why we strongly recommend installing our solid-state electric fuel pump kits (available here or by clicking the photo below) on all of our Bugeyeguys builds. They are infinitely more reliable, never leak, and significantly reduce the likelihood of leaking fuel into the crankcase.

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A “shocking” development in Bugeye suspension!

September 22, 2023 by bugeyeguy

Each year, we go through tons of lever shocks in our building. We are constantly packing and mailing cores back to the rebuilders. Every year it seems like we are processing tons of lever shock freight.

Great shocks are required for a wonderful ride in any Spridget, but the original lever shocks are all rebuilt by now (some multiple times) and they are becoming a liability. We use multiple rebuilders, but they are getting more expensive, and it has become more and more common for the shocks to start leaking, or to develop weak spots in their travel. That inconsistency makes for inconsistent ride quality, and can lead to less than optimal performance.

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Another Bugeye Sprite transformed

September 22, 2023 by bugeyeguy

We’re proud of the car you see above. It was a fine Bugeye when it showed up after we retrieved it in Texas for the client, but now, after 100 or so improvements, this car is really great.

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This hose blows

September 15, 2023 by bugeyeguy

A Bugeye’s coolant bypass hose can tear faster than Aaron Rodgers’ achilles. But there’s hope, and a new one is only $8.95 (including new hose clamps).

You need to check yours today.

If you are unfamiliar, this little hose lives under the thermostat housing, connecting the water pump to the cylinder head, and is often neglected. The hose shown is seriously inflamed and the worst one we have ever seen. We added a photo of a new accordion style hose next to it so you can see the amount of deformation.

This is the location of the coolant bypass hose on a Bugeye.

The accordion style shown can crack, and apparently, based on this picture, get really swollen too!

Our straight bypass hose is a lot more durable than the original accordion-style hose! Click here to get one!

We sell a straight hose for more longevity. It’s a little harder to install with the water pump in place, or remove your water pump to install. This will keep your juices flowing for a long time to come!

A 4,000 mile journey begins with two beeps!

August 25, 2023 by bugeyeguy2

Our long distance field tester TJ is at it again!

TJ bought Ducky from us back in 2021 (roughly our 300th Bugeye) then flew in with his wife, and drove it home. In 2021, TJ and Ducky went on their maiden voyage of a 4,000 mile journey back to his home in Washington state, which is about as far away as you can get from our shop within the continental USA. That adventure was with the original 948 engine.

He had so much fun on the trip that he came back to do it again this summer!

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