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Fuel pump pushrod smoked

rev.ronnie

rev.ronnie

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Been having what I thought was a vapor lock issue on my Charger 440-6. I installed a electric pump in the rear and noticed recently that the pressure was low. When I unplugged the pump, it went to zero.

I pulled the pump tonight and the fuel pump rod is worn to level with the block. I put my scope up there and the lobe seems fair, but I'm not taking any chances. I removed the check valves from my Hemi pump on the engine and installed a 7psi non-regulated pump in the rear. I removed the regulator as well and blocked off the vapor line, dead-heading the fuel at the carbs.

What the hell...this engine has less than 2000 miles on it. Glad it was mine anyway, instead of a customer piece.

So much for a brand new Comp cam..

Anyone have any similar issues?
 
I literally just had this problem last week. My cam also ate my fuel pump push rod. I'm not sure if the pushrod I had in it was an aftermarket Mopar Performance piece but I've heard they have or had quality issues. I pulled another push rod out of an old 400 block I've got sitting in the backyard and changed the oil/filter. She's been good so far, got about 100 miles on her since doing this. I don't have an electric pump to back up my mechanical like you do but that should have nothing to do with it.

From what I've read on multiple topics about this issue, the cam usually survives unharmed which I'm guessing is the case with me as well since I'm still maintaining a solid 7 psi.
 
I have a friend that had a mopar performance fuel pump pushrod fail. It just ground off like it was not properly heat treated. He replaced it with one from Hugh's racing engines. It did not hurt the lobe on the cam.
I am not for sure if other makers like comp cams had issues with there fuel pump rods or not.
 
rev.ronnie said:
Been having what I thought was a vapor lock issue on my Charger 440-6. I installed a electric pump in the rear and noticed recently that the pressure was low. When I unplugged the pump, it went to zero.

I pulled the pump tonight and the fuel pump rod is worn to level with the block. I put my scope up there and the lobe seems fair, but I'm not taking any chances. I removed the check valves from my Hemi pump on the engine and installed a 7psi non-regulated pump in the rear. I removed the regulator as well and blocked off the vapor line, dead-heading the fuel at the carbs.

What the hell...this engine has less than 2000 miles on it. Glad it was mine anyway, instead of a customer piece.

So much for a brand new Comp cam..

Anyone have any similar issues?
Click to expand...

......sounds like the steel metallurgy was incompatible, but I'd rather see a rod go than a cam.
 
I had this issue on the 383 on my 66 Charger. Acted like vapor lock but pump was just not moving enough gas and consistent pressure to be reliable. It finally crapped out one day and had to have it towed. It would start and run fine but at some point, could be 20 min or 2 hours of driving, it would sputter and just act like it was out of gas and quit. Tried new pumps, filters ect. Finally decided to do what I had not done and should have early on. Pulled the push rod and you could see the wear on cam end. It was worn by .3 inches shorter that spec, yikes ! I assume this was original rod as the car has 86K on it. I have read that these factory rods had issues and it has historically been a problem on these mopars. Short of it is replace your push rod! Easy to do and not much $. Terry
 
Never had a stock push rod go bad but have heard that replacements are not heat treated and this problem has been going on for probably 20+ years. At one point I had a nice supply of original push rods and all I did was check the length, clean them up and reuse em. Never had anyone come back with one that was worn.
 
This was an original one. It was perfect when I put it in . The thing that has me worried about installing a new one is that the worn one is concave on the face. This leads me to believe that the cam may be less than perfectly flat.

I'm going to get a composite one to replace it with and then put the guts back in the pump. I don't want to take a chance at any more metal getting in the engine. I know the filter should catch it, along with the magnetic plug, but better safe.
 
When I pulled mine it was concave on the cam end as well. Since I am the 4 th owner, I have no way of knowing if indeed the push rod was the original factory one or not. Can only assume.. Since replaced, al is good. Good fuel pressure and no issues. Terry
 
My pushrod in the 383 did the same thing. I removed it and went with an electric external Holly pump at the tank. Works great but its a noisy little bastard.
 
I had a push rod fail a long time ago but slapped in a good used one and it was fine. One thing I have wondered about is the push rod guide in the block and how the rod fits. Most are pretty sloppy and that might cause accelerated wear.
 
Starting to see a theme here. The Mopar fuel-pump push-rods have been fine forever, till.............and this is just a guess here, the removal of zinc from motor oil that has also killed the flat tappets?
 
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