I now use an electric pump for my fuel storage, but I still keep an old Harbor Freight manual fuel pump as a spare. I pulled it out to use the other day, and noted the seal around the hand crank has gone bad, and it was leaking fuel like crazy when I was trying to fill a 2 gallon can.
Here’s the pump:
“Guts” of the pump.
Old, crispy shaft seal. Thankfully, it’s got the size written on it. I really did a number on it getting it out.
The shaft was rougher’n a cob (as my grandpa would say) so I chucked it up in my lathe and hit it with some 400 grit sandpaper. I didn’t want to take too much off or the seal wouldn’t seal.
Lastly, the new and pliable seal. I went with nitrile rubber versus Viton, as nitrile is supposed to work in cold temps, where Viton not as well. Granted, we only get below zero a few times a year, but with my luck that’s when I’d need fuel the most.
Here’s the pump:
“Guts” of the pump.
Old, crispy shaft seal. Thankfully, it’s got the size written on it. I really did a number on it getting it out.
The shaft was rougher’n a cob (as my grandpa would say) so I chucked it up in my lathe and hit it with some 400 grit sandpaper. I didn’t want to take too much off or the seal wouldn’t seal.
Lastly, the new and pliable seal. I went with nitrile rubber versus Viton, as nitrile is supposed to work in cold temps, where Viton not as well. Granted, we only get below zero a few times a year, but with my luck that’s when I’d need fuel the most.
