Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

[cheburashka]

Just got the correct fuel pump for my '74 140 Mercruiser. I want to make sure I'm installing it correctly. It looks like the filter housing should point down toward the bottom of the boat, but if I do this, the flange is upside-down compared to the pump I removed. Does this make a difference?

Second problem--I wanted to run metal fuel line instead of rubber hose on the pressure side. The parts store only had brake line, but the clerk assured me it would work. I didn't think it would, and I found out I was right when I tried to install it. Since there's nothing for the flange to butt up against inside of the fitting on the float bowl, the line ends up fitting loosely into the housing, and it seems like it would leak. Is there a generic type of fuel line which can be used in this application, or do I need to get the original Mercruiser part?

One final thing--what's the basic routing of the fuel line as it comes out of the pump? Is there anywhere I can find a picture of this?

Thanks

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

edit...

I replaced the rubber fuel line on my 73 140 with steel brake line and had fun finding the correct fittings to match up to the carb inlet and fuel pump. But,,, not as much fun as bending the line to meet up with the pump and carb perfectly I was almost ready to head down and buy another piece of steel tubing when everything finally lined up properly. If you have a double flare tool it will be much easier to cut and re-flair the end than trying to make the stock length of brake line match up to the fuel pump and carb.

My old 140 had the fuel line going in front of the valve cover, but the newer 3.0's go straight up and over the valve cover.

 

[cheburashka]

Re: Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

The filter bowl on the top? Well that's frustrating, since I've already put it on with the bowl pointing down. Mounted with the bowl on the top, I end up with two of the fittings in the wrong place--inlet away from the tank, and vent pointing down into the bilge, away from the carb. What changes were made to facilitate flipping it in later years?

I've attached pictures of the installation. Can anyone verify that I've got this upside-down?

Thanks

 

[Bondo]

Re: Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

Ayuh,....

You're looking at the Wrong End to see if it's Upsidedown or Not.....
The Lever has to Ride on the Cam properly,....

Btw,....
That steel line looks Tiny..... It should be 3/8"......

 

[Maclin]

Re: Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

The metal fuel line will not thread directly into the fuel pump housing. The housing has threads for another fitting like a fuel hose barb or a flare fitting. Your inlet side must have a fuel hose barb fitting in it already for that hose to be clamped on.

Once you get a female flare fitting then the metal flared end fuel line will thread into the flare fitting and tighten properly.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

Whoops, messed up that edit...

The old 140's had the filter on top and newer 3.0's have the filter on the bottom. I'm no expert, but they probably swapped back and forth a few time over the years to confuse the cr@p out of everyone. To make things worse, my old 140 fuel pump and new 3.0 fuel pump (old-vs-new) have the fuel fittings on opposite sides so you could potentially install them wrong if you are trying to clock the inlet and outlet like it was before,,, though I don't know if it would even bolt to the block because of arm interference. The arm is the important part... like Bond-o said

The line does look small, my 73 140 had a 1/4" steel line so that's what I went back with. The flare fittings are not easy to find, I had to go to several places before I found the right ones....

 

[cheburashka]

Re: Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

Ayuh,....

You're looking at the Wrong End to see if it's Upsidedown or Not.....
The Lever has to Ride on the Cam properly,....

OK, but previous owners have messed with this engine quite a bit, so I'm not even sure the pump that came with it was in the proper orientation. Does the "finger" of the lever point up, or down?

 

[JustJason]

Re: Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

im 99% sure that filter housing should point up.... yours is upside down.
the fuel line should not be directely threaded into the fuel pump or the carb, you need to run to the hardware/autoparts store and get some seats.
and bondo is right... that fuel line should be 3/8ths

 

[JustJason]

Re: Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

1 more thing.... i hope that rubber line is type A1. and you should double clamp it on both the tank end and the fuel pump end

 

[Maclin]

Re: Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

OK, but previous owners have messed with this engine quite a bit, so I'm not even sure the pump that came with it was in the proper orientation. Does the "finger" of the lever point up, or down?

Do you still have the old pump to look at and compare to?

Here is a link to Doug Russel Marine for the fuel pump and carb on a 1972-1978 140 Merc, it even shows the fuel line fitting that needs to go into the outlet side that the metal flare line goes into, and based on this it looks like to me you have it on upside down, the lever goes up on this one....

http://www.dougrussell.com/partscatalog/components/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewparts&colid=04&coldesc=140%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20GM%20181%20I%2FL4%201972%2D1978&index=1586&block=40&BlockNumberList=90,50,80,100,20,120,60,70,40,110,10,30,0

 

[Maclin]

Re: Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

Cheburaska, Dude....I just looked at your pics again, the fuel pump mounting flange does not match up with the bossed surface on the block like you have it, that should have been your first clue on which way to mount it.

 

[cheburashka]

Re: Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

Cheburaska, Dude....I just looked at your pics again, the fuel pump mounting flange does not match up with the bossed surface on the block like you have it, that should have been your first clue on which way to mount it.

On my block, the bossed surface is completely symmetrical. The pump flange mates up with it perfectly in either direction.

"Clues" sometimes lead you astray. When installed correctly, this fuel pump has all the fittings pointing exactly in the wrong direction, the manufacturer's name is upside-down, and the filter bowl points up, making filter changes impossible. Nevertheless, that's the correct orientation.

Actually, it's pretty easy to remember. Just think of the fuel pump as using its "finger" to make an obscene gesture toward the engine block.

I'm off to the auto parts store to buy some A1 hose, a fuel line, and some female fittings.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

Which way was the old pump installed?

 

[cheburashka]

Re: Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

Which way was the old pump installed?

The old pump was a completely different configuration. Someone had installed the pump off of a big-block V8.

I've got it now. Bowl pointing up. If you look into the hole in the block, it's pretty clear that the finger has to point up. If it pointed down, it would interfere with the big ends of the piston rods.

 

[JustJason]

Re: Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

ive ordered many "direct replacement" fuel pumps and it's not uncommon to have to seperate the diaphram and clock the body to get the fuel line orientation right.

and your not going to get A1 at an autoparts store.

 

[cheburashka]

Re: Fuel Pump Installation Question for 140 Mercruiser

and your not going to get A1 at an autoparts store.

"Jerry's" carries it. They have a pretty extensive marine section.