Vintage Fuel Tap saved

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

Asked if I could do something to save this Fuel Tap from an early 60s machine for a friend. I first tried to obtain the part as a spare from the manufacturers (Karcoma). They still produce them for various motorcycles etc . No parts available even though the design is pretty well unchanged.

The original little screw on Filter Cup is plastic with a coin slot and hex end to undo it. A mistake in design really, as they are likely to be over tightened, I suppose as there are no spare parts, they can sell more for replacement (up to £35.00 each) -

 

 

The cup is the 3rd fuel filtration process which will also separate and retain any water (small quantity) and has a small cylindrical filter which fits onto small spigots both in the cup and the Tap body, so I had to measure carefully to ensure it is not crushed when the Cup is screwed on, but that the seal doesn't leak.

 

I settled for Brass to make it, which allowed me to do all the work and produce and insert the small internal spigot, then Hard solder it in the exact position.

I also had to I.D. the thread form (metric 18 x 1mm) and cut it on the old Myford (imperial). After reading up on it, I had to do this by manual turning, as you can't disengage the 'Leadscrew' drive, or it will be misaligned!. All went well-

 

Fortunately, there were only 4 full threads and it was the first time for me producing them. 

To finish it off, I produced a new sealing washer from reinforced Viton rubber of the correct thickness. 

To reduce the over tightening factor, I added a 'reeded' finger grip area on it, rather than a screwdriver slot etc. All finished ready for years of use-

 

            

[Stormin 4,458]

Really nice job there, Richard.  I reckon your friend owes you a few beers.

[Alan 1,273]

As Norm said.

[Rayp 46]

It just reinforces the view that everything is now about money and the way of the world is why sell a rubber bush when you can sell a whole new bracket!

[HeadExam 1,783]

Great job Richard, send me your address, I'm sending a bucket of bits your way. 

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

Don't usually like to revisit old Topics, but this Tap came back to haunt me.

I started dripping fuel out of the Tap and apparently emptied the fuel out on the floor probably over last winter.

Having concerns that my workmanship, or the materials I had used were at fault, I took it back to find the cause.

Glad to say the bits I did were not faulty, but found the fuel was leaking out of the lever end.

So I stripped it down on the understanding that if I can't fix it, they will have to replace the whole unit (if they can find one).

Talk about over engineered!. Seven separate parts just for the tap lever control !, including a plastic type seal which had dissolved/rotted which was causing the leak-

 

 

So as usual, I hit the challenge and went for making a replacement seal from fuel resistant 1.5mm thick nitrile/nylon reinforced rubber.

I had to make 2 special punches that could cleanly punch through the tough layers and in the correct positions-

 

 

Glad to say that when the cleaned parts were assembled and the tap fitted , there were no further leaks. Hope I've seen the back of this one now.