RRC 1983 - is my fuel pump about to fail

Hi. About to embark on my hols in my 1983 RRC on original 3.5 on carbs.

The fuel pump (below rear door area on chassis) is making a constant clicking noise. I have noticed it for a while on initial start up but now it is constant. As I'm about to go on a 800 mile ish round trip I don't fancy a failure.

I cleaned the filter inside the pump (wasn't veyr dirty) and today I will replace the fuel filter in the engine bay.

Is clicking OK or should I get a replacement for peace of mind.

DubaiLandy said:

Hi. About to embark on my hols in my 1983 RRC on original 3.5 on carbs.

The fuel pump (below rear door area on chassis) is making a constant clicking noise. I have noticed it for a while on initial start up but now it is constant. As I'm about to go on a 800 mile ish round trip I don't fancy a failure.

I cleaned the filter inside the pump (wasn't veyr dirty) and today I will replace the fuel filter in the engine bay.

Is clicking OK or should I get a replacement for peace of mind.

Click to expand...

Clicking is the pump working. It should click until pressure builds then ever so often to replenish chamber. It should not click constantly. These pumps are electro mechanical using a diaphragm and a solenoid switched by contact points. Maybe one of the NRVs is failing and the pump is not holding pressure. Needs looking at. You should be able to get a repair kit for it, and even a kit to replace the points contact system with electronic switching.

hmm interesting, I have a brand new one on the 72 and that clicks constantly and the feed just returns to the tank if the engines not on.

so it shouldnt click all the time wammers?

sorry to hijack btw

fett said:

hmm interesting, I have a brand new one on the 72 and that clicks constantly and the feed just returns to the tank if the engines not on.

so it shouldnt click all the time wammers?

sorry to hijack btw

Click to expand...

Well let me put it this way yes it should tick but only as fuel is used i was unaware there was any fuel return on early models. Fuel return pipes to the tank only really became popular on the use of unleaded fuel to prevent vapour lock as far as i am aware. I am unaware of fuel returns on vehicles as old as yours at least for vapour lock reasons. There maybe an overflow in the float chamber that returns fuel, but that would only come into use if the needle valve was failing or the float level was to high. In a carb engine the pump would tick until the float chamber was full and the needle valve sealed off the inlet, then the pump would not cycle again until the fuel within the float bowl dropped lowering pressure in the pump, and causing the contact points to close. You may like to check your float height settings. Don't think it should constanly tick if the engine is not running at all and only once every few seconds when it is running on tick over.

the carbs are brand new on mine and they have a sperate overflow and there is a dedicated return to the tank too. maybe its the early mechanical fuel pump ones that didnt have a return? mines got a suffix b gen LR replacement engine you see