In going thru my many boxes of parts/junk I ran across a box that had written on it "Franklin fuel pump kit" and in large printed letters FPA-98. A discussion with another member and Larry Ls research skill , it appears like that is the correct number for our pumps and it was commonly used on Studebaker cars from about 1932 to 1939. We all know that trying to get a fuel pump rebuilt is very iffy at best. Mention aircraft and people suddenly dont want to talk to you. By giving a kit number that is for a Studebaker, I think we are much more likely to be able to buy a kit. I think Dan C has been saying all along that we have Studebaker pumps on our Franklins, but this gives a part number to try to buy. As a side note, the Franklin 220 had for years been supplied with an automotive fuel pump that has now been A.D. out of existence. I talked to the man that used to own Atlas Motors (Franklin Importer) and he said the A.D. came about from an improper oil drain system in the fuel pump drive, and with a small drain hole drilled, it would eliminate the oil build up that would lock up the pump. It should be a simple fix, but the feds just outlawed the pump with no alternative compliance suggested. Crazy World. ____Grant.
Franklin fuel pump kit
- Thread starter gjordan
- Start date
Dan Cullman
New member
Well, I have always said, "If you're into Franklins, you might as well be into Studebakers." I have heard that the engine driven fuel pump was basically a Studebaker unit, but I can't remember where that came from.
I'm also the owner of two Studebakers, one of which is a '32 Model 54 convertible sedan. I can tell you for certain that it's fuel pump has no resemblance to what's on a Franklin aircraft engine. Maybe the o/h kit will work, however. It is possible that a later '30s unit is a closer match.
Many automotive products were used in aircraft from the '20s on. The master cylinder kits for the pre-war model 14s are 37-41 Mopar products. I've used them several times. The cabin lamp and instrument panel lights for my '28 CH are from a Ford Model A.
The 6A-350, 220 pump was a Corvair fuel pump. In fact the ones I have not only have the Franklin p/n markings, but have the GM [AC] number as well. I had been told that someone in the Denver area had an
approval to return these to service....and I don't know if that is true or not. Maybe Susan Prall knows.
As for me, I bought the VERY SPENDY PZL pump. I think you could drive a Romec or Weldon pump in the same place. The NTSB told me that one accident with an improperly overhauled 220 pump caused all headaches.
Dan
I'm also the owner of two Studebakers, one of which is a '32 Model 54 convertible sedan. I can tell you for certain that it's fuel pump has no resemblance to what's on a Franklin aircraft engine. Maybe the o/h kit will work, however. It is possible that a later '30s unit is a closer match.
Many automotive products were used in aircraft from the '20s on. The master cylinder kits for the pre-war model 14s are 37-41 Mopar products. I've used them several times. The cabin lamp and instrument panel lights for my '28 CH are from a Ford Model A.
The 6A-350, 220 pump was a Corvair fuel pump. In fact the ones I have not only have the Franklin p/n markings, but have the GM [AC] number as well. I had been told that someone in the Denver area had an
approval to return these to service....and I don't know if that is true or not. Maybe Susan Prall knows.
As for me, I bought the VERY SPENDY PZL pump. I think you could drive a Romec or Weldon pump in the same place. The NTSB told me that one accident with an improperly overhauled 220 pump caused all headaches.
Dan
Larry found a few of that number kit on Ebay, so I might just buy one to see if it really is the same. I also had a fuel pump off of a PZL 220 and it didnt have a PZL number on it, or at least not one I could see. I have discovered on other PZL parts that they engrave numbers so lightly that you often cant see them. I have a pair of new PZL mag gears that I thought had no numbers on them, but finally with reading glasses and a magnifying glass and moving a flashlight at different angles, I could see them. I dont know why they dont mark things a little clearer. I wonder why the feds would ban a type of fuel pump that failed because of an improper rebuild. That would certainly not be the fuel pumps fault. The PZL importer told me a rather different explanation of the issue, but I need to see if I still have my notes on what he said. Always interesting things about Franklins. _____Grant.
Dan Cullman
New member
One thing about the later Franklins that I have heard from Greg Lucas and others is that PZL gears don't mesh well with Syracuse gears. Try to keep US. gears together and PZL gears together, as well. I don't know why the Poles can't make compatible parts, but there is enough difference that metal will find it's way into the oil.
Dan
Dan
Now the gear incompatibility SHOULD BE an A.D. George Hienly and Greg Lucas both warned me about that issue. I was only warned about the cam gear that meshes with the oil pump gear, but it might be more than that. Greg said it can ruin an engine in 30-40 hours. That is a major issue that seems to be un-noticed by the powers that be. ____Grant.
I have started this post about the 220 fuel pump 3 times and my explanations are not even clear to me, so I will try again. A 220 fuel pump slips into the drive, much like a Volkwagon distributor slips into the engine block. If I remember correctly (always suspect) the push rod has an O-ring that prevents oil from going up into the pump body. What the PZL importer told me (about a decade ago) is that there was some small difference in the American fuel pump drive and the PZL drive, that could allow more oil (pressure) to get up against the O-ring and if the O-ring is not perfect , it can build up the oil in the lower part of the pump body. When the lower chamber of the pump gets full of oil, the diaphram can no longer go up and down to pump fuel. The one accident caused by this was in an experimental and was a fatality. The FAA blamed it on the pump itself and put out the A.D. What the importer told me (my memory is a little foggy about the exact detail) is that a small hole drilled in the correct spot of the PZL drive, would allow excess oil to run back down into the accessory case, rather than build up against the O-ring. My notes and my nice shiny new PZL fuel pump were victims of the fire that destroyed almost all of my Franklin paperwork, so this is the best I can do. Maybe it can help someone. ____Grant.