How in the <blank> did I make it home??

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FrozenCaveman

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I can't believe I just made it home in my Scamp. I drove to a softball game a couple hours ago, and on the way, I heard this noise like something bounced off the road up into my wheel well. Having owned old cars for many years, I didn't put it out of the question that I hadn't lost some sort of bolt. I forgot about it, and after the game, I drove home with my 16 month old.

With about a mile to go, and coming off the freeway, I heard this sort of clattering from under the hood. Awww.... I wanted to limp home whatever it was, and the /6 was running fine, so I thought some support bolt had come out. I got in the driveway, put the kid to bed, and came back out with a headlamp. Oil all over the place. %^#!

No oil registering on the dipstick, but no oil visible in the engine compartment. Oil pan drain bolt? Nope. Transmission lines still intact. Oil pressure sensor? Maybe that would explain no light. Nope. What the?? BOTH bolts had come out of the fuel pump and were gone. The mechanical fuel pump was just resting there about an inch away from the block. Oil dripping everywhere. How the heck was I still getting fuel??? OMG. Thank you for getting me home... I just hope there's no permanent damage. First time anything like that has happened to me. I have never worked on that fuel pump, so shoddy work by whoever worked on it previously. Grrrr.

I guess I know what I'm working on this weekend. :(
 
Oh, I know what I wanted to ask... What size/length bolts do I need to get to replace the ones that are missing?
 
Well I've had much more "serious" problems, LOL, but certainly not that exact "one." Pretty weird, all right
 
That's why it pays to go over a vehicle when you get it and check everything.
 
That'll teach ya. When buying a car ALWAYS check the torque on the fuel pump bolts! You never know! Lol. Seriously tho I've never seen that happen? Pretty impressed it kept feeding fuel.
 
If the bolts are the same as a v-8, you will need 3/8" - 16 by 1 1/4" length.
 
Well you think you got troubles, LOL

When I was at NAS Miramar in the early 70s, working part time at the auto hobby shop, some guys came for "free advice"

They had an early Falcon, and had broken a pump bolt off "down in the hole," and NOW they've broken an easy out off TOO. "Whut to do?"

I told them something like "IF you can find a GOOD man with a torch you can blow it out (of the cast iron block)

So later, one of em comes in and he's MAD!!! AT ME!!! Because I TOLD him to DO this!!!!

So now we have a Falcon 170 block mmmmmmeeeeelllllttteeeddd into a big pile of goo

Melting-witch.jpg


"Now whut we 'spos'ta do?"

"I donoo, I didn't FORCE you to ruin it. At this point, clean it out real good, get lots of silicone, and a block off plate and electric pump."
 
same thing happened to me a few years ago so it must be something with the way the fuel pump can vibrate the bolt out if not tightened all the way or something.

when it happened to me, it left the car on the side of the road in a snow storm :protest:

the fuel pump bolts have a unique shoulder ...not just an ordinary bolt .....if you have to have the correct ones ...feeebay has them. I bought my replacements from feebay and used some loc-tite and it works.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MADE-IN-USA...ECT-/221341605037?hash=item3388fcdcad&vxp=mtr
 

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When I bought my Dart I drove it home 125 miles on I17 only to find out there wasn't a tightened nut or bolt in the entire engine compartment. (motor mounts and all)
The spark plugs had never even smashed the sealing washers and I took them out entirely by hand.
I really have no idea how it made it all that way without coming apart and scattering itself all over the freeway. :D
 
67Dart273 said:
Well you think you got troubles, LOL

When I was at NAS Miramar in the early 70s, working part time at the auto hobby shop, some guys came for "free advice"

They had an early Falcon, and had broken a pump bolt off "down in the hole," and NOW they've broken an easy out off TOO. "Whut to do?"

I told them something like "IF you can find a GOOD man with a torch you can blow it out (of the cast iron block)

So later, one of em comes in and he's MAD!!! AT ME!!! Because I TOLD him to DO this!!!!

So now we have a Falcon 170 block mmmmmmeeeeelllllttteeeddd into a big pile of goo

Melting-witch.jpg


"Now whut we 'spos'ta do?"

"I donoo, I didn't FORCE you to ruin it. At this point, clean it out real good, get lots of silicone, and a block off plate and electric pump."
Click to expand...


He got what he deserved.
 
They have this chart in the back of the service manuals in chapter 9 that gives torque specs. :glasses7:

If you torque the bolts to the proper spec, then they most likely will not come loose. That is why they took the time to develop and publish a torque spec.... :violent1:

Many people ignore the torque spec and just make it "tight". Then wonder why it came loose.... :???:
 
Good times.

Yeah, got it fixed up over the weekend, none the worse for wear. :angel12: Runs like a champ again with the bolts installed. LOL. I ended up finding one of the bolts caught in the motor mount. The other one must've been what I heard bounce under the car. :blob:

Thanks for the comments!
 
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