Original Glass Bowl Ac Fuel Pump

How many of you still have the original glass bowl AC fuel pump?

Do you feel like the filtering is satisfactory with it? Or have you also added an inline filter?

 

That brass screen is a strainer only. It is not a filter.

 

I like the glass bowl for visible diagnostics. I agree with scoutpilot and I've always added in-line filters, and they also are glass body.

 

So should a filter go before or after the strainer?

 

I put it before - to keep crud out of the pump.

 

I suspect the glass bowl is a hold-over from the olden days when gasoline could be contaminated with water. Water will settle in the bowl and you can see it. Not sure it's possible for the water to separate today with all the alcohol that's added to typical pump gas. You can buy a fuel filter of that design - search for "sediment bowl fuel filter."

 

I have a glass bowl filter at the carburetor on my CJ2A. It was for a mid fifties Chevy, and I believe it is AC branded. That one has a paper element, not just a screen.

I have a Carter glass bowl filter with ceramic element for my CJ5. I like these the best because they do a good job, and can be cleaned so pretty much last forever. On this Jeep I also have a large metal in-line filter at the tank end. It is mounted to the back of the floor riser. I installed this when I switched to a plastic tank with the pickup on top of the tank.

Even with new tank and lines there will always be some trash that gets into the system, and it is best to keep that from getting to the carburetor.

 

Ethanol will draw moisture (water) into the fuel, presumably homogenized to a point. But over time "phase separation" frequently leaves a very nasty mess in the carb float chamber, fuel tanks, etcetera. In light-alloy metal carbs, etc, it results in fatal corrosion and crud. It is a very real problem in my experience.

In another case, I was stranded far from home one day last winter by a frozen fuel line in my YJ - despite ethanol fuels, or possibly because of them.

I have become Seafoam's #1 customer.

 

As has been said already you can buy actual paper filter elements for these. I have one on the workbench out a 57 Bel Air waiting to go on my odd fire that has a paper filter. I would absolutely add an inline filter before it if I wasn't converting the filter element.

 

I am lucky that most gas stations in this area sell ethanol free gasoline. This is because of all the boats around here. The ethanol gas is the absolute worst thing you can do to a 2 stroke engine, and like Peter mentions it isn't very good for other engines either especially something that may not see constant use.

I use 100% gasoline in my Jeeps, small engines, boats, and farm equipment, and am Seafoam's other #1 customer.