Reply To: Scott Atwater 1-25 Fuel line help needed

[Tom]

I had one of these a while ago, but unfortunately I can’t remember how it switched over. I’m pretty sure there was a permanent mount for the external tank fitting. What I do remember is that it all leaked when using the onboard tank. And the tank is steel and hard to keep from rusting. So I went with what you have… onboard tank is bypassed, inlet goes directly to the fuel pump.

The fuel pump diaphragm should probably be replaced. You can get sheets of diaphragm material and cut your own, or see who has a small piece on this board. These pumps are very dependable with a new diaphragm.

The carburetor drain will also need attention. I’ve never been able to fix one of those so it doesn’t leak, so I remove the pin, tap the hole, and block it with a screw. It’s 2021, we shouldn’t be dumping fuel to drain a carburetor.

Finally, check the condition of the “driveshaft”. Some of these have a metal strip that acts as a shock absorber. It twist, shortens in length, and disengages between the two hard shafts. Fittings on the hard shafts are often broken. I don’t know if the one piece driveshaft from a ’53 will fit, but if it does it would be a wise upgrade.

Tom