The MGA With An Attitude
HARDI 13312 Fuel Pump, Bad Diaphragm - FT-111
I ran into this failed part in November 2021. It is a HARDI 13312 Fuel Pump It CLACKS LOUDLY and does not stop ticking. So open it up for look inside. Not only failed, but not even a rubber diaphragm. If you look closely at the photo above right you can see the edge of the white plastic diaphragm between the pump head and body (below the screws).
The part that is supposed to be a flexible diaphragm was molded with some kind of plastic, maybe Delrin (don't know)? But what should you expect when you put a thin piece of plastic in modern gasoline and let it soak for a few years? If you pinch this plastic part with your fingers it cracks and crumbles like a soda cracker. Boo, hiss, and shoot the designer who came up with that idea. I would be really PO'd if that thing failed without notice and left me stranded on the side of the road.
We will notify the source retailer, and hopefully the manufacturer as well, to see if there is any way to get these crap parts out of the market, and make a fuel pump with a more durable diaphragm. Meanwhile, if you get one of these parts with the white plastic diaphragm showing on the edge, DON'T OPEN IT. There was a bit of red Glyptal painted on one of the screw heads to identify if it has been tampered with, so removing the screw likely would void the warranty and prohibit return of the part for refund.
Then I was searching the internet for suppliers, and there are a LOT of places selling these HARDI fuel pumps in a variety of part numbers. Even Hardi-Spicer (supplier of propshaft U-joints) is selling the HARDI fuel pump packaged in a box with the Hardi-Spicer name on the package. Moss Motors UK has it listed. Moss Motors USA maybe not.
But sticking to the 13312 number, I was finding pictures showing a few different colors of diaphragm, including white and black. Any current ad I find noting type of fuel allowed would claim compatibility with pretty much any kind of modern motor fuel, so maybe this problem has already been addressed by the manufacturer. Bur the fix may have been recent, and some of the bad ones may still be in stock and available, so let the buyer beware. I would not accept one with a white diaphragm showing, unless it came with a very long term money back guaranty.
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