550 ricambi fuel pump gaskets | FerrariChat

550 ricambi fuel pump gaskets

Discussion in '456/550/575' started by 430sixspeed, Jan 5, 2020.

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  1. 430sixspeed

    430sixspeed Rookie

    Apr 23, 2018
    31
    Full Name:
    Mark
    Hi everyone and a Happy New Year!

    Has anyone replaced the failing 550 fuel pump gaskets with the Ricambi ones (#170511)?

    I took the fuel pumps out without any issues. It was pretty easy once I manufactured a tool to take off the pump covers. 65lb/ft was the breakaway torque, FYI. My original gaskets were partially dissolved so I bought the ones from ricambi but have trouble putting them on. I have them oriented correctly but there is a lip at the bottom of the hole of the gasket. throughly which the fuel pump is inserted. The question I have is whether that lip is the limit past which the fuel pump opening shouldn't go or should the fuel pump opening protrude about 1 cm past that lip? If it is the former situation where the fuel pump opening is not protruding, then the pump is sitting about 2 cm higher that the original factory set up when installed. If the fuel pump opening needs to protrude about 1 cm below the lip of the gasket, then it will sit ok but I'm afraid to tear that lip as it seems way to narrow to allow the pump to slide through. Any ideas?

    The picture attached is as far as the fuel pump will go without starting to really stretch that lip and possibly tearing it.

    Thank you for any feedback.
     
  2. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,986
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Terry H Phillips
    Usually Maranello (and 456, 612, 599, 360, F430) fuel pump leaks are due to a cracked plastic cover, not a faulty gasket. If that is all that is wrong with yours, consider yourself lucky.
     
    tres55 likes this.
  3. ferraridriver

    ferraridriver F1 Rookie

    Aug 8, 2002
    4,134
    Bay Area Calif.
    Full Name:
    Dave
  4. 430sixspeed

    430sixspeed Rookie

    Apr 23, 2018
    31
    Full Name:
    Mark
    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Thankfully, the plastic fuel pump covers are ok. And there are no leaks anywhere. I was just doing preventative maintenance by replacing those dissolving pump vibration dampers/gaskets with the Ricambi ethanol resistant ones. I have trouble putting them on without tearing them. I'm wondering how have other 550 owners solved that problem? Have most bought the Ferrari replacement parts or the Ricambi ones?
     
  5. 430sixspeed

    430sixspeed Rookie

    Apr 23, 2018
    31
    Full Name:
    Mark
    Anyone have anything to add?

    I'm going to try to put those ricambi gaskets this weekend and just jam them in as far they need to go. I assume the narrower part of the opening will stretch around the pump opening. If it doesn't, I'll cut the lip and make it a little wider so it fits. For proper fitment, it seems that the pump opening needs to protrude about 1 cm beyond the gasket.
     
  6. Motob

    Motob Formula 3
    Professional Ferrari Technician

    Nov 11, 2003
    2,238
    Frederick, Maryland
    Full Name:
    Brian Brown
    The fuel pump is too high up in the rubber mount. If you leave it this way, the car will run out of fuel even though there will still be a fair amount of fuel left in the tank. The pump should extend far enough downward through the mount so that the metal pin and pick-up tube are almost touching the bottom of the filter screen with it all assembled. Do you not have the original mounts to compare the pump location?

    The end of the pump should extend 20-30mm past the bottom of the rubber mount judging by the photos that I have of it.

    Unless the Ricambi mounts are very different in dimension from the original mounts (putting the pump in a lower position, at the bottom of the fuel tank), then I would say that you will have to trim the lip off of the Ricambi mount so that you can push the pump through to the correct position. If so, I would use an Exacto knife with a very sharp/new blade to trim the mount and then finish it smooth with a drum sander chucked in a die-grinder.

    Make some measurements, compare the new mounts to the old and mock up the mounts/pumps in the lower portion of the screens before you make any modifications.

    Brian Brown
    San Francisco Motorsports
     
    430sixspeed likes this.
  7. 430sixspeed

    430sixspeed Rookie

    Apr 23, 2018
    31
    Full Name:
    Mark

    Brian,

    Thanks very much for the reply and your thoughts. I agree with you that the way my picture shows, the pump is too high and that it should extend beyond the Ricambi mount. The original Ferrari mounts have mostly disintegrated and its hard to know exactly how far down down the pumps used to sit but I have a pretty good idea that they were at least 20 mm lower and as you said, probably even lower. The original mounts are different from the Ricambi ones. The originals were held down against the pump with a steel clamp. The Ricambi ones seem to be a pressure fit with the lip acting as a stop but its not fully apparent against which part of the pump the stop acts upon. I guess I will just try to force it through or just cut the narrow lip opening until it drops enough into the filter basket per your suggestion. It's too bad the new mounts didn't come with a rudimentary diagram.

    Thanks again.
     
  8. AVIMAX

    AVIMAX Formula Junior

    Aug 5, 2014
    686
    Toronto
    Full Name:
    Ryan
    I had these rubber parts replaced in my 550 last year, I didn't order from Ricambi, the P/N I used was 170511. My mechanic told me that the new parts were not the same as the original parts and he had to "make them work". I think he said he turned them upside down and did some trimming. I recall him saying something about the pump would not go through the mount properly, seems similar to what you are describing. Sorry I don't have more details or photos.
     
  9. hwyman

    hwyman Formula Junior

    Jun 25, 2015
    329
    Canada / Los Angeles
    Surely Ricambi could answer your question no? I would ask them before cutting and trimming.
     
  10. ferraridriver

    ferraridriver F1 Rookie

    Aug 8, 2002
    4,134
    Bay Area Calif.
    Full Name:
    Dave
  11. 430sixspeed

    430sixspeed Rookie

    Apr 23, 2018
    31
    Full Name:
    Mark
    Dave,

    I did call ricambi. They weren't much help. They said they never actually installed those mounts themselves but did say that they were a very tight fit, whatever that means. They also said that they have been selling quite a few of those in recent years. So yes, they could be made to work. I was just unsure precisely how and thought that others might have run into similar issues and was wondering what their experience was. But I can figure it out. And if the depth of fuel pumps is off, I can always go back in there and refit them.
     
  12. 430sixspeed

    430sixspeed Rookie

    Apr 23, 2018
    31
    Full Name:
    Mark
    Ryan,

    Thanks very much for your response. I appreciate you sharing your experience. Ok. I'm glad that your mechanic said that they were different from originals and had to "make them work", possibly by trimming them. Seems like that's something I might have to do...carefully. So I'm in the same boat then.
     
  13. 430sixspeed

    430sixspeed Rookie

    Apr 23, 2018
    31
    Full Name:
    Mark

    Attached Files:

  14. 430sixspeed

    430sixspeed Rookie

    Apr 23, 2018
    31
    Full Name:
    Mark
    This is the tool I made to unscrew the fuel pump covers. Won't win any beauty contests but works like a charm.
     
  15. ferraridriver

    ferraridriver F1 Rookie

    Aug 8, 2002
    4,134
    Bay Area Calif.
    Full Name:
    Dave
    #16 ferraridriver, Jan 10, 2020
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2020
  16. 430sixspeed

    430sixspeed Rookie

    Apr 23, 2018
    31
    Full Name:
    Mark
  17. 430sixspeed

    430sixspeed Rookie

    Apr 23, 2018
    31
    Full Name:
    Mark
  18. hwyman

    hwyman Formula Junior

    Jun 25, 2015
    329
    Canada / Los Angeles
    Hey guys, what years did Ferrari change the pump on the 550? I want to order these along with the billet cover to get ahead of a potential issue. Do you guys replace those ant-vibration pads that sit on the tank bottom too or do those usually fare pretty well? Also the corrugated hose, in a lot of pics I've seen those disintegrate but also have seen there's two models of those based on the model of pump. I'm assuming that's part of the change Ferrari made with the model year?
     
  19. 430sixspeed

    430sixspeed Rookie

    Apr 23, 2018
    31
    Full Name:
    Mark
    Hwyman

    I don't think Ferrari ever changed the pumps on the 550. It's the 575 that has the different pumps. My bottom anti vibration dampers were not in good shape. The drivers side was in three pieces and very brittle and the passenger side was almost completely dissolved, if you can believe that. There was just a tiny bit left. The pumps seemed ok. They still gave their expected pressure at the fuel rails. 3.1 bar.
     
    F456M likes this.
  20. hwyman

    hwyman Formula Junior

    Jun 25, 2015
    329
    Canada / Los Angeles
    Did you change that corrugated return hose?
     
  21. 430sixspeed

    430sixspeed Rookie

    Apr 23, 2018
    31
    Full Name:
    Mark
    No, they were both in good shape. I just changed both the main rubber pump dampers and the bottom triangular dampers you mentioned earlier. The hardest part is getting or making the cover tool. The break away torque on mine was 65 lbs-ft so you need to have something sturdy. After that, it's a fun job actually. Smelly but fun.
     
  22. hwyman

    hwyman Formula Junior

    Jun 25, 2015
    329
    Canada / Los Angeles
    Lol thanks! I'll get the tool from Hill Engineering, should make life easier! What year is your 550?
     
  23. 430sixspeed

    430sixspeed Rookie

    Apr 23, 2018
    31
    Full Name:
    Mark
    No problem. Mine is a 2000. Let me know if you have further questions. The ricambi pump dampers are a very tight fit. I used a shop press to press them in. But with enough lubricant, you can probably fit them by hand having the pump rest on a piece of wood. Measure how far the damper should go on the pump ahead of time. Just be careful with everything. Once you get the covers off, you'll need to disconnect the cadmium plated bracket holding the cover to the pump basket to get the basket out. Two 10 mm nuts need to be removed.
     
  24. hwyman

    hwyman Formula Junior

    Jun 25, 2015
    329
    Canada / Los Angeles
    Thanks! I ordered the parts along with the new metal covers. Hope to get ahead of any potential issues
     
    430sixspeed likes this.

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