Drill and tap

Did a bit of drilling and tapping work today on the Dart project. First, I took the fuel rail off and put in some threads to attach one of those little Summit fuel pressure gauges. Wish I'd had the sense to ask the machine shop for an extra hole for one of those when they made the rail. Oh well.

I also made a fitting for the Ford fuel pump. Instead of a pipe thread, the inlet uses a 3/8"-24 bolt thread. Ford dealers won't sell the fitting that screws in there apart from a $200 fuel line. So I went to the local Ace Hardware and got a short bolt and a 1/4" NPT pipe cap. I drilled out the end of the cap and tapped it for the same 3/8"-24 thread. Then I drilled through the center of the bolt, cut the end off, and threaded it into the the drilled and tapped hole. I then soldered the bolt in place to ensure it won't leak. Voila, a fitting with a 3/8"-24 male bolt thread on one end and a 1/4" NPT female thread on the other. I'll have to see if this seals OK with teflon tape. In retrospect, another possibility might be to take a 1/8" NPT pipe nipple and cut threads on the outside.

Update: I've also found that the 3/8"-24 thread is the same as the thread used on -3 AN flares. So if I could find a -3 to -6 flare to flare reducer, that might also work.

Another update: For those who found this entry by a search engine, do not try making this fuel pump fitting at home. The threads do not seal. Use the AN fitting instead.