Primer Reservoir
- Price: $177.00
- Availability: In Stock Now
- Spare bulb: $28.00
The bulb is produced in a very high-specification elastomer and is projected to have a nearly unlimited life by the manufacturer. We are a bit more conservative and suggest a change every 4-5 years, along with fuel hoses.
Backstory: Primer Reservoir
Modern fuels are designed for closed-system fuel injection engines. They are far superior to fuels available when our cars were new, but they are extremely volatile and evaporate quickly. In carbureted engines, the carb is mostly a puddle of fuel, open to the atmosphere, and the float bowls will evaporate to empty in a very short period. This means hard starting after any sort of storage or just non-use for a couple of weeks.
Various 'fixes' are available, but our approach is unique. Marine primers work, but require the bulb and additional fuel line all be visible within the engine compartment. Electric pumps also do the job, but that means drilling, mounting, wiring and plumbing.
Our design is not a pump; we elected to take fuel from the stock pump when it is running and simply reserve it for the next start. Taking this approach allows the Primer Reservoir to be fitted almost invisibly in the stock fuel line; no other modifications are required.
The unit holds ~45cc of fuel, enough to fill empty float bowls of either Zenith or Solex carbs. Valving/porting within the head block means the fuel is kept from evaporation for at least 3 months while the unit refills after use in such a way that fuel delivery to the carbs is not interrupted during running.
The bulb is formulated for extremely long life but, like the fuel hoses, we suggest that it be changed every four to five years.