Jubilee ('36 Mk2 #1867 Universal 35B) suffered an interesting engine failure a couple weeks back. I had motored most of the way to Drake's Bay (Near San Francisco). When I shut her down, the oil pressure alarm did not sound like it usually does. I quickly started her back up, no problem, but again the oil alarm did not go off during the pre-start routine. Figured the alarm itself had quit. At 0530 the next morning, in dense fog, the engine would not start. I checked filters and fuel flow with my auxiliary fuel pump. No air in the system. On a hunch, I tried starting the engine using the auxiliary fuel pump. Varuuum! She started right up, telling me the problem was at the regular fuel pump. Looking at it I discovered that the white wire lead was snapped off at the crimp! (Perhaps from 16 years of engine vibration/metal fatigue?) I cobbled together a new spade fitting and the problem was resolved, and yes, the low pressure alarm now sounds when it should (due to the relay). It did leave me wondering how the engine ran with no fuel pump coming into the anchorage and how it could start up immediately without the pump. Is there somehow enough engine suction or gravity feed to allow this? Thoughts anyone?

One moral to this is that the  auxiliary electric fuel pump I installed really comes in handy for filter changes as well as being a good back up.

Al Fricke Jubilee