Pulsar Parcel Bar

The Pulsar NX came with a parcel bar across the back seats whose purpose was to keep items stowed in the back from flying into the front of the car when stopping.  This bar was missing from our Pulsar.  In fact, I had a hard time finding an image of tis parcel back large enough for me determine if I could recreate it.  I finally found a listing for another 1988 Pulsar that still had the parcel bar intact.  

Using this photo I created a couple of designs.  The first was a bit off.

But the second design looked close enough to move forward.  The design leverages a chrome shower curtain rod as the bar across the mounts.

I used stainless steel cap bolts to attach the mounts to the seat backs.

I'm quite happy with the way this turned out and unless you're close enough to see the layer lines in the mounts you'd never know this wasn't the factory parcel bar.

Pulsar Door Vent Seals

 The door vent seals on the Pulsar had become brittle and started disintegrating over 30 years.  

With replacement seals unavailable, I decided design and print replacements.  The seals themselves weren't too complex in shape.  Instead of trying to fit the metal clips on the factory seals I simply used Ultra Black to attach the seals to the car.  This worked perfectly and now the door vents blow strong again!

 

Pulsar Fuel Pump Change

I've been chasing an issue with the Pulsar where it is hard to start after sitting for some time.  Since the car has unknown mileage I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to try replacing the fuel pump.  The thinking here is either the pump itself is not pressurizing fast or the check valve has gone bad.  This would also give me an opportunity to inspect the fuel tank for dirt or corrosion.

Dropping the tank wasn't particularly difficult, just tedious.  After disconnecting the electrical connections and hoses under the seat, removing the filler hose, removing some shielding and finally the tank bolts I was able to work the tank out from under the car.

While the outside of the tank looked 30 years old, I was very happy to find the inside of the tank extremely clean.  I found no need to clean the inside of the tank.

The fuel pump itself (ordered from Summit Racing) was an easy swap as it was identical in size and shape.

Using a new seal and stainless bolts, I returned the fuel pump to the tank.  Reinstallation was simply a reversal of the removal steps.

While the new pump ultimately did not solve my starting issues, I do feel better knowing the likelihood of being stranded by a pump failure has been reduced.