Restoring a Bosch EFEP 390
Another BENCH FOR THE PUMP SHOP
BRINGS ANOTHER CHANCE FOR RESTORATION
While we may not NEED another test bench, there isn't exactly a ready supply of old Bosch fuel injection pump test benches waiting for buyers. When you find one that works at a good price, you need to jump on it or the opportunity might never come up again.
We recently found ourselves in this situation with the chance to purchase few test benches from an area shop that was closing down. We struck a deal that included this EFEP 390, produced in December 1977, and got it into our shop about near the end of summer 2023. As with the previous restoration involving the Bosch EFEP 385A, the Bosch EFEP 390 test bench functioned and wasn't in terrible shape, but it was rough around the edges and definitely needed the Black Forest touch to bring it back to its glory days.
Though similar to the Bosch EFEP 385A, the Bosch EFEP 390 featured a few upgrades that eased operation and improved accuracy. Take a look through the photo collection below to see the restoration process of our latest test bench to join the shop
We started by disassembling the bench, removing the dials, gauges, flywheel and any removeable parts followed by a thorough sanding and sand-blasting where applicable. The interior of the bench was masked off and the body and body panels were repainted with a specialty paint made specifically to match the original color. Fixtures and fittings were resurfaced and replated to their original finish, while the electrical systems were rewired, tubes replaced, and the entire system was flushed of its decades-old oil and refilled with fresh, new lubricants.
And just over a month after first taking ownership of this half-century-old bench, it's back to looking just about new and running as well as it ever did. We've got some final touches and testing yet to go, as well as adding measuring cylinders and injection lines, but with just a bit more work we'll have yet another bench ready to test your Bosch fuel injection pump.