6/12 Volt Fuel Pumps - Lesson Learned

Anteek29

Anteek29

Well-known member
If you plan to add or replace an electric fuel prime/booster pump, BE CERTAIN that it is a "flow thru" design - one that allows fuel to flow freely when that pump is not running. I had ordered a pump and neglected to verify this critical feature before ordering.
 
Thanks for the reminder. Hope you can return yours.
Could you install a toggle switch to "turn on" the pump when engine is not running?
That first primes the pump and pushes fuel to the carb. Then you start the car.
 
One can easily test this if unsure about any electric pump. Simply attempt to blow through it, if you cant it wont flow when off.
 
If you have an Airtex fuel pump catalog they list the pumps by number. It tells you if they are 6V or 12V and if they are open or closed when off. It also tells you their pressure outputs. You want the pump to be in the open position when it's off if you are also using the stock fuel pump. Your just using the electric pump to prime the system after the car has sat for a long time. The stock pump need to be able to draw fuel throught the electric pump when it's not in use. If you are not using the stock pump then you want a electric pump that is closed in the off positon. The catalog, I have is almost twenty-years old now. If I remember right, there are not that many 6V "open" pumps to choose from. Try to get a pump with the correct pressure you need, otherwise you have to install a separate fuel regulator and for the low operating pressure of a Stromberg carb, those external fuel regulators sometimes don't work and shut the fuel supply off. I went through this with a couple new regulators that shut my fuel off going down the road before I finally got smart and got a low-pressure pump with the correct pressure for the Stromberg carbs. That was twenty years ago so who knows if they even exist anymore, the catalog and the low pressure 6V open fuel pumps.
 
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Anteek29 said:
YIKES! :eek:
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The crankcase grenade idea (electric “boost pumps” thru mechanical) has been batted around for years. Given the unreliability of off-shore rebuilds, ethanol gas and parts from God knows sources are the reasons I went all electric years ago.
My Stewert-Warner “thumper” is starting to have issues (after 25 years) still reliable but once in a while it needs the key turned off and on a couple of times to get it going; gonna replace it with a Carter this winter.
 
19Fordy said:
Thanks for the reminder. Hope you can return yours.
Could you install a toggle switch to "turn on" the pump when engine is not running?
That first primes the pump and pushes fuel to the carb. Then you start the car.
Click to expand...
No return...it goes into the trash. Didn't pay much for the China junk.
The Vic has a toggle switch under the dash for pre-start prime. The prior reliable Airtek finally died.
 
I put this bypass with a check valve on mine in 2023, 6,500 miles ago. no problems. I rarely use the electric pump.
 

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