Electric fuel pump

C

Club Coupe

Junior Member
My 1950 Custom with a 239 ci. is needing a fuel pump. I want to install an electric. Can anyone tell me how much pressure and do I run it directly to the carbs or to the non-working mechanical pump? Is there a reliable brand to look for? If the pressure is too high, I will have to put on a pressure regulator, I suppose. Looking for opinions and/or hints. Thanks, John
 
You probably don't want to hear this, but a properly set up stock pump and carburetor is superior to an electric pump. When I was a "rookie" I had an electric pump on my '51. Then I started hangin' around here and the H.A.M.B. and found out what was what and ended up removing the electric fuel pump in favor of a stock setup. I am much happier with the car now.

Most people just send their fuel pump and carburetor to a man named Charlie Schwendler in New York. He's been doing this for years and is widely recognized as the best there is on this stuff. Just send him your parts and he will go through and make them better than new. He has a test engine he mounts them on and dials the in the last 2 percent. All you have to do is install them and go.
 
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I agree with Tubman.

Have the existing pump rebuilt or find a kit and do it yourself. The pressure and volume will be correct. Then If you want to install a straight through electric pump to help starting do it.

THere is very little restriction in the straight through pumps. A stock pump in good shape won't have a problem maintaining pressure pulling fuel through the electric pump.

Another benefit of an electric is defeating vapor lock if and when it occurs.

If you decide to go the electric only route a straight through will work but I'm not sure of the reliability of the inexpensive units if used as the primary pump.

Carters and Walbros are excellent but expensive and a regulator will have to be installed to get the 2 1/2# or so spec'd for your car. Someone will no doubt post Henrys' spec'd pressure.

Along with my '46 Super which has a stock pump and an Amazon straight through I use for starting only after it sits a long time. The combination works fine. I have a '53 Chrysler with a 331ci Hemi and four barrel that the PO installed a Carter on. THe stock pump works fine and the carb handles the five pounds pressure from the Carter just fine, but the carb was designed for the higher pressure.

I have used Walbros and for many years in all of the pre war and early post war cars we have owned before the cheap imported pumos appeared on the market. Never had a failure.

Some alternatives to consider.

tony
 
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I put a little Holley in line up on the chassis just behind the rear wheel. I bought an adjustable reducer but set at 3 lbs (can't remember the brand). About 4 years back. Works fine. Bypassed the original, but left it in there if ever the electric plays up.
 
Charlie NY did the carb and pump for my ‘46 Coupe, 59AB. He found that a PO drilled the mains oversize and he replaced them with correct jets. He ran the pair on his test engine, and when I got them back, I bolted them on, started the engine and it ran perfectly without any adjustments, including idle speed. Charlie is very good at his craft.
 
I’ve never used electric pumps on any Flathead in the last 40 years. When I buy a flathead, the first thing I do is send my pump and carburetor to Charlie whether the car is running good or not. If they have an electric pump, I take it off. In my opinion, electric pumps are just a Band-Aid. I’ve never had a problem when my cars sit 4 to 6 weeks. They just start right up within 20 seconds.
 

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I run a stock mechanical pump with an electric pump to prime the system after the truck sits for a while. And I guess in case the mechanical one fails on the road. Also run a pressure reducer set to 2.5 pounds, just in case. But if you decide to go completely electric make sure you install a inertia cut off switch to cut the power to the pump in case of an accident. JMO


https://www.autozone.com/fuel-deliv...177/827879_0_0?spps.s=5564&new_store_set=true
 
(1) I have same set up as 51504bat. Came to me with an electric pump and I use it occasionally as he describes. At the outlet from my stock pump, without electric turned on or a pressure reducer, I get 2.5 lbs pressure. (2) Charlie does great work. I carry a spare carb and pump by him in my trunk.
 
51504bat said:
I run a stock mechanical pump with an electric pump to prime the system after the truck sits for a while. And I guess in case the mechanical one fails on the road. Also run a pressure reducer set to 2.5 pounds, just in case. But if you decide to go completely electric make sure you install a inertia cut off switch to cut the power to the pump in case of an accident. JMO


https://www.autozone.com/fuel-deliv...177/827879_0_0?spps.s=5564&new_store_set=true
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If you run the electric fuel pump only on times when carb needs primed or an emergency do you really need a regulator? Could you just switch on and off ? I know guess work but that is the way I have always used 6 volt pump. I lost a mechanical pump a few years ago on a busy state route just a couple miles from home and have never wanted to go through with that again. Also always use Charlies rebuilds for quite a few years,pumps and carbs.
 
I was having fuel delivery problems on my new (to me) '50. It had an auxiliary inline pump, so I replaced it with this Carter (photo). Well, since I rebuilt the mechanical pump and put a proper pushrod in, I have never needed it in 2 years and 10k mi. Knock on wood.
 

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If you do install an electric pump to prime the system and then run the engine off of the manual pump once it starts you must make sure the electric pump is "open" in the off position otherwise the stock pump will not be able to suck through it. There are only a couple ow pressure Airtex electric pumps that are open in the off positionwhen not in use. Most are closed when there is not power to them to prevent the fuel from draining back into the tank. You need to be able to blow through the pump when it's off to be sure you can use it as an auxillary pump. I agree with others; a stock pump should be the only pump you need but when the car sits for a long time and everything dries out you can just about kill the battery before it finally gets fuel to it. It depends on how your old Ford is used as to whether you need an additional electic pump or not. The electirc pump must be mounted as close to the tank as possible,
 
Joe B. said:
I was having fuel delivery problems on my new (to me) '50. It had an auxiliary inline pump, so I replaced it with this Carter (photo). Well, since I rebuilt the mechanical pump and put a proper pushrod in, I have never needed it in 2 years and 10k mi. Knock on wood.
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I installed an electric pump on our 38 coupe, to use when car seta a long time, got it at NAPA; has saved mo several times in hot weather, and traffic, just flip switch; it keeps running
 
I have a 12v Facet epump setup on mine. See link below. It’s a flow thru,low psi (2-4 psi) that I’ll use to prime if needed. I’ve got a momentary toggle switch for the pump. I believe this pump runs at 2 psi by default.

My mechanical pump(s) (had him build a spare pump too) and dual carbs were built and tested by Uncle Max. No fuel regulator setup yet.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productdetails.asp?RecID=82

Not sure if Facet offers a 6v version.
 
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Like others, I use the electric pump to prime the carbs, after the car has sat for an extended period of time. I also use it to clear vapor lock, on hot days. Other that that I use the mechanical pump.
 
Something to look at is the fuel pump risers mounting stand. I have a pile of them here at the house and if I put a straight edge across the bottom of them where they mount to the intake, I find that most of them are warped upward, some of them a lot which would cutdown on the amount of stroke the fuel pump rod has, plus it would have an oil leak where the gasket make a seals. I still run an auxiliary pump just for starting when they have been sitting a long time but I make sure I don't have a warped mechanical stand, the fuel rod is the correct one and the cams fuel pump lobe has the correct travel. It's a very smple system but it's also a very old and often worn out system.
 
I really like the setup I have in my '34 roadster. There are often months between starts. I have a Charlie NY rebuilt stock fuel pump plus an electric fuel pump located under the top rear edge of the left hood panel. I have a tiny immediate switch mounted under edge of the dash and I can hear the pump when its's pumping and as it tapers off.
 
Robert/Texas... you described my setup exactly... from Charlie NY rebuilt to location and switch. When the ole gal (1935 model 48) sits for a few weeks... a quick priming with the electric makes all the difference and she starts up in about 2 seconds. :)
 
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