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Question elect fuel pump

Driver 61

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2005
Messages
18
Location
Waynesboro, VA
Corvette
1961 White & Red & 2005 White convtb
I have a '61 with a 350 eng. The old existing elect fuel pump chatters and is located near the single 4 bar. carb. The local guys told me it should be at back of car near tank. (pushing).
I have a new Holley red pump, which is max 7 psi. Is this new pump too much for a the 4 barrel? I am considering replacing pump and location....
Does anyone have any comment about located it in right wheelwell , hooking in rubber line between tank and hard line.
I would to put an inline filter next carb, where old pump was...
I am a neebie to forum, have some mech. & elect. experance.
Really appreciate you help.
Aloha
Richard
 
Driver 61 said:
I have a '61 with a 350 eng. The old existing elect fuel pump chatters and is located near the single 4 bar. carb. The local guys told me it should be at back of car near tank. (pushing).
I have a new Holley red pump, which is max 7 psi. Is this new pump too much for a the 4 barrel? I am considering replacing pump and location....
Does anyone have any comment about located it in right wheelwell , hooking in rubber line between tank and hard line.
I would to put an inline filter next carb, where old pump was...
I am a neebie to forum, have some mech. & elect. experance.
Really appreciate you help.
Aloha
Richard

Richard,

Weather you are using a pump in an oil well, or a fishbowl, it is much easier to push liquids, then to try and syphon them through a line.

Case in point, my lawn. Years ago I purchased a small water pump to help keep my lawn green during dry periods. I try to pump the water using a 50" hose from a stream, and it was an exercise in futility. I put the pump by the waters edge, and could now PUSH it through a 1000" hose. Physics ;shrug


Stepinwolf
 
Bob
not to doubt your info because I rarely do (regardless of what you think at times), but more a matter of trying to educate myself and learn.........
If pushing is easier than pulling - which I can understand - than what is the reason the General put the fuel pumps forward and mounted on the engine blocks as standard for all those years pulling the fuel rather than in the back or in the tank pushing it thru the line?
Was it simply a matter of cost or production ease?
 
BarryK said:
Bob
not to doubt your info because I rarely do (regardless of what you think at times), but more a matter of trying to educate myself and learn.........
If pushing is easier than pulling - which I can understand - than what is the reason the General put the fuel pumps forward and mounted on the engine blocks as standard for all those years pulling the fuel rather than in the back or in the tank pushing it thru the line?
Was it simply a matter of cost or production ease?

Barry,

It wasn't a case of cost or production, but rather physics. The mechanical fuel pumps run off the camshaft using a short 8" rod to activated the lever on the pump. Can you imagine the length of the metal rod that would be needed , were the pump mounted in the rear.;LOL

I'm only pulling your dick on this one Barry, ;) Older model pumps were mechanical and needed to run off the engine. Todays cars use electric pumps, and they can be mounted anywhere, hence the rear mount.

Stepinwolf
 
Driver 61 said:
I have a '61 with a 350 eng. The old existing elect fuel pump chatters and is located near the single 4 bar. carb. The local guys told me it should be at back of car near tank. (pushing).
I have a new Holley red pump, which is max 7 psi. Is this new pump too much for a the 4 barrel? I am considering replacing pump and location....
Does anyone have any comment about located it in right wheelwell , hooking in rubber line between tank and hard line.
I would to put an inline filter next carb, where old pump was...
I am a neebie to forum, have some mech. & elect. experance.
Really appreciate you help.
Aloha
Richard

Welcome to the forum.We have quite a few C1 fellow here

Is there a reason why you cant use a stand engine mounted pump?
 
Consider going back to the stock mechanical fuel pump. If you do, you'll be able to buy one anywhere, and all the stock lines will bolt right up. Chevy made hundreds of millions of engines with mechanical fuel pumps that worked just fine, thank you.

If you go with an electrical pump, I hope you do it like the factory would. You need all steel lines downstream to the carb. No rubber lines under pressure. You also need a switch to stop the fuel pump when the engine stalls. The pump works when the ignition key is in the "on" position. So, it's still pumping after you have an accident and the engine stalls. If that accident ruptures a fuel line, well, you're toast. Literally. The OEMs that use electric pumps have a kill switch in the circuit that senses when the key is on, but there's no oil pressure. That sensor then kills the circuit.

So, if you go electrical, you'll need to fabricate long and complicated steel gas lines, and engineer an electrical circuit that goes from the ignition circuit to the back of the car and that includes an oil pressure sensor. Very do-able. But like most times when you replace something stock with aftermarket, you create more problems and work than the one you solve.
 
critchie said:
Consider going back to the stock mechanical fuel pump. If you do, you'll be able to buy one anywhere, and all the stock lines will bolt right up. Chevy made hundreds of millions of engines with mechanical fuel pumps that worked just fine, thank you.

If you go with an electrical pump, I hope you do it like the factory would. You need all steel lines downstream to the carb. No rubber lines under pressure. You also need a switch to stop the fuel pump when the engine stalls. The pump works when the ignition key is in the "on" position. So, it's still pumping after you have an accident and the engine stalls. If that accident ruptures a fuel line, well, you're toast. Literally. The OEMs that use electric pumps have a kill switch in the circuit that senses when the key is on, but there's no oil pressure. That sensor then kills the circuit.

So, if you go electrical, you'll need to fabricate long and complicated steel gas lines, and engineer an electrical circuit that goes from the ignition circuit to the back of the car and that includes an oil pressure sensor. Very do-able. But like most times when you replace something stock with aftermarket, you create more problems and work than the one you solve.

But like most times when you replace something stock with aftermarket, you create more problems and work than the one you solve.



The above post is right on point.. If your streeting your vette then the Stock pump will be just fine. Less agg and more go...

I have a 502 in my 65 and had to add an electrc pump.. as the 502 does not have a boss for mounting a Mechanical pump. This leads to all kinds of saftey concerns as mentioned .. oil pressure cut off switch... mounting problems.. electrical wiring concerns and so on. Your much better off with a good solid well made brand name mechanical pump...


:beer
 
Great info. I thinks the mechanical pump is going back on
Thanks, Aloha
 
You always mount the electric pump as close to the tank as you can. After many years of drag racing this was made very clear to me.
 
Thanks for info. Yes, I think the mechanical is the way to go. I have had the car a couple and I.am learning about it.. A lot from these post. You guys are great.
Aloha
 

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