Re: Fred's Series 23 fuel pump

Posted by BigKev On 2013/10/7 11:05:22

There is a reason every modern manufacturer puts the electric back either in, or near the tank. It keeps the fuel line pressurised so it's less likely to vapor lock. Remember fluid boils easier at lower pressures. Also the electric in the engine bay is going to be subject to a lot more heat than being back at the tank.

Just mount the electric pump up in the frame rail near the tank. If you are using an impulse type pump, the mechanical can draw through it. Typically you should only need the electric when the to prime and as a booster under vapor lock situations. Get a low PSI pump for a standard carb application, and you wont need a regulator.

You can just reuse the factory steel fuel line, reroute and reflare it to fit the output port on the electric up in the frame rail as needed. Then add a small piece of steel line between the tank and the input on the electric. No rubber hoses under the car. Also you should have a fuel filter before the electric one. This will be far superior to the simple metal mesh filter in the inlet side of the mechanical fuel pump.

I'm didnt go that far as using all steel line, as I wanted to be able to service the filter easily and the flare fitting on my tank was compromised already and wouldn't seal. So I used thick fuel injection hose to bridge the tank to the fuel filter, and filter to the pump inlet. Both of which are tucked up in the frame rail. If you are really concerned about the pump being back there, you can build a simple shield metal shield for it to box it easily in the frame rail.

As far as electrical hook up is concerned, I have it attached to a toggle switch under the dash the is powered from a ACC On ignition circuit. So it can only be turned on when the Ignition is also on, and I only use it for priming at this point as I haven't had a vapor lock issue arise.

Being up in the Riverside, CA, I was driving my car around this weekend in 90+ degree heat with no issues running off the mechanical pump only in that configuration.

I just believe that simple is always better. The more complicated something else, the more points of failure. Also unless you got up under the car in the back, you would never see it as everything is still bone stock under the hood.