Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Curious as to all of your thoughts about adding an inline electric fuel pump. I am rebuilding my 42 from the ground up and I was thinking of putting one inline near the rear wheel. I’m limited on space as it is a convertible and all the top vacuum lines take up space under the running board.

Please let me know your thoughts on if it is needed or a waste of time
Thanks

I have one on my car. I only use it for priming when the car has been sitting a long time or in situations where vaporlock is happening. Otherwise, it stays off and the mechanical pump pulls through it without any issue. My pump is on the inside of the frame rail, mounted near the tank.

My electric is wired of a small toggle switch which takes its feed from Ignition switch on. So for the pump to work, the ignition has to on and then switch also on.

I've had it this way for about 10 years.

Sometimes the car sits for weeks/months between drives. So I can hop in, turn the ignition to On, and hit the toggle switch. I can hear the pump run and the tone will change once the line is "pressurized". Then I turn off switch and start the car. The car will usually start in the first 5 seconds. Even in the middle of winter.

If you go down this route, be aware not all electic pumps are the same. Make sure get one that can be drawn through when it off. Impulse types are generally ok, rotary types are generally not.

You will most likely get differing opinions but I think many have added a solenoid type pump near the tank primarily for use in priming the carb after the car has sat. The increased volatility of todays gasoline seems to be more prone to "boiling off" or evaporating from the carb on engines that have not been run for some period of time. Being able to fill the bowl before trying to start the engine does eliminate a lot of extra cranking.

Some have also had occasion to turn it on during a normal drive because of vapor lock conditions. The slight increase of pressure in the fuel line before the mechanical pump does seem to keep the dissolved gas bubbles in the fuel from expanding so readily to cause the vapor lock symptoms.

As long as the pump is on a switch so it can be turned off and is the solenoid type where the mechanical pump can pull fuel thru when the electric is off then IMO, needed or not, it is a bit of extra and inexpensive insurance. Airtex makes a low pressure solenoid type pump that closely matches the output pressure of the mechanical pump. Several have used model E 8902 on the early 40s cars. It is a 6v pump with 5/16 ports and an output of 2.5-4.5psi. With individual connection wires it can be configured for pos or neg ground.

This is awesome information, I just went online and ordered one up
Thanks again!

Hey Jerry,

I have one mounted and switched exactly as outlined in Big Kev & Howard's replies and wouldn't be without it. As Howard says, cheap insurance if your regular diaphragm pump ever quits, and relieves a whole lot of unnecessary cranking when the car hasn't been started in a bit. Chris.

u might consider a electric top instead of vacuum while u are at it

Here's what I installed, used as per previous posts.

Attach file:

---

  electricfuelpumpsetup.jpg (81.07 KB)


  electricfuelinstalled.jpg (288.26 KB)

If your electric pump doesn't allow for a "pull-thru" when off, then that would be the configuration you would need.

Otherwise, it's just simply putting the electric pump inline near the tank.

EVERYONE HAS OPINION
-Factory pumps worked or they would have installed an Electric as some Mfg did.
-Anything u install on the Fuel Line is going to b giving u restrictions. Do these restriction assist or create VaporLock??? Just me - but i think they do. Sooooooooo installing one to over ride a VL might b the reason u have VL. Never been able to prove it BUT i think these Elec Pumps do. The MechPump just dont have a hell of a lot of Inches of Vacuum.
-The 2 reasons everyone install them is for over riding the VL and Priming. I keep a can of Starting Flued after a long down time. After a few shots ur up and running.
-Suggest if u do install an EP u use a Momentary Switch. With others u forget their ON and then real trouble starts.

Just sold my '34 1100 which i had since 1969. Between around town, VMCCA and CCCA im guessing i put 30,000+ on her. In all that time i only had one hint of a VL. Passed many with ElectPumps.
MAKES U WONDER!!!!

I wouldn’t even consider it as it doesn’t fix the hard-starting problem itself, if that’s the reason you’re adding it. These systems were designed to provide dependable use and if a car sits for a long time so as to need an extra bit to get it going, I much prefer to simply remove the air cleaner and give it a shot rather than modifying anything.