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

My 1953 Clipper Deluxe when I bought it had an electric diaphragm pump mounted on the frame near the tank but once I rebuilt the car's own mechanical pump, the electric pump was never needed again. It always started right up and was very dependable.

That said, many of the diaphragm type pumps have an auto-start feature so do not need a switch. They will run only when needed. I have several of them in both 6v and 12v but likely they need new diaphragms which I am not sure are still available.

i just ordered the airtex 8016s 12v 2.5 to 4.5 psi pressure pump. i have the wiring and want the option to prime with it. i would not normally use it. my mechanical test out at 5.0 psi, could that be too high? it has the Stromberg carb

I've always fitted car with electric, linear pump in parallel.

Last weekend it served more than just to prime line, the mech pump failed 10 miles from home. After realizing issue, drove the 39 home on the electric, without risk of pumping gas either out the mech vent near manifold or back into crankcase.

Simple safety and reliability insurance.

Ok, I just put in the air tex electric pump and it reads 4 lbs of pressure, but when it's on and the screw is removed from the side of the bowl gas just pours out of the carb. No leaks in the floats and they are adjusted maybe. Stromberg aav26 carb. What am I missing here?

You didn't detail where the Airtex is located and I am not familiar with the Stromberg to know which screw you are removing. At only 4 psi the electric pump should not be any stronger than your mechanical pump. When you say gas is pouring out when a screw is removed, if the Airtex is installed so it is either pushing fuel thru the mechanical pump or even in parallel and used in place of the mechanical, the electric pump by itself should not be the cause of the issue. The electric pump will keep pumping and if fuel is draining out the bowl in the carb the pump will keep adding more in until it is turned off. Without the engine running a mechanical pump will only expel what fuel might be in the diaphragm chamber and able to be pushed out by the spring pushing on the diaphragm.

Could the screw be some kind of drain hole to clean old fuel out the bowl? If not how about a photo of the screw location and more details of the pump install.

I only use my electric pump for priming and on the rare occasion (mostly when I lived in Calif) to cure any heat-related vapor lock.

Otherwise, I am always running off the stock mechanical pump. I have the electric pump on an ON-OFF switch location under the dash, that is powered off a switched ignition power source.

So for the electric pump to run, the ignition has to be in the on position, and the under dash switch has to be on.

I have the electric pump and a fuel filter mounted back near the tank. My mechanical pump has no issues pulling fuel through the electric pump when it's off.

But that all depends on the style of electric pump used.