hi, working on my 37 ford panel with a 59AB. i've been having some fuel pump issues and i'm thinking about going to a electric. my questions are, can i just leave the stock pump in place? do i need to disable it and if so, can i just remove the rod? also, i'm guessing i need to regulate the flow? what should it be and who makes a good pressure regulator for this application? if i'm missing something, please let me know. thanks for any information and opinions!
I don’t have the answers to all your questions but I am very happy with my facet fuel pump as it’s very quiet and available in multiple psi outputs. Mine is rated at 3.5 psi which I knock down a little bit with a malpassi regulator for my 303 olds.
If you use a Facet type (not rotary) pump you won't need a regulator. Just mount it on resilient (rubber) isolators near the tank. You can use a propane vehicle gas cut-out which will stop power to the pump in the event of an accident (operates on ignition pulses).
Fuel should pass through the stock fuel pump with no problem. I use an electric pump on my stock '48 Ford to prime the carburetor after it sits for a long time.
Nope. However, what are the issues? Was it okay before? If so for how long? How is it stored if you have an off season (don't know where you are)? If it does get stored, do you dump some Marvel or Sta-bil in it 1st? "Fuckin eh Jocko, lotta questions..." Yup. New gas has more "light ends" than "heavy ends" these days. Add some Ethanol and we lose lubricity as well as having a mix that evaporates very quickly compared to the old days. Even this Recreational non-eth gas evaps quicker (light ends). Once it dries up in your carb or fuel pump you get this insidious white powder that just fucks up all the passages in the carb and check/directional valves in the pump. Electric pumps will prime you up and be a nice backup if you're leaning on it and the demands exceed the old mechanical pump ability. Good advice above on what to use. Let us know what you did, best of luck.
thanks again for the info. so i just got the truck running after i purchased it from the previous owners widow. it had not been registered since 07, not sure how long since it last ran. i bought a new pump, to be honest, i went on the cheap and got it from rockauto. big mistake but live and learn. it lasted about 10 miles before it slowly quit. i have since ordered a replacement from CW moss while i'm waiting for it, i had a electric one i think it's a mr. gasket but whatever it is i'm sure it's made overseas. i installed that. i also ordered a pressure regulator but that hasn't arrived yet. in any event it works great but i'm not driving it until i put the regulator on. my plan is to install the mechanical one and use the electric as a back up or just in case. also i'm going dual strombergs so i think it will help feed them. is the correct psi 2-3 for a stock 59AB? how about running duals? again, thanks for all the input and i'll post a update once the PR is installed. cheers!
I'd replace that mechanical. If the diaphragm is toast it'll put gas in the crankcase... And yes, I too figure about 3 for twin carbs. Might sound lazy or hack but the mechanical pump might act as a regulator. Toss on a gauge to the carbs, see what you have before you add a regulator to the mix. The less parts the better as long as you're where you need to be.
My flathead can sit for a couple of days and the pump will not pickup the fuel unless I pressurize the tank to push the fuel before cranking it. Is the gas of today really that bad or do I need to change the gas cap or put a new gasket on the fuel bowl? I have a new 6V Carter electric pump I bought to prime the system for me but it’s a rotary type and can I run it with the factory pump without any issues? I forgot to say my car is a 51 Ford….
ok so i replaced the old pump, electric is also installed, the regulator is a POS and i can't get it to stop leaking. so what do i need to check the fuel pressure at the carb? sorry if this is a obvious question but i'm new to this stuff and i'm pretty sure that i don't have the tool i need to do this and it sounds like something i'll need in the future so i'll just buy one. thanks
A lot of parts are crap now. You need to use a fuel pressure gauge with a tee into the line. I would use a rubber hose just for testing, get a good gauge (and it needs to have a low psi range 0-10 psi with each mark up to 10). Anyone have any luck with regulators WITHOUT a return line?
The electric pumps come with a variety of pressure ranges. If the electric pump you have is pressure rated for a carburetor equipped vehicle, you are usually OK. If the electric pump has a higher pressure rating then for a carb, you will need a regulator. If the excess pressure is more then 5 lbs too high, I suggest you invest in a regulator with a fuel return to the tank. I ran both an electric pump along with a mechanical pump for years without an issue. I would have had to make a fuel pump opening cover plate if I had removed the mechanical pump. If I would have removed the mechanical pump for any reason, I would have made the plate and eliminated the mechanical pump. If you remove the mechanical pump, you also have to modify the fuel line to bypass where the mechanical pump would have been. As long as the mechanical fuel pump has a good diaphragm, leaving it on the motor won't have much of an effect, except possibly reducing the electrics pumps output pressure, that the carb sees. If that mechanical pump had a leaking diaphragm, and is pumping gas into the oil pan, the electric pump will also pump gas into the oil pan, but probably at a faster rate.
we are talking about a flathead Ford with either a stromberg or Holley 94 carb right? If that is the case you need to limit the fuel pressure to 2.5 lbs because that is all those kind of carbs will handle. If your elec pump is rated higher than that you will need a pressure regulator . Buy a good one, set it for 2.5 lbs and be done
About 30 years ago, after I had had my '51 coupe about 5 years, I got sick and tired of fuel pump issues. I installed a recommended electric ump and thought I was good to go. After a few years of minimal improvement and maximum experience. I decided the right thing to do was to get the STOCK system working like it should. I had a stock pump rebuilt by Charlie Schwendler in New York. I made sure all of the connections in the fuel lines were clean and tight, and made sure that the sediment bowl was not sucking air. I also replaced the flex line on the firewall with a quality unit and all of my problems cleared up. It's been 30 years with no "vapor lock" or other such problems. I have become a real stickler for properly set p stock systems, allowing me to eliminate "band-aid" fixes and have never looked back. The Ford engineers back in the day knew what they were doing and were usually right.
ok guys, once again, thanks for all the good advice. i've decided to leave the electric pump, i've replaced the stock fuel pump and i'm waiting on the delivery of a new holley 12-804. i think i should be OK after that. cheers!
The Jalopy Journal
