Use mechanical or elec fuel pump?

What's the general thinking on which makes more sense to go with--electric or mechanical? I have always used mechanical over the decades but the wide ***ortment of electric pumps in the catalogs makes me wonder if I am not up to date on this. Or is it just personal preference? Which do you like and why?

And also, should I use 5/16 fuel line or could I get by with 1/4? It's a 290HP/350 @600cfm and a very light, short wheelbase car. I take it easy, too.

 

most stock cars with a v-8 and a 4bbl ran 3/8" hard line and 2bbl v-8/6 cyl used 5/16".....i would use 5/16 MINIMUM but would shoot for 3/8". i personally use mech pumps, electric are too sensitive for contaminates and need to be at the rear near the tank, plus all that buzzing.

 

I use electric fuel pumps and 3/8 inch hard line.... you can also hide a switch to shut off the fuel pump and make it harder for someone else to drive off in YOUR car..........

 

One more vote for electrical and 3/8 inch hard line with short rubber sections close to the ends

 

When I got my 59 impala, it was all original, everything pretty good, except for the damn Fuel pump rod in the block for the pump was completely broken. I mean, in order to fix it, we would've had to tear the motor apart to get to it and fix it. So we blocked off the old fuel pump home, and use now an electric fuel pump. I have owned the car for 20 years, the manual fuel pump was replaced with an electric one in 1989 and I have not had any problems with it whatsoever. I drive it daily,,,If you can use the stock fuel pump, go with it, if not, an electric one is a good option. (if you don't mind flipping a switch every time you turn on and shut off the car)...take it easy...Dale

 

Or, you know, wiring it to keyed power...

 

I like Electrical and with with a filter before the gas goes to the pump.

 

Mechanical pump is less than 20 dollars and will last almost indefinitely. I drive my cars a whole lot, like 25k miles every year. I find the little brushes in the electric pump's motor will wear out more often than I like.

 

i use both , a mechanical on the engine block and then i mount the electric back by the fuel tank with a fuel filter between the tank and the pump.install a switch so you can turn if on/off. it's great to have the electric if the car has sit for a long time so you can pump up the fuel and you also have the reliability of a mechanical . i use 3/8" steel fuel line with just a small amount of rubber for flex between the motor/frame

 

I just bought a mechanical pump for the rocket and am rebuilding it right now to replace my elec. pump. The elec. pump has been good to me, but I hate the buzzing noise. I just hate the freakin' noise.

All steel lines with short piece of rubber from frame to motor.

 

Can't stand the noise of an electric pump. Even a standard mechanical will flow enough to support your motor easily.

 

Mechanical fuel pump is the way to go. A hardened tip fuel pump shaft(ARP,MOROSO,etc) would be a good upgrade.

 

I was raised to always use mechanical pumps if I could. In my early hotrod years electric pumps were used STRICTLY to solve problems like a Hurst motor mount, crossmember interference or pump rod problems on a flathead. They were not desired just tolerated.

Later the race car electrics found their way to street machines more for bragging rights than actual need. (IMO) Suddenly people that never got over 75 MPH were worried about GPH specs.

I run them if I have to but I always go for a mechanical if I can. I am even running a dual action pump on my FE just for the old school guys that pay attention to the little details. Most people won't notice it or even know what it is or does.

 

I would go with a mechanical pump unless there is a specific need to use an electric (worn lobe on cam, vapor lock, etc).

 

I like both and use both it just depends on the application. When I use electric with a toggle switch I also wire the toggle to the key side of the ignition. By doing it this way you can start with the key and use the toggle switch as a theft deterrent when you feel the need to. If an electric pump is mounted correctly with a good rubber isolation mount you will very rarely here it run at all.

 

As a safety precaution use a oil pressure switch that completes the power circuit, ground to a relay, when using a electric fuel pump. If you lose oil pressure pump shuts off. For an example if engine dies in an accident pump doesn't continue to run and feed a potential fire. Lost a friend years ago when he wrecked his '32 panel truck and was knocked unconscious. He died in the fire fueled by the electric fuel pump. The FOGGER

 

fogger has a point....I'm not doing that , but I should be

 

I usually run mechanical, but on the current project I am using electric. Like stated above, they are much easier to start after sitting a week or two. I ran braided stainless and AN fittings from the tank to the pump, from the pump to hard line, and then back to braided stainless through a filter to the carb.

I also have the 290hp crate motor and picked a 6psi pump. Lines are 3/8. 5' of 3/8 is only about $8.

 

I'm also of the school of mechanical unless you absolutely need a electric. Unless you go with a high-dollar electric pump, they don't flow much better than a good mechanical. I started the Galaxie for the first time in a month, with a mechanical fuel pump, and it caught on the second bump, just like always. I've never really noticed a car with a mechanical pump taking any longer to start than with an electric, but maybe I'm just lucky... I have no desire to replace it with the electric pump I have. It is, however, going on my Model A, but again, it's out of necessity and not choice.

While this may be true for some pumps, most electric pumps cause a hell of a racket no matter how they're mounted. Vein pumps, which it seems now are the vast majority of pumps you see in catalogs, sound like a harrier takin' off. You could encase them in rubber and they'd still be loud as a *******.

 

As an additional precaution to the oil pressure switch, I also have used a mercury switch in series to kill it if the car gets up past a certain angle.

 

A bunch of guys have said they don't like the sound from an electric pump.... come on its a hotrod you shouldn't be able to hear that over the sound of your exhaust....

 

2X for Fogger's answer re safety switch to turn off the electric pump.
ALL modern cars have this. If you don't have an idiot light oil switch, you can use an inertial switch, such as mid-80's TBirds.

It's by the right trunk hinge, and it senses G force from an impact or a really big bump in the road. Has a handy reset ****on, so mount it where you can get at it.

 

You could hear a Holley pump over the space shuttle's exhaust .

 

I have a ugly mechanical fuel pump running a single carburetor on my flathead. It has the engine off/fuel off system already engineered. The electric pumps work great until they don't work and some are inside the tank for a real PITA. I've heard rumors that soon most if not all cars will be fuel injected then you'll have to have a electric pump.
Fogger has a good safety point- somes like a bad way to go- I'll stick with a ugly mechanical pump until I can't- Good Luck

 

The last carbureted car sold in the US was the 1990 Oldsmobile (remember oldsmobile?)
truck was an Isuzu in 1994

 

You're about 15 years behind the times.

 

I would use a mechanical pump. They usually outlast 100,000 miles and are trouble free. I also always run 3/8ths hard line. Easy to do and looks better IMHO. I also highly suggest a inline fuel filter.



Both of my 32 Fords are plumbed this way.



I have a small section ( about 3 inches ) of rubber gasoline rated hose at the end of the hard line to the fuel tank and about the same at the fuel pump end . NAPA and Car Quest Auto both carry 3/8ths hard line in 72 inch lengths ... so if you place the fuel filter in the right place ... you do not have to spline or junction the line except where you go into the fuel filter

 

That setup looks good!

 

I use both. Mechanical full time. Electric on a switch to prime and back up the stock pump if needed.

 

I used to use electric only, these days I try to run mechanical just because it's simpler. On my 56 I have a mechanical for the carb and an electric for the nitrous.