Electronic Fuel Pumps

[SeanHammond]

Over the weekend a couple of us were cruisin and the 32 Roadster started to carry on and at first it sounded like it wasnt getting any fuel although it had a full tank. We had a look down the carb to see if any fuel was there and everything was ok. When we finally got it started, 5 minutes later the car just shut down. The car's fuel pump starts with the ignition but also has a switch to operate it as well. When i start it with the pump off it runs ok but as soon as i turn the pump on the car shuts down again. Is that a problem with the pump itself or wiring? Some of the wiring was re-done earlier this year so i dont think it was that. Any help would be great.

[Pep]

Sean...I'm not quite sure what your saying...just to clear up. You have an over ride switch that you can operate the pump without the ignition right? This switch operates the same relay relay? Also does the fuel system have a return line..is there a fuel regulator?...what type of carby?...Sorry if this sounds silly but it would help to get the right picture.


see ya
Pep

[Mr Cool]

Sounds like you have a fault to chassis. get your hands on a multimeter and check all wiring in fuel pump circuit, and i mean ALL wiring, from battery supply, via relay and pump to chassis. sound like its causing the ignition to fault to chassis as well. Make sure you have the relay for the fuel pump seperate from all other circuits, and fed from the ignition feed from key switch, not accessory feed.

[SeanHammond]

Hey
thanks for the information,
It may be the wiring but just then we started the car up and it seemed to run ok. Has anybody heard of something like this before? The pump is a Holley "blue" and carb is an 850 Holley with a regulator next to the carby.

[HRI]

Sounds to me like the positive wire to the pump is grounding out.

Slightly off track but could be timely. I had one of those glass bodied fuel filters fitted next up to the carb. (Also had another filter down back as well between the tank pick up and the Holley Red pump.
Any way Crusin one day and she started to cough and splutter, look down at the gas gauge and I'm nearly empty. Not possible as I had just filled up, so pull over and jump out and I can see these flames licking underneath the guards!!
Grab the extinguisher (what you don't have one?!) the only way in is to lift the bonnet, as I pull up up I can see the F%#kin filter in bits on top of the manifold then WOOF, the vapours catch. I got 3 passes with the extinguisher before it ran out, as the last flames died out. The I looked up at my bare arm that had raised the bonnet and here's these layers of skin hanging off. Not happy Jan.....

It was only when I walked around the gutter side of the car that I realised how lucky I had been. When I pulled up I turned off the ignition and this stopped the electric pump. But unrestricted, it had had enough time to dump the best part of 15 litres of petrol on the motor, when I had stopped most of it dropped to the ground and ran into the gutter. Both front wire wheels were black, the entire engine bay was black and the gutter 3 metres in either direction was black. And you know what, while all this was happening, absolutely no barstard stopped.

So if you have one of these filters, remove it and throw it to the shit house. If you have ever pulled one apart for cleaning you will know how hard they are to put back together, they are all the same. Get rid of it!

[Pep]

Sounds to me like the positive wire to the pump is grounding out.

Slightly off track but could be timely. I had one of those glass bodied fuel filters fitted next up to the carb. (Also had another filter down back as well between the tank pick up and the Holley Red pump.
Any way Crusin one day and she started to cough and splutter, look down at the gas gauge and I'm nearly empty. Not possible as I had just filled up, so pull over and jump out and I can see these flames licking underneath the guards!!
Grab the extinguisher (what you don't have one?!) the only way in is to lift the bonnet, as I pull up up I can see the F%#kin filter in bits on top of the manifold then WOOF, the vapours catch. I got 3 passes with the extinguisher before it ran out, as the last flames died out. The I looked up at my bare arm that had raised the bonnet and here's these layers of skin hanging off. Not happy Jan.....

It was only when I walked around the gutter side of the car that I realised how lucky I had been. When I pulled up I turned off the ignition and this stopped the electric pump. But unrestricted, it had had enough time to dump the best part of 15 litres of petrol on the motor, when I had stopped most of it dropped to the ground and ran into the gutter. Both front wire wheels were black, the entire engine bay was black and the gutter 3 metres in either direction was black. And you know what, while all this was happening, absolutely no barstard stopped.

So if you have one of these filters, remove it and throw it to the shit house. If you have ever pulled one apart for cleaning you will know how hard they are to put back together, they are all the same. Get rid of it!

Greg...thats not the first time i've heard about those filters..after that I tossed mine to the shit house too....I put on one of those little after market platic jobs on instead. BTW it seems you have set up you fuel system the same as I am doing on my 37. You used a a filter between the pick up and electirc pump....a good idea IMHO. Stops debris getting into the pump and stopping it. Its a good idea to get the shit out of the tank instead of having a filter in the tank where it remains forever. The filter I assumed was not a super fine job, just a gause element. The finer filter would be in the engine bay.

[HRI]

G'Day Pep,
The tank was original, I put some of that creme stuff in it from Bill Thompsons and it's worked fine. The filter down the tank end is just a normal inline filter. In 15 years only had to pull the pump down once for a clean. Got avariable regulator, filter and pressure gauge up near the carb.

I've also got a hidden cutout switch for power to the pump, a little bit of extra protection.

If you've never had an electric fuel pump before they can take some getting used to. The Holley one's are pretty noisy at idle, but once your going you can't hear it much (for the exhaust).

[a25Chevrod]

After looking seriously at the most likely , could I suggest looking for something silly like a broken wire or bad conection to the fuel pump.
The wire may contact fine when the car is stationary idling , BUT when your cruizin down the road the contact may not be continuous , therefore not producing constant fuel supply. Also yours wouldnt be the first fuel regulator to play up merry hell..................

a25chevrod

[a25Chevrod]

ME again, Greg if you use one of the Rotary type fuel pumps they dont have the standard "Gattling Gun" effect on your car. Well not so bad
anyway

a25chev