Electric Fuel Pump Location?

[DatsunDave]

I tried the search and came up empty. Please delete and redirect if necessary.

I am installing a small Carter inline electric pump on my 69 2000 with solexes. I am looking for some recommendations and hopefully some pictures of the "best" place to locate it.

What looks to be the easiest is on the outside of the frame rail just in front of the right side rear wheel (where the feed and return fuel lines are running now) but...

is that a bit too far from the tank for a push style pump?
Is it too exposed to road debris in this location?

[SlowBoy]

In the first picture you can see the mounted pump on the trunk wall above the gas tank mounting area. This is also the same spot I've seen three cars use bolts and nuts drilled thru to trunk for mounting. I welded a mount in place.



This is where the weld burns show in the trunk.


This is another mount for a larger racing pump
I was going to use. It is directly opposite on the
package tray wall.

[dbrick]

Mine's under the hood, at the end of the OEM fuel line just below the voltage regulator. Never had a problem. Keeps the wires short and is easilly serviceable.

[DatsunDave]

Mine's under the hood, at the end of the OEM fuel line just below the voltage regulator. Never had a problem. Keeps the wires short and is easilly serviceable.

Never had a problem...is it a pusher? Didn't think it could be that far away from the tank????

[caraddict]

They don't have to be right next to the tank but electric fuel pumps do push better than they pull.

Jon

[dbrick]

Mine is a puller, and it sucks. Apparently, it sucks well. Mounted far from the tank, they are VERY sensative to any tiny leaks in the suction line, so use good clamps and new hoses.
After the initial startup, it's never taken more than 5 or 10 seconds to come up to pressure, including after running the tank dry or sitting for 6 months.

I used the Facet pump originally.


I had a problem which I thought was the pump, and it wasn't, but I replaced it with a newer style, which I left there. they do recommend mounting it with the inlet low and tilted 45 degrees upward, opposite the way it is this picture

[ttyR2]

Fuel being pushed instead of pulled has less chance of vapor lock as well.

[K1200 GT]

I thought vaper lock went out in the 50s sometime. With the introduction of the rubber hose. I remember my dad using wooden cloths pins on the metal gas lines to keep vaper lock under control back in the 50s. For those that can remember that far back.

[dbrick]

Fuel being pushed instead of pulled has less chance of vapor lock as well.

Tens of millions of cars, and just about every car before 1970 have a mechanical pump 10 or 12 feet from the tank, and no real problems. At cranking speed, they don't have much suction, but seem to have worked
Ideally, maybe it should be near the tank, mine originally was. This was simpler, and is a WHOLE lot easier to check/fix on the side of the road. If it fails, I'll rethink it.


From what I remember from Tech School way back in the dark ages ( there was a class on horses) fuel under pressure will not vapor lock. Modern summer blend fuel is much more resistant to vapor lock than in the 60's and you usually need a contributing factor, like desert heat, exhaust too close to a fuel line, etc. for it to occur. Very commonly people fiill the tank in the fall and store the car. If the fuel is winter blend and you haven't used up and refilled the tank, then in the warm weather it can be problematic.

I don't get the clothespin thing...

[DatsunDave]

Anyone have any opinion / advice on my original posted question, i.e., along the frame rail just in front of the right rear wheel???

[SlowBoy]

Anyone have any opinion / advice on my original posted question, i.e., along the frame rail just in front of the right rear wheel???

Well, since you put it that way. I did not like it there which is where I started to put it. After tacking it there and looking at what I was going to have to do with my fuel lines I decided to go with the package tray mount and the racing pump but didn't like what I'd have to do with the fuel lines. Now we are back at my original post and how I got to having it mounted on the trunk wall with the extra mount incase I decided to change to the racing pump.

In the first picture you can see the mounted pump on the trunk wall above the gas tank mounting area. This is also the same spot I've seen three cars use bolts and nuts drilled thru to trunk for mounting. I welded a mount in place.



This is where the weld burns show in the trunk.


This is another mount for a larger racing pump
I was going to use. It is directly opposite on the
package tray wall.

[Slayer McFairlady]

Ok, just because I have had some issues with mine, how many people have wired it on the stock system, and where/how did you wire it?

[DatsunDave]

Ok, just because I have had some issues with mine, how many people have wired it on the stock system, and where/how did you wire it?

I took a lead right from the fuse box ('69).

Find one that is only hot when the key is in the "on" position (use a meter and test carefully). If you can picture the fuse box "find" the top row, left column, right side of the fuse. This is the one I used.

1. After finding the designated location, disconnect the battery
2. Undo the fuse box
3. Drill out the rivet holding in right "clip". Drill from the back side of the fuse box not the front where the dome of the rivet is. It will now be loose.
4. Take that little clip to the hardware store (DON'T LOSE IT!!!) and find a tiny little machine screw and nut that fit. You're going to reinstall the clip into the fuse box with this nut and screw.
5. Go back home.
6. Now take a spade connector that fits your wire (I went overkill and used 12 gauge) and drill a hole in the centre of the spade so the screw you just bought will go through this hole.
7. Now attach the spade connector to your wire. Be smart and solder it not just crimp. (It is your choice which end of the wire you want to feed through the firewall, i.e., do it before or after you make the connection to the fuse box. I recommend you run the wire from the spool, through the firewall and then to the fuse box to be connected. If you go the other way you will have to guess at the amount of wire you may need.)
8. Bend the end of the spade connector to a right angle so it will fit into the recess in the back of the fuse box.
9. Put the clip back in place from the front (put the screw head towards the passenger compartment) slip the spade connector over the screw from the back and attach with the nut. (Note: I used my Dremmel and a small grinding bit to grind a little bit of the plastic away so the spade connector would sit flush with the back of the bus...check this before you start putting it together)
10. You now have a hot lead when the key is turned to the on position (when the battery is reconnected).
11. Run the wire through the firewall and then feed it in a logical / safe route to your fuel pump positive terminall. (I used cable protector just to be on the safe side)
12. Run a wire from the negative terminal of the pump to ground.
13. Reconnect the battery
14. Voila.

One other suggestion is to vacuum out all the little copper shavings from drilling out the rivet they aren't all over the fuse box messing up things.

It is easier than it sounds...not including the trip to the harware store it took me about 30-40 minutes to do this.

Now all I have to do is actually mount the stupid pump.

[DatsunDave]

...Now we are back at my original post and how I got to having it mounted on the trunk wall...

I like the location but I was hoping not to have to weld anything (I was hoping for a quick install since I haven't driven this car more than 75 miles since last year and it is already feeling like fall). Also I have a different pump that takes a little bit more space.

Damn...decisions, decisions.

[Slayer McFairlady]

Thanks for the walkthrough Dave, my issue is that the 67 fuse "box" doesn't give me options like that....

I mounted mine under the trunk, with one bolt... after hardcutting the line with half a hacksaw blade.....

on the side of I-5....

at night.....

without a drill....