Welcome to the...

Message Board for Plymouth Roadunner Owners & Enthusiasts (including Superbirds and GTX)
Fellow B-Body Satellite and Charger and F-Body owners also welcome


Plymouth Roadrunner Owners Group
    > Engine/Transmissions
        > so, i'm thinking about putting in an electric fuel pump..???
New Topic    Add Reply

<< Prev Topic | Next Topic >>
Author
Comment
Matt68RR
Moderator
Posts: 8
(1/9/02 9:43 am)
Reply

so, i'm thinking about putting in an electric fuel pump..???
what will i need to do???? i'm thinking i'll buy another gas tank and plumb it for the feed and return, then run braided stainless lines to a adjustable regulator either on the firewall or fender and then feed that to the carb.

how would i wire this??? just make my own connection to supply power when the key is on???

i'm sure i've oversimplified it so....i'm listening!!!!

thanks,
matt

kekoakeakane
New Beeper
Posts: 10
(1/9/02 1:36 pm)
Reply

Electric Fuel Pump
Why would you need another tank? Is yours in bad shape? If not, just a new sending unit is all you need. You can get them with 3/8" line which is fine for most of us. You may or may not need a return line with an electric fuel pump. Some pumps, like my Holley Red, have an internal pressure regulator set at 7 psi which just dead heads the pump at 7 psi. Other pumps require an external pressure regulator, but even then, most of those are dead head type and not bypass type. If you run a bypass type regulator, like Mallory, then a return line is required. There are some advantages to return lines, like quieter pump operation and cooler fuel temperatures (i.e. no vapor lock). I have heard though that these return line cause higher oxidation of fuel and can affect some rubber fuel system components.

As far as wiring the pump is concerned, I would go with a minimum of a Fuel Pump relay, like something from Painless Wiring. This uses a low current connection to your ignition system (I used the line to the (+) side of the coil) to activate the relay when the key is on. This way very little current is added to a small circuit like the ignition switch. The relay is then wired straight to the battery to allow the pump to draw as much current as it needs safely.

I have taken it one step further and wired both my MSD and Fuel pump relay trigger wires to a oil pressure safety switch. This switch will only energize the MSD ignition and Fuel Pump relay if there is sufficient oil pressure. The safety is bypassed when starting the motor. If I should lose oil pressure, both my ignition and fuel pump shut off. BTW, I also wired in a toggle for the fuel pump in the cab so I can turn it off quickly if the relay should fail.

You can call me paranoid, but racing is already dangerous enough.

kekoakeakane
New Beeper
Posts: 11
(1/9/02 1:42 pm)
Reply

Re: Electric Fuel Pump
I also found the Carter Rubber Quiet Mounts to be very helpful in quieting down the pump. If you mount the pump directly to the body, it will be very very loud.

Kekoakeakane
MOPAR No Ka Oi
[img]http://home.hawaii.rr.com/beep68/Pictures/Thumbnail.jpg[/img]

Edited by: kekoakeakane at: 1/9/02 1:47:42 pm
Matt68RR
Moderator
Posts: 9
(1/9/02 4:05 pm)
Reply

Re: so, i'm thinking about putting in an electric fuel pump.
no, my tank is fine...i just figured it might be easier with a new one. so i could put one in that is set to 7, or whatever, psi i want???? i didn't realize. that makes things easier. i don't intend on making a strict racer out of the roadrunner but i'm not gonna drive it like a puss either, i just want good reliability when i get on it.

what kind of sending unit would i use????

thanks,
matt

kekoakeakane
New Beeper
Posts: 13
(1/9/02 11:36 pm)
Reply

Re: so, i'm thinking about putting in an electric fuel pump.
It's not necessarily easier with a new tank. Even if you got a new tank, you would still have to buy a separate sending unit and install it or re-use your old sending unit. I'm not sure if you can still get the sending unit from the dealer or parts store, but I do know that you can get it from restoration places like Year One, Jim's Auto Parts, Jack's Auto Parts, Hardens Muscle Car, Layson's Restorations, etc.

If you're not going to race your car, then you probably don't need a return line. Most electric fuel pumps and pressure regulators are designed to be run without a return line. Usually only high volume, high pressure pumps used for Fuel Injection require return lines. If you want to put a return line in, then you can either get a stock replacement sending unit with 3/8" line and add-in a return, or get the sending unit designed for a Hemi with 1/4" Vapor Return line already plumbed in. If you don't want to put a return line in I would still convert to a 3/8" line sending unit so you're not fuel starved after modifications you might make later. You will also have to run 3/8" line all the way to the Engine Compartment, but that's not that bad.

As far as pressure is concerned, the only electric pump that I know of that doesn't require a regulator on a carb car is the Holley Red because it's preset for 7 psi. The rest of them will require that you also plumb in a pressure regulator somewhere in the Engine Compartment.

All that being said, if you're not going to race the car, I would recommend a good high performance mechanical pump. They are quieter, easier to install (No Wiring, or looking for a place to mount), and some don't require a separate pressure regulator. The only reason I would switch to an electric is if you switch to a cam or block which doesn't allow the mechanical pump.

Kekoakeakane
MOPAR No Ka Oi

Matt68RR
Moderator
Posts: 10
(1/10/02 3:29 pm)
Reply

Re: so, i'm thinking about putting in an electric fuel pump.
well, i do plan on warming up the 383 some or building up a 451 from a 400 block i have.

what carburator do you recommend for a street/strip setup??? i was thinking a carb could only handle about 5psi before fuel started flowing past the needles/seats?????

as a side note, if i can find a decent deal on one, i want to try a speed-pro fuel injection setup..that was another reason for an electric pump.

matt

kekoakeakane
New Beeper
Posts: 14
(1/11/02 3:16 am)
Reply

Re: so, i'm thinking about putting in an electric fuel pump.
For a more street than strip car a Holley Street Avenger would work well. For a more strip than street car, a Dominator would be a better choice. I'm currently running an Edelbrock Performer 750 on my 440 and although it does OK, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. I'm planning to step up to a Demon Carb when I'm tired of dealing with the Edelbrock. The Demon's require more tuning and are usually not good to go out of the box. The Holley's however can be pretty good right out of the box.

Carbs will normally handle 5 to 7 psi before you start leaking past the needle. Obviously the lower the better. If you have trouble with the Holley Red being too high and leaking past your needle, then you can always install a pressure regulator downstream.

As far as fuel injection goes, I would do some research on what kind of pressures and flow you would need for the system you're planning on using. Some of the fuel pumps I've mentioned are not recommended by Holley for EFI. They have a different line of pumps recommended for EFI.

Kekoakeakane
MOPAR No Ka Oi

roadrage28
New Beeper
Posts: 1
(5/21/03 12:26 am)
Reply

Re: so, i'm thinking about putting in an electric fuel pump.
My 69 RR came with an electric fuel pump on it when I bought it from the previous owner. I have had the car for almost 12 years now. I had to replace the pump because it finally gave out. I replaced it with a $30 unit from Autozone. It comes with its own fuel filter on the unit. Runs at 7 psi. I am running an Edelbrock 600 on a 383. This new unit is loader than the old one. It is mounted on the frame under the passenger side in front of the rear wheel. You might give this a try to see if you like it. Something else you need to look at is if you eliminate the manual fuel pump, you may need a delete plate to cover the hole that is left. I have just recently noticed that mine has nothing covering the hole. I don't know if I am losing oil or anything. I have been having ignition problems and brake problems for a while so the car has not seen much action. Plus I have been focusing on finishing my other car ( a Mustang) before I tear into the bird.

<< Prev Topic | Next Topic >>

Add Reply

Email This To a Friend Email This To a Friend
Topic Control Image Topic Commands
Click to receive email notification of replies Click to receive email notification of replies
Click to stop receiving email notification of replies Click to stop receiving email notification of replies
jump to:

- Plymouth Roadrunner Owners Group - Engine/Transmissions -

Visit The Mopar Webring
|Previous|Next|Random|Sites |



Plymouth, Superbird, Charger, and Volare are registered trademarks of DaimlerChrysler.
Roadrunner and the Roadrunner image are registered trademarks of Warner Brothers.
The Plymouth Roadrunner Owners Group is in no way affiliated or associated with DaimlerChrysler or Warner Brothers and/or thier holding companies.


Powered By ezboard® Ver. 7.32
Copyright ©1999-2007 ezboard, Inc.