Best electric fuel pump?

Many of us use this:

http://www.cbperformance.com/P...asp?ProductCode=3193

Don't know if it's the best, but SE's Carey H. recommended the Redline 99009.131 fuel pump and fuel pressure regulator 31800.063 I have these in my SE 550 and I also have it in my SE 356. I have a different pressure regulator in the 356 though. I got a Holly regulator 31800.050. I got the Holly because the lock nut stud on the Redline is brass and I over tighten it on the 550 and striped the brass threads up top where the lock nut goes, so I had to lock it with Locktight.  I have the Jegs 0-15Lbs fuel pressure gauges in both (could not find a liquid pressure gauge with a lower lbs.). I got all from Carbs Unlimited. The Redline fuel pumps work great and are the same shape yet a tad smaller than the ones mentioned from CB which were what was on both cars when I got them and the 356's had failed. So I asked Carey what he recommends. With the Holly regulator you also have to get the regulator fitting pack (2) for 5/16 fuel line, also you would need an in-line adapter for the fuel pressure gauge. I also use two metal NAPA Gold fuel filters for each one before the pump and one before the carbs.

Pete

The one from CB performance looks just like the Carter P60504 Electric Fuel Pump set up I bought from AMAZON for $38 --- CB wants $59.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ...10CGXARB4S7450T7P3GV

Has anyone tried an electric pump in series with a stock mechanical pump? Some of these electric pumps list a maximum output pressure of 2-4 psi, so is a regulator needed with them? I want to use an electric pump for starting only, to prime the system.

I would think you would use one pump or the other.....   There is no advantage to going to dual pumps.....  It only adds weight to the vehicle.....  The CB pump and the Carter look very similar to the one Danny P. and I use....(mine is on a lawn tractor)  I got mine from Autozone for $29.95 if I remember correctly....  I gauged the out put at 3.2 lbs. so left out the regulator....   

As Leon said, John, I don't see the point in running both either. All the electric pumps I know about are pushers; that's why they're always installed right under the gas tank and they don't do nearly as well having to draw through several feet of fuel line. There's no advantage to pumping into a mechanical pump and then to the carbs. Are you thinking about an electric pump making starting easier? Al

I don't see the point of running both either but it would be nice to have two plumbed in parallel. I've got the Carter pump now too and you can barely hear it run....but you can hear it.

If I'm crossing the Mojave desert or even just heading downtown and the motor sputters and quits, it sure would be nice to flip a switch under the dash and get underway again if the pump was the problem.

Some people carry a spare pump in their toolbox. Why inconvenience yourself if number one craps out at a bad time ?

If you have the Facet/Empi electronic ******** pump - I'd definately mount a backup next to operational one - maybe even with a toggle switch to exercise B/U every once and awhile.

I'm running a hidden switch to my electric fuel pump as an anti-theft device- I took the off the mechanical fuel pump, took out the fuel pump rod, then put the mechanical fuel pump back on with some dummy fuel lines. If someone hotwires the car, they'll drive it until the fuel bowl in the carb empties, and ditch the car- and if the electric pump fails, I can put the rod back under the mechanical pump and replumb it on the side of the road

I used the Facet type that used to be the old Bendix blue or red top. It is very quiet.  Be careful on the regulator, the best one to use is the two port Malpassi available from CB Perf.  Very accurate and will cure a lot of carburetor problems.  I also used the Jegs fuel pressure gauge but after sending one back that kept freezing up when hot, the tech at Jegs told me to open the little plug on the bottom and drain out the damping oil. I did that and the gauge works perfectly.  Why, I don't know.

My thinking is the electric pump would make it easier to start for 2 reasons. 1) I have no chokes or provision for chokes on my carbs, just as the original 356's were built. Works fine at 50 degrees or above, not too good in cooler weather (this is Michigan) 2) I tend to boil the fuel out of the carbs after I shut it down, so it takes a while to get the fuel back up there, even worse in cool weather. The reason I'm thinking of both electric and mechanical pumps is because: 1) I wouldn't need a regulator if I only started with the electric pump (sounds like I don't need one anyway from you guys) 2) I would always have a back up pump plumbed in just in case.

It is possible to put these pumps in parallel, just a bit more plumbing. And I'm certainly not worried about a few extra pounds. As it is I have a 30 pound sand bag in the nose next to the battery to help keep the front end from floating at highway speeds. This helps a lot!!!

One thing I've found starting my 356 & Speedster is that you HAVE to depress the accelerator SLOWLY 3 to 4 times and they usually start on the first turn of the key! I used to rapidly flutter the accelerator but that is the wrong approach! 

That only works if you have fuel in the carburetor. Mine are boiled out the next day.

I had an issue with a mechanical fuel pump without fully understanding what was happening at first.   The car would get a vapor lock and I would have to give the Gaz tank mouth to mouth, that is blow on or in the gaz filler and then it would start.  Finally, duh, I realized it was in the process of giving up the ghost and I installed a rotary fuel pump.  One thing I found after the new pump install, was a higher and easier cruise speed at around 70mph, and it still had more to go.  I never realized there was some fuel starvation happening all caused by the pump gradually getting weaker.

I also was able to fill those carb bowls much easier after not starting the car for a few days with the electric rotary pump.  I don't think I would ever go back to a mechanical pump.   

I think depending on your carbs you should have a regulator and fuel gauge.  The small Webber 34's in my 356 and the 44's in my 550 carbs call for 2.5 -3Lbs. max. I bought the CB replacement pump for my 356 when the old one failed. I installed it without a regulator or gauge. I had a very nearly serious fuel issue when the car was parked tank side up on a slight up hill. The needle valves failed and fuel was flowing by gravity in the engine on the ground and everywhere. I was lucky that I was able to flush the engine with oil a few times and do a top carb rebuild. I think what may have happened was the new fuel pump was pumping over 8 Lbs. and it was only suppose to go to 5 max. this may have helped in the failure of the needle valves. The e-fuel pumps can vary from what they state. I guess it could also be a matter of line size too.   Now I can see what the pressure is and regulate it to 2.5- 3 Lbs. It was a lesson learned. Also the Redline gear is better made IMHO.

Pete 

Great info. These are my concerns too. Some of the new e-pumps are in the 1.5 - 3 psi range, so I thought, worse case it's putting out about 3, which is about all the carb needle and seat can take before they move. A lot of the earlier pumps were 5 psi nominal, which means 5-8 psi. You bring up a good point MTFLYR, it is possible to siphon thru an electric pump when it is off, such as a steep hill.

I use the Carter pump Wolfgang put up the link to (NOT the Facet).

It doesn't siphon, doesn't need regulators, Weber/Dellorto needles will easily seal against the pressure, it's quiet, it's cheap, it's compact, and once you put it on-- you can forget about vapor-lock worries or about your carbs going dry after sitting for a few days in the summer and needing 30 seconds of cranking to get fuel into the bowls. I've run them on 130 hp engines and 200 hp engines, and have never starved for fuel.

It's as easy or complicated as you want to make it. In this one thing (and only this thing)... I opted for simple. It's one of the few "put it on and forget it" parts you can get for these cars.

Thanks!

Only thing to beware of when running an electric fuel pump is they can and will at some point fail. I run parallel electric fuel pump and the stock engine Ford racing fuel pump on the Cobra, they are plumbed with a diverter valve under the hood so it is easy to switch off the electric pump and switch it over to manual if the electric pump ever fails and I did have a Holley Red fail before I replaced the engine and rebuilt the car. Both have regulators installed for the Weber 48 IDA's that run best at about 4.5 lbs pressure.