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electric fuel pump

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Old Jan 30, 2010 | 08:51 PM
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From: Longmont Co.
electric fuel pump

I'd like to change to a electric fuel pump but I'm not sure what to look for. Here's what I got. 55 F100 351 Cleveland 2v, 4 barrel edelbrock, Accell electronic ignition. I'm useing a Flexalite Rad. fan that moves 3000 cfm so I'm surprised when I'll be driving down the road & it feels like its vapor locking. The motor isn't getting hot but I loose all power, it coughs & sputters. I've insulated my gas line going to the carb but that didn't help. I'm sure its fuel related because when its acting up if I put my foot in it, 90% of the time it hauls ***. The other 10% it dies. What type of flow & pressure should I be looking for in a electric fuel pump. Thanks for any help.
 
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Old Jan 30, 2010 | 09:35 PM
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From: Gunbarrel, Co.
For my 284ci flathead and feeding 3 97's, I'm using a carter e-fuel pump with 4-6 psi. I would also recommend a fuel regulator. I found my stuff @ Jegs or Summit. I would also recommend you mount the pump as far behind the cab as possible, these things are not exactly whisper quiet.
.
 
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Old Jan 30, 2010 | 09:44 PM
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Thanks. I wasn't sure if I needed a regulator or not.
 
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Old Jan 30, 2010 | 11:04 PM
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Are you sure the fuel lines aren't just plugged with rust, or other problems restricting fuel? Vapor lock is really pretty rare.
 
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Old Jan 30, 2010 | 11:26 PM
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No I'm not sure. I've put on a new fuel filter & new lines from pump to carb. Last summer cruising down main st. Stop & go it would start wigging out. So I thought it was a cooling problem, not getting enough air flow & something is getting hot either fuel vapor locking or electronic ign. in the distributor. I just removed stock fan & replaced it with a electric fan so even at idle I should have good air flow. 3000 cfm. But 20 mins after driving it wiggs out. ?????
 
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Old Jan 30, 2010 | 11:31 PM
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Suction line (gas tank to fuel pump) restrictions are worse than in the lines under pressure. The gas can vaporize from reduced pressure created by the pump, then the pump is trying to suck vapor, not liquid. Heat makes it worse. As I recall, '55's suck fuel out the top of the tank? So any bad rubber hose sections can also be a problem, letting in air. My fuel lines out of the tank were jam-packed with rust, I fought "carb" problems for a year before I figured it out.
 
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Old Jan 30, 2010 | 11:40 PM
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I'll jack it up & see what I can see. Thanks for your help.
 
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Old Jan 31, 2010 | 02:25 AM
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Honest answer, on a 351 Cleveland, there is absolutely no reason or benefit to changing to an electric fuel pump.

First, check your coil. My engine acted as though it was fuel starved and the coil (then it's replacement) was bad - off the shelf. Hint - does it once the engine gets warmed up....Then check to make sure you have a vented gas cap that is allowing air to vent. If you get sution in your gas tank with a 351C Fuel pump, you gas tank will pullin and it willmake a sound like someone is hitting it with a baseball bat. Mine does that even withthe vented cap when I run it out of gas - no comments please!
 
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Old Jan 31, 2010 | 05:04 AM
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The coil is new. Going from points to electronic ign. I had to replace it. As far as the gas cap, I haven't payed that much attention to it. Its the same one that came with the truck. If anything I'd say my gas cap fits a little loose. Thanks for your input.
 
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Old Jan 31, 2010 | 06:14 AM
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It might be rust particles in the tank clogging up the sock on the pickup. But then again, the situation shouldn't improve when you're demanding more fuel if that was the case. Maybe the jets on your carb are clogged and the idle section and accelerator pumps are not. Have you cleaned the carb out lately? We motorcyclists often use Seafoam at concentrated levels to clean out our carbs of varnish, etc after they've been sitting all winter. I sure hate to pull and clean the 4 carbs on my bike, so I always reach for the Seafoam first.
 
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Old Jan 31, 2010 | 07:45 AM
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The carb. is about 6 years old but I only put about 1000 mi. a year on it. Only drive it on weekends or once in a while, but even in winter I start it up & run it every couple of weeks mainly for the battery. Whats funny is when it acts up if I floor it I can peg the speedometer. If it was clogging I would think it would act up all the time. Thanks for your help.
 
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Old Jan 31, 2010 | 08:52 AM
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If you were "Vapor locking" you would be running out of fuel and only getting vapor to the carb. If it will not go 20 or 30 mph on vapor it will not peg the speedometer on vapor. I think you need to look elsewhere for your problem, most likely ignition.
Good luck
Larry
 
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Old Jan 31, 2010 | 12:35 PM
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Originally Posted by f1004me
The coil is new.
So were mine - both of them. And they were both bad off the shelf. I'm running an MSD ignition as well. Flamethrower coil solved the problem.
 
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Old Jan 31, 2010 | 05:32 PM
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Amen!! Julie keep preaching to the choir on defective new parts.
I have a sun scope and you can watch the spark drop off as the coil heats. I can heat the coil on my tester and sometimes can drop from 50,000 volts to almost nothing with a little heat. The same on condensers.
Vapor lock was used for many years on old flatheads when they stopped running when hot. It took many years to dispel the myth when the actual issue was "Henry's" oil soaked coils shorting and failing even when new.
Last distributor I set up on my distributor machine it took 5 sets of points to get one good set. They would all bounce at higher speed on the machine and would cause an engine miss.
 
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Old Jan 31, 2010 | 05:52 PM
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I agree that vapor lock is unlikely, especially this time of year in CO! Does your carb have an inline filter? Usually in an enlarged area right behind where the fuel line enters the carb behind a large "nut" the fuel line screws into. A golden/copper colored sintered metal element and spring inside. Replace the element, they are near impossible to clean.
Also try disconnecting the fuel line from the fuel pump put it in a clean bucket and pressurize the tank with an air hose with a rag wraped around it thru the fill neck. See what comes out. Likely to be a lot of gunk and rust or restricted flow.
 
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