Need fuel pump advice by lunch!

[printjunky]

Looks like on the way back from the gym last night the fuel pump went on the Rover. Not a huge shock, I guess, as it was stored for 11 years until about a month ago.

It's sitting in a Dairy Queen parking lot right now. Plan is to go at lunch and see if I can get it moved.

First a diagnostic question: It stands to reason that I would be able to pump fuel in manually, but that the pump might not be able to pump on it's own, correct? (or does this imply some more serious fault likelihood?)

And can I just leave the oem mech pump inline and throw a low press. electric pump on there up top and still pull fuel? That would be a huge benefit for the very short time I'll have at lunch. (especially since it's not supposed to get up to 20 today).

[SeriesShorty]

I had a new mechanical pump out of the box that would not pump. I could pump the lever by hand all day and it worked just fine, but would not operate off the cam to save it's life.

I have seen that people put an electric inline and pushed through the mechanical pump. However, I bypassed it altogether with a couple of feet of fuel line straight to the carb. The mechanical pump is still on the engine until I can get a blocking plate fabbed it then it'll be gone altogether.

From what I understand (and from my experience), the electric pumps are better pushers than pumpers, so you may want to put the electric pump between closer to the tank side to push through the mechanical pump if you end up not running a straight line to the carb.

Good luck!

[printjunky]

I could put the pump right at the tank easily enough. If it will push through the mech pump then I'll be fine. Just trying to avoid dumping fuel all over myself at lunch.

Anyone have any recommendations on a low press electric pump model/part number, I might be able to find at a chain? Note: NAPA is not convenient to this task's route. I can do it if need be, but not easily. I will be right near a couple of other chains (Autozone and one of the other red/orange ones, I think).

[luckyjoe]

...Just trying to avoid dumping fuel all over myself at lunch.

Ha! This is a Series Rover we're talking about!!!

Before breaking out any tools, cycle the pump priming lever and see if you can see/hear anything. THen check that all the compression fitting at the pump are tight. A slight leak (it would suck in air) here gave me a no-start situation that was easily resolved my tightening one fitting! Of course I took a long time before actually checking them....

Tom P.

[mongoswede]

Facet makes some nice fuel pumps that don't cost a lot of money and perform well. here is a link to a few that might work. http://www.facet-purolator.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=5&id=38&Itemid=62

Some of the pumps have a built in switch to shut off when the float bowl fills in the carb.


Also, if you just need to get the truck home you could just fill a small fuel bottle and place it it in the engine bay somewhere and just gravity feed fuel to the carb. Then fix the pump properly when you get home.

[printjunky]

Off to throw on an electric pump, at least to get it home. It's a beautiful, sunny 16-degrees out (6 windchill!). Love my Rover, love my Rover, love my Rover. Yeah, that'll keep me warm. :rolleyes:

[printjunky]

Well to wrap this thread up, after plumbing a Mr. Gasket 1.5-3 psi pump into the top of the tank, and banana clipping it to my aux heater fan wire, fired right up and we made it the 5 miles home, no problem.

I can't say it's 100% conclusive, and I'll have to retune the idle, and maybe readjust the float (now it feels under-powered (esp low RPM) in a too-lean sense, as a result of trying to address a separate rich-running problem), but hopefully we're good to go, at least until spring.

Thanks much as always for everyone's quick, and helpful replies. (and the tons of back-thread reading I was able to do on electric fuel pumps).

[Donnie]

Looks like on the way back from the gym last night the fuel pump went on the Rover. Not a huge shock, I guess, as it was stored for 11 years until about a month ago.

It's sitting in a Dairy Queen parking lot right now. Plan is to go at lunch and see if I can get it moved.

First a diagnostic question: It stands to reason that I would be able to pump fuel in manually, but that the pump might not be able to pump on it's own, correct? (or does this imply some more serious fault likelihood?)

And can I just leave the oem mech pump inline and throw a low press. electric pump on there up top and still pull fuel? That would be a huge benefit for the very short time I'll have at lunch. (especially since it's not supposed to get up to 20 today).
Facet makes an OK pump,, place it near the tank, if U have rust , put a clear filter in front of the pump & 1 after it, this way you can see how clean your tank is.Bypass the OEM pump..