Replacing Mech Fuel Pump with Electric

[navydevildoc]

Well, I am happy to report that after my "Replacing seats turned into replace seats, brake lines, fuel lines, rear chassis wire harness, fuel pump, ignition switch, and all seat box and floor board mounting hardware" project was finished, I took the truck out to our local Rover Club meeting and she ran great!

So I am going to make the un-scientific assumption that the fuel pump was my problem. Absolutely NO hesitation or power loss even at WFO on Miramar road, which is basically a freeway.

But I discovered a new problem, my right rear rim is botched up. It doesn't end.

[daveb]

so, what electric pump did you use? have you measured the psi? did you measure the psi on your mechanical pump? most electric pumps push too many PSI for the little weber carbs. things get real interesting when they overcome the float needle and spill gas all over the hot manifold.

the mechanical pumps have no problem keeping up with everyone else's 2.25. I doubt your 2.25 is some magical beast that the mechanical pumps can't keep up with.

best bet is to take the mechanical pump out completely if you are not using it.

Well, I am happy to report that after my "Replacing seats turned into replace seats, brake lines, fuel lines, rear chassis wire harness, fuel pump, ignition switch, and all seat box and floor board mounting hardware" project was finished, I took the truck out to our local Rover Club meeting and she ran great!

So I am going to make the un-scientific assumption that the fuel pump was my problem. Absolutely NO hesitation or power loss even at WFO on Miramar road, which is basically a freeway.

But I discovered a new problem, my right rear rim is botched up. It doesn't end.

[NickDawson]

Well, I am happy to report that after my "Replacing seats turned into replace seats, brake lines, fuel lines, rear chassis wire harness, fuel pump, ignition switch, and all seat box and floor board mounting hardware" project was finished, I took the truck out to our local Rover Club meeting and she ran great!

Thats great news! congrats on getting it up and running

[navydevildoc]

so, what electric pump did you use? have you measured the psi? did you measure the psi on your mechanical pump? most electric pumps push too many PSI for the little weber carbs. things get real interesting when they overcome the float needle and spill gas all over the hot manifold.

the mechanical pumps have no problem keeping up with everyone else's 2.25. I doubt your 2.25 is some magical beast that the mechanical pumps can't keep up with.

best bet is to take the mechanical pump out completely if you are not using it.

It's a Bestest 8016 (number is from memory) pump. Rated at 5 PSI, 30 gph if memory serves correctly.

Never said my 2.25 is some magical beast, but the mechanical pump doesn't seem to have been holding it's own. Empirical evidence is hard to argue. I have considered putting the mech pump back into the loop to see if the problem comes back... but to be honest it's nice just having a working Series for a while, really for the first time since I have owned it.

[Andrew IIA]

but to be honest it's nice just having a working Series for a while, really for the first time since I have owned it.

I hear that

[Cosmic88]

fuel filter????

How does the level in your filter sit now that you are running around town (finally) with the electric pump? What pressure do you have it set at?

AND....... a cautionary word of advice from personal experience... and I only say this since, like a lot of us, you seem to have an ongoing project on your hands. Try not to leave the ignition / fuel pump on when the engine is not turning. Since, IF for whatever reason the neelde valve actuated by the float should become worn or you develop a leak which allows fuel bypass of the needle, now that you have an electric pump, you could fill up your cylinders / oil sump with fresh clean fuel. The only upside to that is a nice clean engine.

The downside is obvious. I recently experienced this with a 32/36 on a V8 in a Def 110. Brand new fuel pump set at only 3lbs. but combined with an out of adjustment float valve flooded out the engine and the oil level went from 6 ltrs. to 8 pretty fast.

[navydevildoc]

How does the level in your filter sit now that you are running around town (finally) with the electric pump? What pressure do you have it set at?

The pump doesn't let you set pressure... if I remember it's a 4 or 5 PSI pump.

I have 2 filters, one right after the tank before the pump, and one right after the pump before the carb. The one before the tank is pretty much full, there is a small amount of air at the top.

The second filter I have not looked at today, but was about 3/4 of the way full if memory serves. Way more than the "is there even fuel in it" situation I was in before.

AND....... a cautionary word of advice from personal experience... and I only say this since, like a lot of us, you seem to have an ongoing project on your hands. Try not to leave the ignition / fuel pump on when the engine is not turning. Since, IF for whatever reason the neelde valve actuated by the float should become worn or you develop a leak which allows fuel bypass of the needle, now that you have an electric pump, you could fill up your cylinders / oil sump with fresh clean fuel. The only upside to that is a nice clean engine.

The downside is obvious. I recently experienced this with a 32/36 on a V8 in a Def 110. Brand new fuel pump set at only 3lbs. but combined with an out of adjustment float valve flooded out the engine and the oil level went from 6 ltrs. to 8 pretty fast.

Yeah, trust me I am jittery still when driving along the road. I half expect a major carbecue at any moment while driving her.

[JimCT]

Oil pressure switch

Not a bad idea to run the power through an oil pressure switch so it shuts off on its own. Safer that way.

[Nium]

Low tension lead

Heya NavyDevilDoc,

I see that you had posted your running the Pertronix Ignitor electronic points. I think your issue may still be with the low tension lead or the wire on the Ignitor that would be the low tension lead.

Your symptoms are exactly the same as what I've experienced when the low tension lead on my rig develops a break. I've yet to install the Pertronix, must say that I've eye balled it more then once but have never seemed to be able to follow thru on ordering it, I'm still running points. Since the Pertronix attaches to the timing advance plate, the same as the points, as the timing advances the wire is squished or bent. The thing with wire, as you may know, once a weak spot is bent it will bend at that same spot over and over till it breaks. At wide open the timing would be advanced to its max; which would have the wire bent to the max; which if there is a break in the wire could cause an open condition; which would kill the ignition; which would resolve itself when the timing advance plate moved back to a non-advanced position (when the engine died for a moment); which would bring the two broken ends of wire back together again (thus completing the circuit for the ignition) and the rig would go again. An easy test, with the engine running, would be to push the wire into the dizzy (you may have to put the rubber grommet that the wire passes thru to the inside of the dizzy to do it) and see if it kills the engine or carefully visually inspect the wire at the point where it enters the dizzy and look for a dark spot on the insulation which should be an indication of arcing between the two broken ends. It probably broke inside the insulation.

Like I stated I'm running points but I've experienced the exact same condition you described when the low tension lead crapped out.

I once had a FIAT Spyder that I used one of them glass in-line fuel filters (right before the carb). After getting stuck too many times on the side of the road because of it (each time I'd have to take it apart and clean it really well) I finally realized their crap and threw it away and have never since put one on another vehicle.

I'd recommend getting one of them tin can looking in-line filters. I got one on my Landie, right before the carb, along with a bigger fuel filter right after the tank. The bigger filter, I believe, was speced for a Datsun 6 cylinder Z car. Never had an issue with fuel delivery.

My 2 cents, for what it's worth.

Cheers,
"Ronnie"
1968 Series IIA, 2.25L Petrol