"weak" fuel pump

My '72 petrol SWB came with an electric fuel pump in addition to the mechanical one. Although it can run with only the mechanical one it eventually starves for gas and dies w/o the electric one supplementing it. As the whole fuel system is new I assumed that the lobe inside the engine was worn and the pump wasn't being fully articulated because of that. However I recently found an old Rovers North receipt in one of the manuals so I wrote the previous owner a letter (I bought the vehicle off e-bay from someone who just flipped cars). He said he installed the electric pump because after the truck sat for a while it would need to be primed and he didn't want to climb under the truck. Suprisingly my theory of a worn lobe is unlikely as the truck only has 20,000 on it, I had assumed that it has turned over! Before I put on a new fuel pump (wife is starting to get tired of me spending $ on my truck) could it be that the newly installed one just be defective as evidenced by the need for priming? If I do replace it has anyone used the new style one offered by our hosts or should I go with the pro-line replacemnt with the sediment bowl?

thanks and sorry for the wordy post

1. I'd say that it is possible that the diaphram in the pump is bad.

2. Personally, I like the sediment bowl just because you can see if there is crap in the fuel system.

3. An electric clicker pump like the one you have is very cheap and available (any auto parts store). Sounds like your already wired up for one anyway.

4. If your wife is getting tired of you spending dollars on the truck, you may be trouble:) .

I ordered a new fuel pump after an engine rebuild. I was having all sorts of fuel starvation problems with the new pump. I determined that it was bad and traded it in THREE times and got bad pumps each time. This was with a reputable land rover part house. I ended up putting my old pump on and its still running fine.

I think there was a large batch of bad fuel pumps and that some are still out there. I was running a weber two barrrel so my fuel use may have been more than stock.

I have to prime mine after it sits for a few weeks.

I don't think it is a big deal as I can reach it from the top.


Steve

Im using the newer non-bowl style now for a few years. Its been working fine. But I did fit an inline filter between the tank and fuel pump to make up for the lack of sediment bowl.

Now here's an odd idea.
If you have two pumps and you suspect one is dying then remove it completely. I'll bet that 'lecky pump can supply your fuel all by its self as the spec for a 2 1/4 is pretty low. Lots of us have converted over to using only electric fuel pumps.

An inline filter is an extremely good idea no matter what you're using to move the fuel. Before you go to any expense, however, run through the fuel system looking for bloackages. Fuel uptake in the tank, perished fuel lines, filter, screen at the top of the sediment bowl, any inlet screens on the carb and check all connections are tight.

An hour spent tinkering can save a lot of money.

I'm running with the electric pump on all the time now, and it runs well. I'd like to have a functioning mechanical one as the main one with the electric as the back-up (guess I just don't trust the electric not knowing it's history). I already have an in-line filter and all new hoses and new tank. Routing is tank to electric fuel pump to mechanical pump to in-line filter to Rochester carb.

I will re-check the screen on top of the bowl, never thought of that, thanks!