63 Olds Super 394 - Add in electric fuel pump

[pbob]

Always having to prime my super - thinking of adding in an electric booster fuel pump.  Thoughts?  Recommendations?

[joe_padavano]

If all you are looking for is an electric pump to fill the carb after the car has been sitting, that's an easy thing to do. You can use a manually controlled switch or you can use an oil pressure switch that turns the pump off as soon as the engine starts so it is all automatic. You need to determine if the pump you choose can be drawn through by the mechanical pump when the electric is not operating. If not, you need to plumb it in a bypass with a check valve so that the electric doesn't just push fuel back into the tank. It's no problem for the electric to push fuel through the mechanical pump, however.

 

Note that before you go through the trouble, be sure your mechanical pump is in good shape. The check valves do wear out (especially it they are not ethanol-compatible material) and pump efficiency drops significantly. This doesn't prevent fuel from evaporating out of the carb when the car is not driven, but a new pump significantly speeds up the time to refill the carb upon starting. On my 62 F85, replacing the old pump made a huge difference in the amount of cranking needed to refill the carb after sitting. I was THIS close to installing an electric pump for the same reason, but that really isn't necessary now that the mechanical is pumping efficiently.