Need help wiring electric fuel pump in my 41 Buick

[Guest 41buick]

Hello all, Can anyone give me some advice regarding installing/wiring a universal fuel pump in my 41 buick? My Buick is all stock and I want to install an universal electric fuel pump strictly to help with staring after periods of inactivity. When I bought the car it had an universal electric fuel pump installed and it worked fine. The pump was wired to the battery and to a toggle switch. When you wanted to start the car after periods of inactivity, you just turned on the the pump with toggle switch and when the fuel pump stopped pumping you turned off the switch and then started the car. The problem with this hook up is, I would often forget to turn off the toggle switch and the pump burned out. Is there a better way to wire an electric fuel pump for this application? Also, are there different types of universal electric fuel pumps? I've heard there are some pumps that run constantly and some that stop running after the pumps pressure rating is met? Thank you. Mike

[mrpushbutton]

You could wire the pump through the ignition switch so that your under-dash toggle is only powered when the key is on. There is one drawback to this method--while you are waiting for the pump to fill the carb bowl you could be burning your points depending on where they came to rest as the engine shut off. I would recommend however that you (we) should never wire any item directly off of the battery without a fuse in line with the take-off. Should something go wrong you have the potential of a lot of amps (hundreds) going to ground, and causing a wire far too small to carry that current to glow orange like a stove element, resulting in..........? (lets not see the same hands up all the time now)...................FIRE!

Install a simple in-line cartrage fuse holder and a fuse properly sized for the task (about 20% higher than the full load capacity of the load-item, in this case the fuel pump) and you will be safe.

[Dave@Moon]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> You could wire the pump through the ignition switch so that your under-dash toggle is only powered when the key is on. There is one drawback to this method--while you are waiting for the pump to fill the carb bowl you could be burning your points depending on where they came to rest as the engine shut off. </div></div>

I've been running a universal electric fuel pump full time now in my 1960 Buick for 10 years (about 12,000 miles) On Sunday it finally gave up the ghost. The car was towed home for the first time in 12 years. I just finished replacing it this morning.

My pump is wired with a toggle switch off of a curcut that is hot with ignition on. The pump is in the right rear wheel well (in a heavy protective box), and at start up it takes <span style="font-style: italic">maybe</span> 2 seconds to fill the entire line <span style="text-decoration: underline">and</span> bowl to start the car. I've started the car thousands of times like this with no damage to the points whatsoever.

The instructions for the new pump stated that it should be wired off of the oil pressure switch circut (with it's own inline fuse) so that it would cut out when the motor stalls. Having seen those lights come on when the motor was running every now and then, I'm not so sure that's a good idea! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

BTW, the new fuel pump cost all of $30 at Pep Boys, and was made in the USA. Other ones I found were mainly Chinese and at least $10 more!

[Guest 41buick]

hi Dave,

Thanks for your reply. You stated that you wired your fuel pump to a circut that is hot while the ignition is on. Can I ask which circut that is? Also, what was the brand and type of fuel pump you got from pep boys? Is it a rotary type (runs constantly) or a bellow type (runs only until pressure rating is met)?Thanks again

mike

[Guest imported_JPIndusi]

Try going to the web site for The Filling Station. I beleieve they sell 6 and 12 volt in-line fuel pumps.

Run a wire from the side of the ignition switch that is hot when the key is on. From here go to a fuse, use the size recommended by the pump manufacturer. Next run the out wire of the fuse to a spring loaded toggle switch that is normally off. From the switch run a wire to the pump. With this set-up you must hold the toggle switch in the on position against the spring pressure. When your engine starts simply let go of the toggle switch and the electric pump will be off.

Good luck.

Joe, BCA 33493

[Dave@Moon]

Mike,

The pump is a Purolator brand (bellows type) with a heavy plastic case. The old one was also a Purolator, an older type with a metal case that they just recently quit making (I believe). The newer one is significantly quieter than the old one, probably because of the case.

Advance Auto Parts here still had the low pressure (4/6 cyl., I think 2-5 psi) metal type Purolator in stock, but no 4-9 psi 8 cyl. one's left. Instead of stocking the newer Purolators, they'd switched to a Chinese-made Mr. Gasket brand (pot metal case) which was about $40. This was the only 4-9 psi they had. The Mr. Gasket pumps used the same parts numbers as the Purolator pumps, and the less informed (including the parts guy at Advance! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />) might be led to think they're the same thing.

The only other pump I came accross was a round type (metal case) sold under several brand names including AC (all indentical but for the still similar mounting hardware). It was about $55. I don't know whether it's a bellows type or not.

I wired it to the hot side of the heater blower circut, as it is used the least of any circut on the car (no a/c in a summer driver). Of course there's an inline fuse wired with it as well.

[Guest strait8]

I wired mine off the hot side of the ignition so I could turn on the pump without the ignition to fill the carb ,release the N/Off pushbutton switch ,and then start the car.only takes 10 seconds or so prefill the system and saves a lot of cranking after not being run for extended periods.And yes ,DO fuse it.

[critterpainter]

On my car rather than a toggle switch I used a momentary contact switch. Only on while I push the button. Have not hada failure yet.

bill