Electric fuel pumps

charliemccraney · Post by **charliemccraney** » July 7, 2009, 9:00 am

Has anyone found an electric fuel pump for a daily driven, carbed vehicle, able to support about 350hp, and does not need to be replaced every few months?
I've found that the Holley Red pump is not it. I liked it because it is available at most parts stores - good for breaking down on a road trip. I guess now I know why they're readily available.

R Pope · Post by **R Pope** » July 7, 2009, 10:43 am

Holley pumps are crap! Red, black, Pink with purple polka dots, makes no diff! The only one worth using that I've found is the Carter rotary pump. They ran forever on Ford cabover trucks, and that's a lot of gas!

Roger Carter · Post by **Roger Carter** » July 7, 2009, 6:30 pm

No personal experience, though...My neighbor has several Studebakers, Hawks, GT's, 1 1/2 & 2 ton trucks. Maybe 350 total hp... He runs Carter electric pumps on all his rigs. Never known him to have a problem with the pumps.
Roger Carter

Uncle Skip · Post by **Uncle Skip** » July 7, 2009, 7:10 pm

Yes on the old Carter style.
But they're being manufactured by another company now so Gomez down at the local parts store probably won't have a clue what you're asking for..
I think I still have a new one in the box (a spare, don't you know) and if I can find it I'll let you know what to ask for.
U@ss

Uncle Skip · Post by **Uncle Skip** » July 7, 2009, 7:16 pm

Manufactured by AirTex Products, Fairfield, Ill.
Part number E84070
Looks exactly like the old Carter with the same mounting bracket.
Make sure you put a fuel filter between the tank and the pump, a 10 amp fuse and put a remote switch inside the cab where you can get to it in a hurry.
U@ss

charliemccraney · Post by **charliemccraney** » July 8, 2009, 11:28 am

Thanks! I'll give that one a try. It looks like it will be pretty easy to mount in place of the Holley.

Roger Carter · Post by **Roger Carter** » July 8, 2009, 1:52 pm

In addition to what Skip said, be sure to run the power for the fuel pump through a relay that is controlled by the ignition switch "ON" posistion. You don't want to add that kind of load to these old switches.
Roger Carter

Effie · Post by **Effie** » July 8, 2009, 2:24 pm

Put your pump switch in an out of the way place, too and you have a theft-deterrent.

I have one on my Bronco. I *think* it's a Holley pump with a hidden switch. I flip it off when I need to leave it somewhere I can't keep an eye on it.

It'll crank and run for about a minute before it stumbles and dies. I think it'd be funny to watch someone think they're stealing it, until that thirsty big block sucks the line dry and falls on its face. Then it won't even crank, they won't think to look for a switch because...shoot, it was just running a minute ago!

charliemccraney · Post by **charliemccraney** » July 8, 2009, 2:59 pm

Thanks for the tips!

I picked up a Carter. It cross referenced to the AirTex and looks identical. Y'all aren't going to believe this. It says Made in USA on the box! I didn't know the USA made anything??

charliemccraney · Post by **charliemccraney** » July 10, 2009, 8:21 am

I got the carter installed. It's louder than the Holley but it's no competition for the engine. I noticed after my trip to work today that it is significantly cooler than both of the Holley pumps. The Holley pumps would get hot enough that I couldn't touch them for more than a few seconds. This one only gets warm.
Hopefully it will last.

Michael Bryce Winnick · Post by **Michael Bryce Winnick** » July 10, 2009, 2:26 pm

Carter beats the tar out of a Holley any day. Make sure to get a regulator. Do not mount your shut off out of the way. Put it right where you can hit it right before you die. As it is most slick drivers have 20 gallons of fuel sloshing around behind the drivers seat, why make it worse. If you want theft prevention put a toggle in the truck that kills your ignition. Do not use a fuel shut off as some type of anti theft device. There are better way out there, e.g. keep a lion sleeping in the truck when you are not there...

charliemccraney · Post by **charliemccraney** » July 10, 2009, 3:05 pm

What is the purpose of the toggle switch? My newer fuel injected car doesn't have one. Why in this case?

Effie · Post by **Effie** » July 10, 2009, 3:18 pm

charliemccraney wrote:What is the purpose of the toggle switch? My newer fuel injected car doesn't have one. Why in this case?

Because newer vehicles have a switch made into the system. Its called an inertia switch and I know on Ford trucks its in the passenger side kick panel. In the event of a wreck or even if you hit a bump really hard [like while off-roading and get too bouncy] it'll flip it and kill power to the pump.

Michael Bryce Winnick wrote:Do not mount your shut off out of the way. Put it right where you can hit it right before you die. ...

Mine - in the Bronco - is under the edge of the dash where it's not "seen" unless you really look and I can still reach it easily, even with my seat belt on.

charliemccraney · Post by **charliemccraney** » July 10, 2009, 4:14 pm

I plan to see about installing an inertia switch.

A toggle seems kinda silly. If I get into a wreck, I will be thinking about how to acquire the least amount of damage, not reaching for a switch. Particularly a switch I will hardly ever use. I can't even find the horn button on my car quickly. It's not something I use on a regular basis and my arm is not programed to reach for it. If the wreck is bad enough, I may not be able to activate the necessary parts of my brain in order to turn the switch off. Is not turning the ignition off which cuts power to the relay and turns the pump off just as effective? I can also yank the fuse in about 2 seconds with my seat belt on.

65f100_Thug · Post by **65f100_Thug** » July 10, 2009, 4:41 pm

Keep us posted on the inertia switch. I was thinking of trying the same thing along with the rear mount tank.

61 Merc · Post by **61 Merc** » July 10, 2009, 4:52 pm

When I installed the FI system in my 63 I used the inertia switch from an 88 F150, it is located on the drivers side kick panel of my truck. I wouldn't want to rely on trying to hit a switch when you are in an accident, if you are even able to hit it.

Dean

charliemccraney · Post by **charliemccraney** » October 22, 2010, 8:28 am

I thought I'd update this. It's been a year and 3 months and the Carter pump is still working great. One thing is certain, the Carter electric pump eats Holley electric pumps for lunch. Hopefully it keeps going strong.

frdnut · Post by **frdnut** » October 22, 2010, 11:50 am

Another good idea is a switch that runs off of the engines oil pressure..It simply screws in like an oil sender and closes the contacts at about 7 psi or something like that to send power to your fuel pump..As soon as you shut off the engine or the engine stalls in the event of a wreck the pump will stop pumping..
http://www.holley.com/12-810.asp

Roger Carter · Post by **Roger Carter** » October 22, 2010, 12:28 pm

frdnut wrote:Another good idea is a switch that runs off of the engines oil pressure..It simply screws in like an oil sender and closes the contacts at about 7 psi or something like that to send power to your fuel pump..As soon as you shut off the engine or the engine stalls in the event of a wreck the pump will stop pumping..
http://www.holley.com/12-810.asp

The oil pressure switch works on an EFI rig, as long as you have a start/ bypass switch in the system. I have found that on a carb system (original topic) an oil pressure switch needs to be wired into the ignition circuit as well as the fuel pump circuit to act as an emergency shutoff.

Roger Carter

Alan Mclennan · Post by **Alan Mclennan** » October 22, 2010, 5:54 pm

On my LPG fuelled truck, there is a safety shut off valve on the tank! it is controlled by the positive feed too the coil ( engine stops, valve shuts!). Could this same idea be used to power a relay to run the petrol pump.
Slick stock experience!, don't put fuel pump on same circuit as electric choke!, isn't that right Ken?

Electric fuel pumps

Electric fuel pumps

I run a Carter