All Small Six Electric fuel pump? What do I need?

[ActionYobbo]

I have a stock 1966 200 with the autolite 1100 and C4 (green dot) auto. I suspect the mechanical fuel pump is going bad. I keep running out of gas while doing 50+ but if I stay under 40 it’s fine. I want to try an electric pump but which one is the best choice? I want to put it in the engine bay close to the existing fuel lines so I don’t have to modify the lines and can go back to a stock setup.

 

[Rmoore45]

A Rotary Vane Fuel Pump would be best if you're mounting it in the engine bay. They have enough suction to pull from the fuel tank and not burn themselves up. Used this one in the past with good results. There's also cheaper options of the same style pump on Amazon

A fuel pressure regulator would also be a good thing to install

Wire it up with a fuel pump relay kit

 

[Cool23]

Try running the Electric fuel pump with the mechanical pump. You need to install the electrical pump as close to the fuel tank as you can.

 

[alwill923]

I would only install an electric pump with a return regulator. Somewhere on this forum I have described this in another thread.

 

[Frank]

Running a cheap click-clack pump in conjunction with a weak mechanical pump is working perfectly on my '62 Rambler. I can't eliminate the mechanical pump as it powers the wipers, and the hard-to-find rebuilt pumps are $$$.
Same symptoms- enough fuel from the mechanical to get around town, but over 45mph begins to starve. Because the mechanical is still providing some fuel, the need to have the electric pump near the tank, low enough to get a head, etc. is eliminated.

Mine is mounted after the mechanical pump. Was to be a quick fix but works great, going to leave it as is.

 

[awasson]

My mechanical pump is probably less than 10 years old and is doing a fine job, otherwise it would have been replaced with one like the one @Rmoore45 suggested. All of my hot rods back to the mid-1980’s got a Carter electric pump similar to the one he’s suggesting and they ran just great for the rest of their time with me.

I think for best efficiency, fuel pumps work best when they’re close to the tank and at about the same elevation but the Carter ones I was using provide a decent amount of suction and can be mounted on the firewall.

 

[ActionYobbo]

Thanks @Rmoore45 I will get that pump

 

[DON]

Keep it low in the engine bay and it will almost be tank level

 

[Invectivus]

Ha. Amazon won't sell to me in my region. Bummer, it's half as much as O'Reilly.

 

[DON]

do you know why not??

 

[Invectivus]

I’m in California, fuel system purchasing is problematic. For instance, summit racing wouldn’t sell me an electric choke to rebuild my 1406 for my 73 bronco because it’s illegal to modify the fuel system on a 1965 or newer vehicle. But when I put the carb on my 1964 falcon they could.

The increased difficulty makes some companies or sellers avoid the whole situation by just blacklisting us. Same thing goes for weapons.

 

[DON]

So does the state inspect cars 1965 and newer? Frustrating to say the least!!!

 

[Invectivus]

Nope. Regular emissions testing and inspections for 1976 and newer cars, they fail if not stock. 1975 and before no testing or inspections. Theoretically if I dropped a turbo on the Mustang and made myself obnoxious enough a cop may pull me over and cite me for illegal modifications. The Falcon, they could pound sand.

 

[DON]

improvements that can actually increase efficiency are not allowed

 

[Invectivus]

Mostly. So I read that for a newer car you can get a sign off if emissions are improved. For instance, if I got a 77 fastback Celica and dropped in a 2JZ with a cat, and can test out as reduced emissions over the stock 22r or whatever the Celica had originally , I could get a waiver. A lot of effort and money for a maybe. I’d just stay with 75 and earlier.

 

[DON]

And a road trip to Nevada!!!

 

[Cool23]

Electric fuel pumps are designed to push fuel so the closer to the fuel tank the better.

 

[drag-200stang]

Yes, but the solenoid type will lift fuel very well and some are made for it.
See ''Pegasus Racing'' they have some.

 

[Frank]

Electric fuel pumps are designed to push fuel so the closer to the fuel tank the better.

And placed after a partially functioning mechanical pump, it is still pushing fuel, even when high in the engine bay.

 

[Cool23]

And placed after a partially functioning mechanical pump, it is still pushing fuel, even when high in the engine bay.

When fuel issues created by heat or vaporization then the electric pump is better to push into the mechanical pump. In the set up you advise the pump is still likely to have issues from the mechanical pump failure. I have an old fire truck that is set up this way just for that reason and has two electric pumps at the fuel tank and switched so you can run one or the other.