Electric or mechanical fuel pump

[forestb]

I currently have a mechanical fuel pump in my truck and when I stat up my truck after it has been sitting for a week it takes a long time of turning over the engine in order to get fuel to the carburetor (the fuel tank is under the bed). I have been told that an electric fuel pump might salve my problem but I have talked to other people who swear by mechanical fuel pump and don't trust electric ones. Which do you all think is best.

[markeb01]

This is a very common problem on carbureted engines with modern blend gasoline. It seems that after sitting a few days the gas in the float bowl evaporates, leaving an empty carb on start up. Rather than waiting for a mechanical pump to refill the bowl, an electric pump would fill the carb before cranking the engine.

The downside being electric pumps are notorious for failing at the worst possible time leaving you stranded. I’ve owned just about every brand of electric pump on the market, and never had one that didn’t fail – eventually. Mechanical pumps by comparison normally last for decades without any attention. My current mechanical pump has been on the truck since I first put it together in 1992.

Electric pumps should also have a crash or roll over switch to shut off the pump in the event of a wreck.

I suffer the same miserable start up problems after the truck sits for a few days, but I’ve had so much experience with failed electric pumps I’d prefer dealing with hard starting rather than being left on the side of the road.

[luvbowties]

Originally Posted by forestb

I currently have a mechanical fuel pump in my truck and when I stat up my truck after it has been sitting for a week it takes a long time of turning over the engine in order to get fuel to the carburetor (the fuel tank is under the bed). I have been told that an electric fuel pump might salve my problem but I have talked to other people who swear by mechanical fuel pump and don't trust electric ones. Which do you all think is best.

I would not minding "experimentation cost" of installing an electric pump between the mechanical pump and the tank--close to tank, of course. If it works, it gives you safety from sudden failure of elec. pump, as mech. pump still works.

What type carb are you using? If quadrajet, the well-plugs may need epoxying.

[65c10restomod]

you could probably just run both in series or parallel to each other.

[TxRat]

Originally Posted by thebobbykey

you could probably just run both in series or parallel to each other.

This may be what the P/O did to my rig. It has a elec pump upstream of the mechanical pump. I know if my 57 Nomad sits for more than a few days it takes a few seconds for it to fire up. It just has a Mechanical pump on it.

[luvbowties]

Originally Posted by TxRat

This may be what the P/O did to my rig. It has a elec pump upstream of the mechanical pump. I know if my 57 Nomad sits for more than a few days it takes a few seconds for it to fire up. It just has a Mechanical pump on it.

One could even have a switch just to momentarily use the elec. pump for those 'days-in-between' starts, and then turn the switch off after it first starts.