Posted by Tom in Oregon on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 at 4:27PM :
In Reply to: Mechanical vs. Electrical Fuel Pump Opinions posted by Dave on Monday, January 05, 2004 at 1:54PM :
My '53 B3 has used a 6V electrical pump for many years. The first one burnt out just a few miles from home, and I replaced it with a handy spare from my '53 Chevy sedan box-o-spares. It has a toggle switch for fun, safety, security, and stupidity (the latter from when it won't start and I forgot the switch was off). I bought a NOS mechanical pump from VPW about 8 years ago, and just installed it on my rebuilt engine, but had to use the electrical one to prime, and it is still on for initial startup procedures as I consider it more reliable. Now I intend to mount it permanently, and have all the hoses and fittings for using the mechanical one if I have to. I thought about putting in a 3-way valve to switch from one to the other without the possibility of the gas in the crankcase scenario, but I feel swapping a few hoses isn't too bad a chore if it comes up. In summary, having both has got to be better.
My electric fuel pump has also overheated from its close proximity to the exhaust, as well as vapor lock occurring in the tubes. I often had to wrap a cold compress and keep it wet on hot days. Now it is mounted more forward, with shorter lines.
Tom