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best mechanical carb fuel pump for 400hp SBF that doesnt overheat fuel?

11K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  stoker 
#1 ·
seem to be perculating fuel and gettin vapor lock?only happens on hot days.fuel pressure varys from three to five psi when in stop and go driving.gotta new carter hi volume now and it is heat soaking pretty bad.any help appreciated

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: stoker on 3/13/05 4:48am ]</font>
 
#2 ·
Check the lines going to and from the pump. Look for proximity to headers/exhaust. You might want to try insulating them as there are several good products available. A carb insualtor might be in order as well. I've not experienced a pump that overheats the fuel and not really sure how that would happen short of an external heat source. Good luck!
 
#3 ·
I've been having a similar problem, (percolation causing a nasty stumble after sitting at idle in the heat.) After I got home the other day, I touched the carb to see how hot it was, and burned myself - it was as hot as the manifold and valve covers - not good for a thing like gasoline with a relatively low flashpoint... I am going to try a phenolic spacer and see how it goes, it certainly can't hurt.

I thought about the fuel pump too, but then, the fuel is moving through it fairly quickly and its below and in front of the headers pretty much (heat rises and all that)

Check your fuel lines - if any of them are sitting on a radiator hose, or are routed close to exhaust anywhere, check em out.

CHeck how hot your carb is after you get home from a highway run. If it is as hot as the manifold, and you cant hold your hand on it, my bet is on it. Whenever I get my spacer I'll tell you how it works out.
 
#4 ·
thanks for the reply,i do have a one inch phenolic carb spacer on the rpm airgap and have the cosmetic plastic covering on all my fuel lines.maybe the carter pump is part of problem not keeping fuel pressure constant.fuel pressure only varys on 80+degree days in stop and go traffic.thats when the tauras electric fan is cycling alot at 3000+cfm of hot air at pump and lines.i wonder if it would help if there was an insulating spacer for pump?i am thinking about going with return style fuel regulator to keep temps down,just dont want to hassle with all the plumbing and mods to tank in 65 stang
 
#5 ·
i get the feeling that its when the fan is off that it is percolating - because though that air is hot coming off the radiator, it is probably cooler than the average underhood temps especially with the heat off of the headers and engine building up in stop and go traffic. I dont think that there is a fuel pump spacer, because that would throw off the pump arm location - possible just find a thicker gasket? or double gasket it?

The regulator might work, but it sure would be a pain to plumb a return line - and then you might heat up ALL your fuel so it wont run at all.

Does it completely vapor-lock, or does it just stumble and sputter until you get up to speed and cool off the engine compartment.
 
#6 ·
Get the cheap electric fuel pump from autozone thats for a V-8. Dont cost more than 30-40 bucks, and it will solve all your problems. ALL my trucks here in vegas have to run one, ever since they switched to oxygenating the fuel here year round its been a bastard to stop vapor lock. The autozone pumps did it just fine.
 
#7 ·
"Does it completely vapor-lock, or does it just stumble and sputter until you get up to speed and cool off the engine compartment" exactly,it never fully dies.now that you guys mention the oxygenated fuel here in cal i bet that has a lot to do with it.i really dont want to give up on the mechanicl pump just yet.i think i will try to double gasket it and insulate it to.what is weird is when i do make a hard pass i get the normal three psi drop and then when i lift the pressure continues to drop even more and seems to take forever to recover.i do have the upgraded 3/8" line all the way to tank including pickup.the carter pump is new and is the strip pump at 120GPH at 7.5 t0 8psi
 
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