<VV> Electric Fuel Pumps vs Diaphragm

[FrankCB at aol.com]

John,
    One major advantage of an electric fuel pump is the  ability to run it 
WITHOUT running the engine.  This way you can use it to  fill up the carbs on 
engines that haven't been run for a few months.  All  it takes is a bypass 
pushbutton under the dash to activate BEFORE you start the  engine.  This is 
especially good for turbos where the carb is a LOOOOOONG  way from the intake valves.
    You can even install the electric pumps in the gas  tank where any leaks 
won't contaminate the crankcase or be released into the  engine compartment.
    Frank "stock is a good beginning" Burkhard

In a  message dated 9/1/2007 8:12:33 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,   
john at nfdc.net writes:

I would  appreciate anyone's opinion  concerning switching to electric fuel 
pumps on my  3 Corvairs or  keeping the "old style" diaphragm pumps.  I have 
friends  who  would only have electric, while others say the "old style" 
diaphragm   
is just fine.  I had a diaphragm pump fail 2 years ago and my brother  had  
one fail 4 weeks ago.  Both pumps were about 4 years old  and had very few  
miles on them.  I was fortunate that mine  failed in the garage as I was  
getting 
it out for an afternoon  cruise.  I was able to change the pump,  oil and 
filter  
immediately.  The "new" pump has been on the car since  then and  has worked 
fine.  My brother was not as fortunate,  though.   His failed on the road (12 
miles from home) and  luckily he was able to get it  off the road and into a 
shopping  center parking lot.  Other than the  aggravation, cost of a new  
pump, oil 
filter and oil, no harm was done to the  Greenbrier.   However, we had both 
his Greenbrier and my '64 Monza on a  cruise to  Luray Caverns VA in May.  A 
failure on that trip could have   spelled disaster, since we were about 150 
miles 
from home.  Carrying  an  extra pump is not the problem, getting gas into the 
crankcase  is!  Are  there any warning signs?  My brother's Greenbrier and  
my 3 
Corvairs are  stored over the winter.  When we get them out  in the Spring, 
are 
we going  to have to charge the battery, change  oil, lube AND replace the 
fuel 
pump?  With the 2 failures, my  confidence in the "old style" diaphragm  
pumps is not very  high.  Suggestions and opinions would be  appreciated.

John  Johnson
64 Monza Conv
65 Corsa Conv
65 Corsa  Turbo  Coupe







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