Electric Fuel Pump For Carb?

ID89GT

10 Year Member
May 26, 2008
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Spokane Valley, WA
I'm in the search for an electric fuel pump for the 85 I just picked up. Not real familiar with carb applications so just wondering if anyone had any suggestions? The car will just be a 302 with a Holley 600 on it, probably will do gt40 heads eventually and it has a Edelbrock Performer RPM intake.. Thanks :)
 
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+2 on Holley blue. I've got that on my setup, works great. Noisy, but great. I mounted in on the spare tire wall, under the car, right in front of the differential. Also, buy a good 1.5" autometer gauge so you can dial that pump to about 7psi for your Holley carb
 
You will need an external electric fuel pump unless you change the timing cover for one with the mechanical fuel pump mount on it. You will need to add a relay & switch and wire in an inertia switch for an external low pressure electric fuel pump. Do not try to wire the fuel pump without the relay. The 15-20 amps the pump pulls will overload the circuit. This will take power away from other items on the same circuit or cause the fuse or fuse link to blow.

fuel-pump-relay-for-carbd-cars-gif.50041
 
Okay so this may be a stupid question..

I been searching info on the blue Holley pump and it should be gravity fed or else it would burn up quick. Does that mean I need to sump my tank and all that just to run it? Or do they just say that to cover there asses. I wired an electric pump on my 80 and just did an Autozone universal pump.. Basically just undid the fuel line at the mechanical pump and took it off, put the block off plate on then mounted the pump right there on the frame rail in the engine bay and ran the line up to the carb. Can I do the same with the Holley or would it ruin it?
 
Okay so this may be a stupid question..

I been searching info on the blue Holley pump and it should be gravity fed or else it would burn up quick. Does that mean I need to sump my tank and all that just to run it? Or do they just say that to cover there asses. I wired an electric pump on my 80 and just did an Autozone universal pump.. Basically just undid the fuel line at the mechanical pump and took it off, put the block off plate on then mounted the pump right there on the frame rail in the engine bay and ran the line up to the carb. Can I do the same with the Holley or would it ruin it?

I dunno, I'm running a sumped sleeper tank.

jrichker - My car is gutted and I made a wiring harness. There is a +12v lead from the battery to a distribution block. From the block, I have a lead with a manual switch, then 7.5a fuse (instructions from Holley say to use that size) before going to the pump. I have blown 2 fuses so far in the hour of runtime the motor has. Any ideas what is causing this? Surge?
Also the grounds from all the accessories I have come to a distribution block before being grounded to the body.
 
I dunno, I'm running a sumped sleeper tank.

jrichker - My car is gutted and I made a wiring harness. There is a +12v lead from the battery to a distribution block. From the block, I have a lead with a manual switch, then 7.5a fuse (instructions from Holley say to use that size) before going to the pump. I have blown 2 fuses so far in the hour of runtime the motor has. Any ideas what is causing this? Surge?
Also the grounds from all the accessories I have come to a distribution block before being grounded to the body.

For Hoopty:
You are blowing fuses because you are drawing too much current. Wire up the pump W/ a 6.99 30 amp 4 pin relay like this:
pin # 30 comes directly from a fused (20 a at least) direct 12v source. (like your dist block)
pin # 87 goes to the pump.
pin # 85 goes to chassis ground.
pin # 86 comes from your switch.

I looked at J rich's wire diagram, and I think it's a little over the top, but that's just how Jric Rolls,....Overkill is his middle name). I have always ran one of these relays on every high current drawing accessory I have, and currently have 7 of them running in place w/ each device. If you have wired the car yourself , better do yourself a favor and consider doing something similar. There needs to be relays for the following:
Cooling fan; water pump; fuel pump; nitrous solenoids; headlights; Pwr windows; elec vacuum pump.
I have rewired several friends circuits that were wired as you've described the one you currently have,..all because fuses have blown, nitrous solenoids have failed, wires have melted, and stuff in general isn't reliable,.... or safe.

For ID89GT:
As for the sumped tank, if this is a drag race car,....having a sump will be extra insurance that there'll never be a starvation issue w/ the tank. Acceleration forces the gas to the rear of the tank, and the sump will be in effect the lowest part of the tank.
As for the gravity feed issue, just be sure that the pump is as far back as you can get it, as low as you can get it. If you are using a early model tank that already has the proper pick up for a carb'd engine, then the tube style pick up will only be good for so much before power demand exceeds fuel supply,...( something like 350-400 HP).

For both:
Holley blue pumps are Gay. They are noisy and inconsistent, and I've seen more than a few burn up or fail because they weren't really built to run all day long. I wouldn't have one jammed up my ass if I had room for all blue pumps ever made to be there.
Even w/ the wusskin assed street motor I currently have, I wouldn't use one.
I still use a Holley pump, but I have a HP 125 on my street car.
Mounted as far back as I can get it, as low as I can get it. Drawing fuel from a custom built "sort of" sumped tank.
mustangengineswap165.jpg
 
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madmike1157 Now how can you call yourself a worthless prick after a jewel of info like that? LOL. Thanks to Joe also for posting the schematic, perfect as always. When I get home in a few days, I know what to do.

And when this pump s hits itself, Ill probably use something different based on the bad press here.
 
madmike1157 Now how can you call yourself a worthless prick after a jewel of info like that? LOL. Thanks to Joe also for posting the schematic, perfect as always. When I get home in a few days, I know what to do.

And when this pump s hits itself, Ill probably use something different based on the bad press here.
You're right! I have been telling myself it's time for a raise in grade and rank, so I've decided to move myself up 2 notches to PR 4,
"Sorry Assed Prick-why dont you GFY" status.

Yeah Baby!:nice:
 
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Okay so back to this now that I can work on it finally... I got a holley blue from a buddy for next to nothing. I am just wondering about the whole feel part to it.. I have a carb pickup factory in my 85, and it also has a return line as well. Do I need to do some kind of sump system or what do I need to do to make mine work? If anyone has a diagram or pictures that would be perfect :) Thanks
 
Okay so back to this now that I can work on it finally... I got a holley blue from a buddy for next to nothing. I am just wondering about the whole feel part to it.. I have a carb pickup factory in my 85, and it also has a return line as well. Do I need to do some kind of sump system or what do I need to do to make mine work? If anyone has a diagram or pictures that would be perfect :) Thanks
You're just now getting around to installing the pump? Isn't this like 2 years later?

It's like this:

A Holley Blue originally came w/ a regulator. You WILL have to use it. All a blue pump needs is one feed line, going into that regulator. The pump needs to be at the back of the car, preferably behind the tank. It pushes the fuel, it is not intended to suck it. Again, the factory pickup in the tank will work,(just like it's been doing for 30 years).
Setting fuel pressure on a blue pump w/ the regulator I'm talking about is kinda wonky.

Get a gauge attached to the reg.
Do not run that pump w/o a relay.
After you're all plumbed up, purge the line before the regulator, that should be as close to the carb as you can get it. (Most mount it on passenger side fender apron/strut tower) That way, if there are any crustations, or fungoo in the line, it'll hopefully purge them out, instead of plugging up your carb inlet.
When you first energize the pump, ck for leaks.
If all good, have a friend turn on the pump, while you watch the gauge. As the initial pressure hits the regulator, the gauge will read the regulated setting for about 3-5 seconds,..after that,...it will climb as pressure builds up against the regulator. You have to set the regulator based on the initial reading before the pressure starts to creep.
Set it at 5-6 PSI.
 
Haha ya I bought a house so the car got pushed back for a while lol. The pump did come with the regulator and such.

So since it don't use a return line can I just remove the factory one and cap it off on the pickup in the tank? Also wondering how people are plumbing it into the car using the factory lines, or do you have to use all new fuel line?