Installing electric fuel pump

[dklawson]

That's a cool lamp Adrian. I have one in the boot of the Spit that has a long cord that winds up on with a crank. It's cord is long enough to reach the engine. It has already proved useful on more than one occasion.

EDIT:
On the subject of cleaning fuse boxes, in the Spit community one of the pundits is Paul Tegler. His advice/method for cleaning fuse boxes is to use the wire brushes used to clean .22 caliber rifles. I haven't used the method yet but it really sounds like a good method of getting into those bent metal fuse holders.

 

[leecreek]

and a .17 cal bore brush works fine for the female bullet connectors. Just tighten them up a little when you are done.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Hey Doug, I have one of those lights too. Mine came from under the hood of a diesel pickup. The base of the light is magnetic. Mine is self retracting.

 

[bigjones]

OK, slight problem:

This setup will unfortunately locate the pump at the arch under the car. If it is at the arch, I can't secure it with the supplied clamp.

Also, the pump will be a lot higher than the tank.

Unless I'm missing something, I have two options:

1. Put the filter in the engine bay. Doug recommends putting it before the pump, however, as does Airtex.

2. Using the setup as in the photo and just letting everything dangle in the wind, held together by the rubber hose.

RANT!! That reminds me, I went to Advance Auto for the 1/4" barbs and some 1/4" fuel line. They had neither!!! Also, the guy didn't know what an inertia switch is.
Went to an old-timey hardware store and they had the barbs and hose. However, today I tried using the fuel hose and it is totally rock hard!! Could not get it over the metal fuel line. It is black shiney stuff so be warned! RANT OVER.

Cheers

 

[Whitephrog]

Mine is a bit of a different set up but these photos might help.

www.spritespot.com/gallery/Whitephrog-off-to-the-stripper/DSC03539

www.spritespot.com/gallery/Whitephrog-off-to-the-stripper/DSC03536

 

[dklawson]

I was going to suggest something similar to what Ray shows in his pictures. How about putting a longer piece of fuel hose between the filter and pump so you can bend it back into a "U" shape. That will address the length issue and may allow you to find a place to mount the filter to at the same time.

If you go to places like Advance Auto, ask the clerk for the bulk, fuel hose they keep behind the counter and make sure they know it is for a carbureted engine, not fuel injection. It sounds like you got a length of fuel injection hose.

 

[bigjones]

Ray and Doug,

Thanks for the suggestions!

Finally got it installed and it actually works! Ha!

It shows about 3 psi and it doesn't overpower the carb float so I'm good to go.

I'll take it for a drive once it stops raining.

About that fuel line - I don't believe it is for fuel injected cars - it was only like a $1/foot. I can't see how anyone one could use the stuff - not flexible at all.

Yeah, Advance didn't have it bulk. He went in the back and said they were all out of it.

Cheers!

 

[bigjones]

Went for a drive and the pump works just fine and doesn't leak!

The reasons for replacing the mechanical pump were as follows:

1. I was getting a strange fuel starvation problem - drive as fast as poss for about a mile or two and the car would act like it was running out of gas until it recovered in a mile or two. This behaviour did not come back after installation of the electric pump, so I'm pretty pleased.

2. I'm getting this very slight missing/jerking at speed. This is unfortunately still present. I'll work on swapping out ignition parts but now I'm beginning to think it might be mechanical - remember, I was getting poor results on #3 and 4 on the leakdown - I'll have to re-visit that.

3. Some folks have reported no more vapor lock in the summer after fitting an electrical pump. I'll have to wait and see on that one.

4. Taking out the mechanical pump allowed me to vent the engine somewhat by gutting the pump and putting it back in. I'm still getting a puddle under the car so that was not successful. I'm now thinking of trying this setup posted by Randall on the Triumph forum. My 1500 Midget of course already comes with a piped hole in the exhaust manifold. I'll install a PCV valve in the line from that to the valve cover and see what happens, eh?

Cheers!

 

[sqbsprite]

My 1500 Midget of course already comes with a piped hole in the exhaust manifold. I'll install a PCV valve in the line from that to the valve cover and see what happens, eh?

Cheers!

I hope you meant to say "intake manifold".

 

[dklawson]

Adrian, Paul Tegler has a lot of information on his site regarding venting the block using various vacuum and PCV systems. It might be worth a look.
Start with the link below and browse around for his further developments:
https://www.teglerizer.com/triumphstuff/emissions/emissions_system1.htm

On the TR installs of the 1500 I have never seen a "real" PCV system. It looks like all they did was connect the vent from the valve cover to an intake port on the carb body. I believe the hoses were sized to limit/control the air flow. At the moment, our car only has the draft tube that Randall mentions in the TR thread you posted the link to. My sons complain of a "oil smell" from the engine but at this time we are not marking the driveway very much with drips. There is also a thread in this forum for oil grades in the 1500. Nial posted his DIY crankcase venting scheme there. Also worth a look (see page 2):
https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/756204

Concerning the miss, I remember you retained the original MG fuel routing on the 1500 and put a lot of insulation on the hoses. With the electric pump this should not be as big a problem anymore. However, you could follow the Triumph fuel hose routing to see if it makes a difference. That would mean running the fuel hose along the left of the engine bay then up and around the front of the valve cover before turning back to your carb.

 

[bigjones]

Steve,
No, as you can see - presumably the PCV gases get sucked out by the exhaust gases:

Doug,
Thanks for the links - let me have a read. Also, just got back from the store and no "miss" today - maybe it was just some water in the fuel - though it looked just fine when I pumped it out the other day when I installed the pump.

The original set up on the 1500 Midget worked well for me in controlling oil leaks, alas the new HS4 does not have provision to hook up to the valve cover (no pipe), unlike the ZS Stromberg.

Cheers!

 

[JPSmit]

Obviously my SU doesn't have the intake either but my aircleaner does.

 

[dklawson]

You could indeed use the air cleaner connection. That's what Randall shows in his pictures. Nial shows this connection between the filter and car... tapped into some form of spacer. That will certainly accomplish the same thing and could probably be made at home.

 

[bigjones]

Well, I'm sure all engines are different but that did squat for mine.

I drilled a hole in the front of the K&N filter housing and inserted a barb connector (secured with a nut from inside) and ran that to the valve cover.

I suppose the nasty gases wafted in and eventually got sucked in and burnt but it didn't do anything about the oil leak.

When the ZS was on the car, the engine leaked oil bad so I re-visited the whole PCV system and re-connected the hose from the valve cover to the ZS tube (with a little catch bottle T-ed into the line). It was amazing - the oil leak then became maybe a drop!

However, I couldn't lean out the ZS - it was getting a consistent 22 mpg so I installed a new HS4. The difference was amazing - more get up and go (and 25 mpg).

Back then I didn't realize that you could kind of tap the jet assembly to adjust the mixture (don't know the details) it's not in the books. I was fully leaned out when adjusting the jet with that Allen wrench thingie.

All this is no big deal, of course. But it would really please me to fix the leak(s).

Cheers!

 

[sqbsprite]

Steve,
No, as you can see - presumably the PCV gases get sucked out by the exhaust gases:

I see now. I was picturing a stock exhaust manifold not a header with a check valve installed in it. My bad.