fuel pump

[georgiared84]

thought my heads were making noise until I started listening to each part of the engine individually. Heads sound just fine. The noise is coming from the fuel pump. When it starts clicking loudly does that mean it's going out or is it probably something else? Still runs good, just noisy. If it's the pump, I'll put in another tomorrrow. They're cheap.

 

[Can Can]

I see you have a 305- they are notorious for wear on the cam lobe that powers the fuel pump rod. Maybe your lobe has worn to the point that there is some clearance in there and the pump rod is banging around.

You should do what I did- I totally eliminated the mech. fuel pump and installed a Carter electric pump back by the tank. At the turn of the key you have instant pressure at the needle/seat. I also noticed a small increase in power.

 

[georgiared84]

Couple of questions. How hard was the electric one to install.Looked them upp on Autozone, and it said something about needing a oil pressure regulator? Will putting in a new pushrod help the noise, or is it probably just the cam lobe worn?

 

[Can Can]

1. The electric pump is a cinch to install. It just bolts onto the undercarriage. Then you splice it into the fuel line and run a power wire back to it. I wired it into the ignition fuse in the fuse box. Carter recommended installing an inline fuel filter between the tank and the electric pump. I think the whole job took 1 1/2 hrs. Some guys run an electric pump and a mech. pump. I just yanked the mech. pump and bought a chrome cover for the hole on the block.

2. My comment about the worn cam lobe was just a guess, but this is the first time I've ever heard of a mech. pump ticking. Someone else may have a better idea of what the problem is.

But IMHO, the electric pump is the way to go. Like I mentioned above, I noticed an increase in power. You also avoid the possibility of a vapor lock due to the fact that you're getting a constant 4-5 lbs of pressure through the fuel line. I installed my electric pump almost 8 years ago and haven't had a fuel delivery problem since.

 

[Blazer79]

I think you might be mixing up two things here.

1) You probably need a fuel pressure regulator. Quadrajets like around 8 psi to work fine.

2) An oil pressure switch is a good thing to install with an electric pump (or without it) because when it senses a drop in oil pressure, it automatically turns off the fuel pump, saving your engine from an expensive rebuild. You can accomplish the same thing if you hook it up to your distributor instead.

Hope this helps.

 

[Can Can]

Actually, a Q-jet will work fine with 4-5lbs pressure. The Carter has a built in regulator. The oil pressure switch is something I don't know about.........

 

[georgiared84]

I tried finding a carter at advance auto parts, and they just had the mechanical ones.They had some high performance electric eddlebrocks that were a little too pricey. How much would one run, and where did you get yours? I found a few on ebay. What do I need to look for? I think I understand the installation pretty well.

 

[Can Can]

I bought mine from a local performance shop. Like I said, I installed it a long time ago, but I believe the unit cost around $100.......