Fuel pump
Forum rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules
-
Topic author - Posts: 1958
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:39 am
- First Name: Tim
- Last Name: Juhl
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1917 Touring
- Location: Thumb of Michigan
- MTFCA Number: 50297
- MTFCI Number: 24810
- Board Member Since: 2018
Fuel pump
Anybody ever cheat and add an inline low pressure electric fuel to help out in those instances where a T with an under-seat fuel tank starts to stall on a hill? It wouldn't be run all the time, just turned on when needed. I'm interested in your experiences, good and bad.
1917 Touring
1946 Aeronca Champ
1952 Willys M38a1 Jeep (sold 2023)
1953 Ford Jubilee Tractor
1946 Aeronca Champ
1952 Willys M38a1 Jeep (sold 2023)
1953 Ford Jubilee Tractor
-
- Posts: 864
- Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2019 10:25 pm
- First Name: Erik
- Last Name: Johnson
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
-
- Posts: 387
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:04 am
- First Name: Tim
- Last Name: Rogers
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1925 Coupe & 1923 Runabout
- Location: South of the Adirondacks
- Board Member Since: 2013
Re: Fuel pump
Never had a T start to stall on a hill as I always keep the tank full.
<o><o><o><o> Tim Rogers - South of the Adirondacks - Forum member since 2013 <o><o><o><o>
-
- Posts: 2996
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:06 pm
- First Name: Jerry
- Last Name: Van
- Location: S.E. Michigan
- MTFCA Number: 24868
Re: Fuel pump
Tim,
In my Touring and my speedster I run downdraft carburetors, so I also use fuel pumps. I use 6V Airtex pumps. I suppose you'd need a 12V version. They're good pumps, but I'm never without a spare under the seat! To install one for "part time" use could be a plumbing issue. I know of no pump that will just flow through when not energized. All that said, in my T's with stock carburetors, I have never gotten starved for gas on any hill, regardless of how much is in the tank, (within reason of course!) I think the starved for gas thing is more of a wive's tale. Closer to the fact might be starved for power. But then , I haven't tried to climb every hill everywhere, so.....
In my Touring and my speedster I run downdraft carburetors, so I also use fuel pumps. I use 6V Airtex pumps. I suppose you'd need a 12V version. They're good pumps, but I'm never without a spare under the seat! To install one for "part time" use could be a plumbing issue. I know of no pump that will just flow through when not energized. All that said, in my T's with stock carburetors, I have never gotten starved for gas on any hill, regardless of how much is in the tank, (within reason of course!) I think the starved for gas thing is more of a wive's tale. Closer to the fact might be starved for power. But then , I haven't tried to climb every hill everywhere, so.....
-
Topic author - Posts: 1958
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:39 am
- First Name: Tim
- Last Name: Juhl
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1917 Touring
- Location: Thumb of Michigan
- MTFCA Number: 50297
- MTFCI Number: 24810
- Board Member Since: 2018
Re: Fuel pump
Fuel will flow thru a Facet Posi-flo pump when the pump is not running. The reason I'm considering a pump is because I had one experience of "faltering" on a hill in Indiana during their Covered Bridge Tour. It didn't quit but threatened to. I also had a few sputters when going down the highway with only a couple of gallons in the tank.... I've never had problems when I have a half full tank or better. I'm going to go thru the fuel system looking for issues this winter and am just trying to cover all the bases.
1917 Touring
1946 Aeronca Champ
1952 Willys M38a1 Jeep (sold 2023)
1953 Ford Jubilee Tractor
1946 Aeronca Champ
1952 Willys M38a1 Jeep (sold 2023)
1953 Ford Jubilee Tractor
-
- Posts: 1464
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:22 am
- First Name: craig
- Last Name: leach
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1919 Firetruck/1922 Speedster
- Location: Laveen Az
- MTFCA Number: 26647
Re: Fuel pump
I started using electric fuel pumps Because I had a down draft also, I have switched to updrafts but found Tillotsons & Sheblers require more volume than standard T carbs. most 12 vdc pumps require a regulator for gravity Carbs. Most 12 vdc pumps will be fine with 6 vdc. I personally have had P.P. luck with electric fuel pumps and run two side by side incase one fails. Tony Bowker has a fun story about the last one that failed on me on a Speedster run. I have found that stock T carbs are best below 2 psi & later carbs work best @3 psi. Most important thing is if the pump is on a separate switch from the ignition and is left on there is a bad fire in your future. Every time we try to improve on Henry's car we create a new set of problems to deal with Be Safe. Craig
-
- Posts: 4348
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:18 pm
- First Name: Steve
- Last Name: Tomaso
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1914 Touring, 1919 Centerdoor, 1924 TT C-Cab Express, 1925 Racer
- Location: Longbranch, WA
- MTFCA Number: 14972
- MTFCI Number: 15411
- Board Member Since: 2001
Re: Fuel pump
I have an "inertia" switch behind the dash on my Racer as it runs a Winfield SR downdraft, 12v. pump & regulator - I also run 2 lbs.
-
- Posts: 5256
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:21 pm
- First Name: Allan
- Last Name: Bennett
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 van, 1917 shooting brake, 1929 roadster buckboard, 1924 tourer, 1925 barn find buckboard, 1925 D &F wide body roadster, 1927LHD Tudor sedan.
- Location: Gawler, Australia
Re: Fuel pump
I can understand old car owners trying to bypass the complicated floats/levers/actions in a worn out and leak prone vacuum tank on cars which ran them. The pump can often be hidden inside the vacuum tank so nobody knows it's there. What I don't understand is why anybody believes gravity is ever going to fail. If there is a problem in a gravity fed system, it's not the gravity part that fails. A fuel pump just masks the need to find and sort the real problem. This does not necessarily apply if your T no longer conforms to factory norms.
Allan from down under.
Allan from down under.
-
- Posts: 2996
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:06 pm
- First Name: Jerry
- Last Name: Van
- Location: S.E. Michigan
- MTFCA Number: 24868
Re: Fuel pump
Not so sure that gravity is a constant. The more I age, the more I'm convinced that gravity is increasing. Much harder to get off the floor for one thing. Of course this only helps a Model T fuel system.Allan wrote: ↑Wed Nov 18, 2020 9:59 pmI can understand old car owners trying to bypass the complicated floats/levers/actions in a worn out and leak prone vacuum tank on cars which ran them. The pump can often be hidden inside the vacuum tank so nobody knows it's there. What I don't understand is why anybody believes gravity is ever going to fail. If there is a problem in a gravity fed system, it's not the gravity part that fails. A fuel pump just masks the need to find and sort the real problem. This does not necessarily apply if your T no longer conforms to factory norms.
Allan from down under.
-
- Posts: 205
- Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2020 10:57 pm
- First Name: Jeffrey
- Last Name: Hausey
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: Early 23 Touring
- Location: Anaheim, Ca.
- MTFCA Number: 51193
- Board Member Since: 2020
Re: Fuel pump
It's just a built in safety. If the hill is steep enough, the oil line stops flowing, so the fuel stops flowing.
-
- Posts: 1319
- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2019 5:47 pm
- First Name: Les
- Last Name: Schubert
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 27 roadster 13 touring
- Location: Calgary
Re: Fuel pump
If I was going to do this I would install a “swing check” (no springs) in parallel to the pump. Then I would probably have the best of both options!!