Thread: electric versus mechanical fuel pump

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Which is better a mechanical or a electric fuel pump and why?

Electric fuel pumps flow more, don't fail as often (in production cars, but hot rods may be different), don't dump fuel into the tank when they fail, and can provide high pressures needed for fuel injection.
Mechanical fuel pumps are simple, easy to replace, simple, don't need a return line to the tank, simple, don't fail if you run the tank dry, simple, and are very easy to replace if something were to happen.

I would stick with mechanical if you have no real reason to convert. They are reliable, effective, and only need one fuel line running from the tank to the pump, and then another from the pump to the carb. None of these fancy pressure relief valves (high pressure mechanical pumps do require one), no complicated plumbing, no extra wiring, just a pump. And one more note, they are very QUIET. Nobody likes that buzz noise many electric fuel pumps make.

Originally posted by '60buickrod
Which is better a mechanical or a electric fuel pump and why?

Depends on the application. If the engine is relatively stock I would say a mechanical pump is the way to go. If your talkin' a high H.P. guzzler I would go for the electric fuel pump. I wouldn't want to take the chance of starving the engine @ high RPM = avoid the dreaded denotation.
Back in the days of stock car racin', we hooked up the mechanical fuel pump backwards. Used it to pump air into the fuel cell. Then ran 3/4" fuel line to the carbs. Kept about 6 lbs. constant pressure on the fuel line. Don't hold me to the 6 lbs. figure. That wuz' 35 years ago. It might have been 5.9 Lbs. He He HE.
We ran alcohol on that setup. Dirt Track, BBC. 72 Nova.
One night the Nova was invloved in an accident on the high bank curve. Me being the duty bound crew member that I wuz', ran out to the car to get the pressure off the tank A.S.A.P. so it we wouldn'r run the risk of dumping raw fuel in the engine. I spun the cap off the fuel cell not thinkin' it was on the curve. I got sprayed in the face with alcohol. Lemme tell ya' that wasn't fun. I ran across the track, with track personel in pursuit cuz' with alcohol you can't always see flames. Turned out there were no flames,(Lucky for me) but it took a while to catch my breath. Alcohol WILL take your breath away Fer' Shur". OOpppss Sorry, I get off track sum' times??/

But it was a good story and that is all that matters.

If your running a carb, chances are that you will want a mechanical fuel pump. Electric fuel pumps tend to make higher pressure, and they can damage carbs. On the other hand, if your running EFI, you dont really have much of a choice but to run an electric. Most efi systems require 30psi+, and there arent any mechanical fuel pumps that i know of that can generate that kind of pressure. Hope this helps.