Elec pump power source

-

Backally

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2011
Messages
629
Reaction score
395
Location
Wisconsin
Not sure if I should post this here or in the elect forum but figured it would be found.

70 Duster, putting in electric fuel pump this winter. Using a relay, but where do you connect the main power feed for the pump? Directly to alternator? Battery? Need to pressurize the system before start so assuming batt?
 
Pretty standard... #86 in your case would be a switched 12V when you buy your relay, a diagram similar to below will be included.

001.jpg
 
The cigar(cigarette) lighter is 20 amp. For me I remove the cigar lighter and put the switch in it's place,then from the fuse box to the relay. I would rather have it Keyed but I put a lighted red switch to remind me when it's on. I use it to prime and for spirited full throttle bursts. Just a thought.
 
I used the alternator to battery wire where the engine harness plugs together since it's right there at the passenger side firewall, and then fused ignition source for activating the relay.
 
Wire it like Pace Performance shows. Also, make sure that heavy gauge "12V constant" wire has a circuit breaker or fuse in it. 20A should be about right.
 
My battery is in the trunk, where most should probably be. That makes it real easy if you also put the pump back there where it needs to be. The relay is like a remote switch, so the more direct the power-side is, the more clever the installer is shown to be.
As to your question, the battery is the usual source on account of it's voltage is regulated,to something the pump can handle. Alternator juice is usually a volt or two higher.Sometimes close to three.
I wouldn't pull power from any circuit after the ammeter, cuz you know, the bulkhead connector is old,tired, and was barely adequate to handle the factory load.........when new.
And if you're just using the pump as a primer, if you wanted to be really clever, you could run the signal side off the brakelite circuit,or the running lites,lol. But if this is in fact what you are attempting, then you need a pump that was made for draw-thru, so the mechanical pump can continue to pull fuel, after the primer is turned off.

"Need to pressurize the system before start".
Is this typical in Wisconsin? Or is your car one that stands for long periods of time between outings? Or ?
 
Last edited:
My car does sit for a bit sometimes, but I understood that with efi you run the pump for 2 seconds or so before cranking it. Essentially building up the fuel pressure. Not a WI thing, but I can probably come up with some others.

Thanks to everyone for the responses. Definitely understand better what I need to do to do this correctly.
 
-
Back
Top