Electric fuel pump?
- Thread starter Sam_318
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So you have a relatively mild 360 build that will run all day long with a factory mechanical pump, with no real need for a return line, pressure regulator, or any other extra stuff.
You want to add a return line because your current sending unit has a return line nipple on it. Which would mean buying or making new hard lines, routing them, adding clips to the frame so it doesn't flop around, etc.
Rather than just buying a new sender that doesn't have a return line plumbed, you're thinking about adding
- an electric fuel pump
- a dedicated fuel pump circuit w/relay to your wire harness (you want to wire this correctly so your fuel pump lives and your truck doesn't burn down)
- a pressure regulator (which paired with an electric fuel pump does enhance the need for a return line)
- a return line
- all the fittings you're going to need for the electric fuel pump, pressure regulator, return line, hoses etc...
I dunno about you, but it seems like the right sending unit is a far easier and probably less expensive solution. Or, just plug the return line on the current sending unit.
Discontinued, no longer available at Summit.
RockAuto seems to have them on closeout, but, I'm sure the numbers are quite limited at that price. Only 1 left in regular stock. Seems like that won't be a thing for very much longer at all
RockAuto | All The Parts Your Car Will Ever Need
All of that just makes too much sense. Stop it.
Correct, I originally planned on using the fuel lines off the ramcharger, and i did not know this until installing them that the ramcharger frame was shorter. About a foot of it from hard line to sending unit is rubber this was just temporary. It is also only clamped to the frame using the factory clamps on a truck, about where the cab meets the bed is not clamped down. I have too add clamps either way now that the tank is in the rear. So now that im ready to replace the hard lines figured I might as well add the return now and not have to mess with it again, or possibly have to drop the tank. I have a bunch of fitting left over from a previous project a buddy of mine has a holley red pump that he said I could have. Only thing id be spending money on is fuel lines and possibly clamps but I believe i have the clamps as well. The fuel lines are under $100. When i was debating on switching out the sending unit for one without a return it was over $100. I also plan on taking this engine apart in the future or possibly going with a different engine. The current set up is just a misc of parts I had laying around when I tore this engine apart. Not saying that I need the return line but is there a down side to using one? Id much rather just do it once and possibly not have too mess with it again.
I had a 1973 d100 and a 1985 ramcharger I was working on when I got this truck. It was originally a slant 6 727 8.25 rearend. The 360 in the 73 had some pitting in the number 8 cylinder. I was saving money at the time for machine work and parts. And ended up using that money to buy the truck. The ramcharger had a 360 in it, thats the current 360 in the truck now. I had a 318 for the ramcharger that i knew was in running condition. The summit cam was for the 318, shortly after getting the 78 i came to realization on how much money and time it would take too keep all three. So i took parts off the ramcharger and 73 to make one decent one which was going to be the 78. Took the floor shifter column floor shifter and power steering gear box out the 73 as well as the small amount of engine parts I started to gather. When I pulled the 360 out of the ramcharger I took off the valve covers and they were full of rust. I was going too just sell it for $100 didnt really have room for it. I decided to tear it down more and saw that it had a trey, it had a factory four barrel intake but wasn't sure if it was original too that engine. Pistons came out fairly easy wasnt much of a ridge so I decided to hone them and they cleaned up alright. Had a new oil pump and pick-up bought new rings and bearings. I used the summit cam that i was going to use for the 318 because it was brand new and a double roller timing chain, used the edelbrock rpm heads and edelbrock rpm air gap intake I had gathered for the 73. I took the 9.25 rear out of the ramcharger along with the front rotors so I could use the new american racing wheels. Also because the 8.25 in the 78 was howling when loading and unloading, I regret that now because that 5x5.5 bolt theres not alot of wheel options. Took the ramcharger tank mainly because the 78 had the hole in the bedside already. So thats basically how I ended up with this set up on this truck didn't really have funds to build the 360 the way I initially wanted too. The person I got the truck from had it for about three months, I believe he purchased it from the original owner. Never owned anything that was as original as this truck was when I got it, At some point of time ac was added too this truck but besides that was pretty original.
There's no real downside to using a return line, other than you need another fuel line and you're doubling all the connection points so increasing the possibility of leaks. But really that's not a big deal if you're using decent parts. And your mechanical pump shouldn't have any issues with a return line if it's done correctly.
But, you also don't really need one for your build and how you're using the truck. A factory mechanical pump with no regulator and no return line should be just fine for what you've got. And you already have that working, you could just plug the return line nipple on the fuel sender, drive your truck and call it a day.
Everything else is just added work and complexity, even if you have access to a bunch of used parts to make it happen. You still need to wire up a fuel pump relay, plumb the whole thing, etc, and that assumes all the parts are good and work as expected. If the fuel pump keels over you've added a whole lot of expense.
I'm not saying that return lines are bad, depending on your build and how you use the vehicle they can be absolutely necessary. But generally they only really need to happen if you've got a high performance engine running a whole bunch of fuel volume and requiring a higher end fuel pressure regulator. Now, with an EFI set up yeah, you should run one. But your average street build with a carb? Not really necessary for most situations.
For example, when I built my Duster for the 400+ hp 340 I have in it I ran 3/8" fuel line and a Carter high performance/volume mechanical pump, which pushed too much pressure to the carb so I run a fuel pressure regulator as well. I dead-headed the fuel pressure regulator (no return) and have been running it that was for a decade of street driving. Realistically, I could have run the factory 5/16" fuel line, a factory style mechanical pump, and not had to bother with the regulator. Yeah, I needed a new fuel line anyway so the 3/8" upgrade was basically inconsequential. But all the other stuff is overkill for how I use the car.
Now if I was running more horsepower, or bracket racing or something so I was always at high RPM's and needed every ounce of fuel I can get consistently then the higher volume pump, pressure regulator, return line etc would all likely pay dividends in top end consistency. For street driving? All unnecessary.
Looks like a fun project for sure! But, I don't see anything in your plans that requires upgrading your fuel system any further than what you've already done other than getting the correct length fuel line.
Yeah, Carter 4594 pumps no longer on Summit site. But heaps on Ebay & Aeroflow has copied the design. The 4070/4594 pumps are internally regulated. They do not need a reg with Holley/Carter/Edel carbs, nor do they require a return line.
I don't see ANY of those type Carter pumps on Summit, Jegs or anywhere else. You got me curious now. I honestly cannot remember which brand or part number mine is. I'm gonna go look. brb
It's the Carter P4601HP. Here it bees. Lucky me it's a goodun made in USA and not China. It's been in the box probably ten years. I've always liked this style pump. I know it needs a regulator, but that's been the plan all along.
There's a few running around on various sites, but all the major sellers except for RockAuto show them as discontinued. So if you do find one online somewhere you'd probably better make a phone call and check inventory before placing an order, because it looks like it's discontinued with just some old stock still on the shelves in a few places.
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