Electric fuel pump question

Hi all. I am getting a car ready for a demolition derby. Usually I run
something older with a chevy 350, but due to time constraints I am
stripping out a 89 mercury Grand Marquis with a 5.0. It runs and drives,
so it won't take long to get ready. Anyway, I am having trouble figuring
out the easiest way to do the fuel system. Normally, with a mechanical
pump on the motor, no problem. Fasten down an outboard 6 gallon tank,
run a fuel line to it, and all's set. But on this car, I need to keep
the stock electric pump in the tank in use. Does this pump have to be
mounted inside a tank, or can I mount it externally out in the open? I
was looking at it today, I could take the pump off the sending unit,
take the sock/filter off, mount the pump on the floorboard, and run a
line from where the sock was to my small tank. Would this work? I see
three choices to make this car run....First, do as I just described and
mount the pump externally on the floor. Second, if the pump must be
inside a tank, I could cut a hole in the top of my small tank, and mount
the complete stock sending unit with pump in the tank...a lot of work,
and i'd still have to modify the unit because it originally mounted on
the side of the stock tank so I would have to do some
cutting/welding/bending to get the angles right inside the little tank.
Third, if the pump has to be inside a tank...I'm assuming it would be to
cool/lube the pump... could I mount the pump in a seperate gallon-sized
jug of water, and then run my line to my small tank? This way I wouldn't
have to modify my small tank, I would just have an extra small tank of
water mounted next to the fuel tank. Any ideas or comments are greatly
appreciated!! Earl

"big"e" lewis" wrote

> Hi all. I am getting a car ready for a demolition derby. Usually I run
> something older with a chevy 350,

A rubber fuel hose, a wire to the coil, and yer' bashing.

> I am stripping out a 89 mercury Grand Marquis with a 5.0.

Oy.

> But on this car, I need to keep the stock electric pump in the tank
> in use. Does this pump have to be mounted inside a tank, or can I
> mount it externally out in the open?

Inside. As you stated later, for cooling & lubrication of the pump.
Take it out, it'll burn out before you get halfway across the arena.

Early injected Fords (Mustang, T-Bird, "baby" LTD) used 2 pumps,
a low-pressure internal feeding a high-pressure external on the frame.
Got any wreckers nearby with old Fords? If you can find one, you
may be able to gravity feed the high-pressure pump and mount it
under your outboard tank.

Or try an aftermarket external, and try not to kill your shiny new pump.
Of course you'll need a return line from the engine for the excess fuel.

Make damn sure the fuel lines are protected. You don't need one to
break and spray you with gas at 40psi, while 15 other cars are trying
to make yours fit into its own trunk. Spark-spark-FOOOOOSH!!

> Third, if the pump has to be inside a tank...I'm assuming it would be to
> cool/lube the pump... could I mount the pump in a seperate gallon-sized
> jug of water, and then run my line to my small tank?

I have no idea. Anyone else want to take over?

"big"e" lewis" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all. I am getting a car ready for a demolition derby. Usually I run
> something older with a chevy 350, but due to time constraints I am
> stripping out a 89 mercury Grand Marquis with a 5.0. It runs and
drives,
> so it won't take long to get ready. Anyway, I am having trouble
figuring
> out the easiest way to do the fuel system. Normally, with a mechanical
> pump on the motor, no problem. Fasten down an outboard 6 gallon tank,
> run a fuel line to it, and all's set. But on this car, I need to
keep
> the stock electric pump in the tank in use. Does this pump have to be
> mounted inside a tank, or can I mount it externally out in the open? I
> was looking at it today, I could take the pump off the sending unit,
> take the sock/filter off, mount the pump on the floorboard, and run a
> line from where the sock was to my small tank. Would this work? I see
> three choices to make this car run....First, do as I just described
and
> mount the pump externally on the floor. Second, if the pump must be
> inside a tank, I could cut a hole in the top of my small tank, and
mount
> the complete stock sending unit with pump in the tank...a lot of work,
> and i'd still have to modify the unit because it originally mounted on
> the side of the stock tank so I would have to do some
> cutting/welding/bending to get the angles right inside the little
tank.
> Third, if the pump has to be inside a tank...I'm assuming it would be
to
> cool/lube the pump... could I mount the pump in a seperate
gallon-sized
> jug of water, and then run my line to my small tank? This way I
wouldn't
> have to modify my small tank, I would just have an extra small tank of
> water mounted next to the fuel tank. Any ideas or comments are greatly
> appreciated!! Earl
>
>

Factory pump has to run inside the tank. It picks up fuel and the return
line also goes through it to cool it. Your best bet would be an
aftermarket FI pump, run the main line to the engine and the return line
back to your tank. Run steel fuel lines to the front with a couple small
rubber lines to the tank.
Running the pump in water will destroy it real quick. The fuel cools it,
lubes it somewhat and stops it from arcing as well. Water will short it
out and kill it about the time you hit the key.
You MIGHT be able to make a square tank and use the stock pump in it but
you need to know what the rules say WRT that.



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