Electric fuel pump???

[reel clownz]

Has anyone ever heard of putting a inline electric pump to fuel there motor? I have a friend who said he did it, but im skeptical? I have not seen it but he says he disconnects the diaphram pump on the side of outboard. Slips a 3 or 4 psi pump inline instead of the primer ball. I mean it kinda makes sense, the carb bowl fills up the float rises the needle shuts it off, i mean the pressure would be there but it would just be a like a carburated car. Would this be possible. I mean if it is wow would that slove alot of problems? No more idiling issues, no more hard starts, no more primer balls,... What do you guys think????

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Electric fuel pump???

That is a real hot-button topic here. Much like oil and ethanol threads. First thing is to use "Search" and see how many times this has been discussed recently. It's been beat to death. I'd estimate you'll get 90 percent saying "No way, you can't shut off the pump if the engine stalls and the key is on, and you could potentially have a fire hazard" and 10 percent that say go for it. A carb'd car with an electric fuel pump has a safety wired to the oil pressure sensor. A non-computerized two stroke does not have this possibility. Also, idle issues and hard starts are rarely caused by fuel pump problems.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Electric fuel pump???

The electric fuel pump is comepletely unnecessary in the typical outboard.
it creates unnecessary complication and real hazard in the event of a carb failure.The stock pump can handle vertually any application easily.

 

[reel clownz]

Re: Electric fuel pump???

i understand all your saying about not being able to shut the fuel off if the motor stalls. Well thats the best explantion ive heard as to why you couldnt do it. why couldnt you put the pump on a seperate switch. But there has to be a way to wire it to something to prevent failure. Well thanks for your info. I mean i wouldnt do it, but my friend swears its the best thing ever. Its on a older johnson. Well he wants to put one on a 1989 yamaha 150 hp 2 stroker. That i sold him, and a yamaha 9.9 hi thrust. Thanks for the reply

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: Electric fuel pump???

Your friend must not value his life or others with him very much. Sure it can be done and I have done it while doing some experimenting but I would never dream of leaving it that way. Really there is no reason for one. A properly working factory pump will put out more than enough pressure and volume for the motor.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Electric fuel pump???

Once again, wisdom and logic are tossed aside in favor of attempting to fix something that isn't broken. Diaghram fuel pumps have been used for decades on both cars, trucks, and boats and it wasn't until the introduction of fuel injection that the higher pressure electric fuel pumps arrived on the scene. The problem here is that should the engine stall, few people have the foresight to turn the key off. If they forget to do that they would also forget to turn off a separate switch so why have it in the first place since the key would kill the pump. The next issue is that engines can die for any number of reasons. Consider just this one: Needle and seat fail to close in the carb. Engine floods and dies. Owner thinks for a bit, and hits the key to restart. KABOOM!!! The engine has literally been filled up with raw fuel and may or may not be hydrolocked to boot. Does this sound safe to you? Two strokes have NOTHING to wire to for an autmatic fuel shut off. So answer this question: List two or more problems an electric fuel pump solves that a properly operating diaghram pump can't. If a primer bulb fails, repair it. If a diaghram pump fails, rebuild or replace it. What could be simpler. And if you believe an electric pump makes and engine idle better then I have real deal for you -- install two of them in series and it will be so smooth you won't know its running.

 

[itsaboattime]

Re: Electric fuel pump???

Another thing that comes to mind.....lets just say that you take the family out for a day on the lake, or on the river, or 5 miles out to sea. After 6 or 8 hours of fishing or partying or whatever you go to start your boat and find that your battery has failed, completely.
With an electric pump you wouldn't be able to start your outbaord. My example may be a little extreme but you get the point. That pump completely depends on the boat's battery to start the outboard. There is no primer bulb.
My grandfather taught me a long time ago..."if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

 

[reel clownz]

Re: Electric fuel pump???

Wow this is obviously a taboo subject!! I was looking for some opinions or if anyone has ever tried it. As for the smart remarks ( silver tip ) if we all knew everything we wouldnt be on here asking questions???? Its a shame that you have to be a jackhole on a forum. WOW!!

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Electric fuel pump???

Silvertip may have come down a little hard, and I may or may not agree with him or you, but until you accumulate 18,000 replies and the respect of the board you are just a wet-behind-the-ears kid with no right to judge. That incindiary language has no place on the forum! Nuff said?

 

[itsaboattime]

Re: Electric fuel pump???

Frank.....I'm with the kid on this one. He just asked the question. Silvertip comes down hard pretty often on alot of different topics.
He is forever in a bad mood. As far as the respect of the board, doesn't mean he has the right to be condecending and sarcastic. Doesn't matter what his rank is or how many posts a guy has, there is no reason to brow beat a newbie.
Everything in his post could have been phrased constructively.
People skills Silvertip, people skills. Sombody who has your experience and your ablilities should have them.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Electric fuel pump???

Well, I can sort-of agree with you and I understand the newbies irritation with the reply, but silvertip didn't call him a jackhole and (in my opinion) didn't deserve that reply either. You can make a person appear to be unreasonable without resorting to inflammatory words. If we all start calling each other names, then the good that the forum accomplishes will soon be negated.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Electric fuel pump???

That's the problem with society today. Nobody likes to hear the word NO even if it is a very real, very accurate, very applicable response. Would you feel better if I said go for it and then a kid with no mechanical or electrical knowledge blows up himself and perhaps a boat load of people. Please point to the exact words that may have scarred this young man for the rest of his life. I suspect they are "logic" and "wizdom". Both of which come as a result of education, life-long experience, and the ability to recognize a bad idea that comes from the combination of those experiences. Do you think the OP went to bed thinking about this issue? I sure hope so and I could care less what he thinks about me personally. I may just have saved his life. I give him credit for posting here and not just barging ahead with something he heard from a friend but not actually seen.

 

[Unleadedaddict]

Re: Electric fuel pump???

My .02C on the fuel pump. I have seen with my own eyes the burning of a boat and the heard the explosion fuel caused in a hull of a boat. I was young and lived aboard a 1957 Chris, under a covered harbor. We were eating dinner when a boat a few births down exploded. The key was left on and some fuel or fumes filled the hull. When they went to fire it up she blew. The electric pump was installed the day before. Just install things according to USCG standards or better for everyones safety.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Electric fuel pump???

He ask a question and got a very good complete comprehensive answer, if he didn't like the answer or how it was phrased that is beside the point.

Other than the last line ST gave all good relevent points and I am with him, some people just don't want to hear no or that is a bad idea and on some stuff, like this, you want to scare people.

There is no reason to put an electric pump on a baot, the replacement diaphram is cheaper and would probably last longer any how so why would you do it to begin with, it is a bad idea and an unsafe thing to do so don't do it.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Electric fuel pump???

Would you feel better if I said go for it and then a kid with no mechanical or electrical knowledge blows up himself and perhaps a boat load of people.

I would have preferred if you'd said nothing at all. The question had already been correctly answered without your persistent nastiness. Thread Closed.