Electric fuel pump

[Slew cruiser]

So my 86 G1 runs for a bit them dies but in my digging around cleaning carb,gas tank,fuel lines I found that who ever had it before put an electric fuel pump and this seems to be my problem.MY question is has anyone done this and is there anything i should know before replacing it.

[Lochlin]

I put electric pumps on all of my carts as I hate the mechanical ones. If you replace yours, just make sure that you get something low flow. I use ones that are 2.5 - 4 psi which is about as low as you can find.

The original pump would have had 3 lines going into it; one from the gas tank, one to the carb, and another to the motor case somewhere to provide vacuum to operate the pump. By the life of me I can't remember where that is on a G1 but that line, or the nipple it connects to, must be plugged. I just leave some of the vacuum hose attached to the nipple and screw an appropriate size screw into it. It's sounds archaic but it normally lasts forever.

You can switch back to a mechanical pump as well. You'll just need to reestablish that vacuum line.

[slonomo]

Originally Posted by Lochlin

I put electric pumps on all of my carts as I hate the mechanical ones. If you replace yours, just make sure that you get something low flow. I use ones that are 2.5 - 4 psi which is about as low as you can find.

The original pump would have had 3 lines going into it; one from the gas tank, one to the carb, and another to the motor case somewhere to provide vacuum to operate the pump. By the life of me I can't remember where that is on a G1 but that line, or the nipple it connects to, must be plugged. I just leave some of the vacuum hose attached to the nipple and screw an appropriate size screw into it. It's sounds archaic but it normally lasts forever.

You can switch back to a mechanical pump as well. You'll just need to reestablish that vacuum line.

What he said

I'm not a fan of electric pumps, only because it's one more part that can fail. I had one on a mower once and it kept draining the battery, no idea why. Took off the pump, no more battery issue. Not to say that elect fuel pumps will drain your battery, just the reason why I don't like them lol. I've always used the factory pumps on all the stock carts I've messed with, and I used a Briggs pump on all my big block cart projects, never had issues. I think when a vacuum pulse line gets old they leak and cause problems, but all the other hoses will have issues with age as well, nothing lasts forever.

[raydhd]

After numerous changes back and forth both of my carts now have electric pumps.

[Slew cruiser]

Perfect good to know. Should the pump keep the fuel line full at all times because the pump I have isn’t. It seems to be having a hard time pulling from the tank. It.s like it’s loosing it’s prime all the time.

[Lochlin]

Originally Posted by Slew cruiser

Perfect good to know. Should the pump keep the fuel line full at all times because the pump I have isn’t. It seems to be having a hard time pulling from the tank. It.s like it’s loosing it’s prime all the time.

Yep. This is perhaps the biggest reason why I like the electrics. They really don't lose prime. On the occasion that they do, normally from long periods of no use, they prime themselves.

[raydhd]

My experience is the same.

[slonomo]

If you are losing prime, it might be a crack in the pickup tube in the tank, very common on the G1. That pickup tube is made of hard plastic and they degrade over time. If there is a small crack that allows air to pass it will create an issue with getting suction, kinda like drinking through a broken soda straw.

I have replaced a couple of those before, not a big job at all, and not expensive either. I have also used rubber fuel hose to replace them as well. You could remove it and inspect it, even test it.

[meimk]

Over the years I've had many cart owners seeking replacement fuel pumps. It's almost NEVER the pump that's actually bad. Hundreds of "I think the fuel pump is bad", yet only about 3 that actually were. One of those was an electric someone had put on that still pumped, but leaked - badly. Even VC420's & 460's seem to get enough fuel flow from the stock vacuum operated pumps, but I'll admit it hasn't come up on any of the few V-twins I've personally come across.

[Slew cruiser]

Great info guys. Thanks