Were have you mounted your fuel pump. I have been told that it should be as close and as low to the tank as possible so that it pushes the fuel rather than sucks?

I put my blade bike pump in the bottom near side corner of the chassis, my chassis has a plate there where the roll hoop bracing bars come down, just the right size to mount it on!

Chris

Chris,

Check out my photo archive. I've just uploaded a couple of pics for you showing how/where I mounted my Fireblade pump.

I hung it below the chassis tube that the fuel tank sits on which is below the tank. I also utilised the original bike fuel filter which looked new.

Roger

DR,

Have you got any worries/problems with the pumped getting soaked by a water if you go through a puddle etc??

To be honest I didn't consider that to be an issue. Although if I'm more honest I didn't consider it at all

With no wet weather gear on the car I don't expect to be driving through too many pudles. Even if I did I think it would stand up to a few soakings and I can always fit some kind of alloy shield.

Roger

We've mounted ours on an ally panel just behind the drivers seat. The instructions said that it should have a rise of not more that 30cm from the tank feed. We've not tried it yet but as our Fireblade engine was gravity fed in the bike anyway I'm sure it'll provide enough pressure to get the motion lotion to the front of the car.

Although I didn't even think to do this first, my recomendation would be to rig it all up and see if it can fire fuel through your intended pipework in to say a bucket near the engine at what looks like a decent rate of knots. If it can then it'll be fine whereever you may be holding it. Then fix it right there.

What pump are you using Andy? if its a Facet type then some people have had fuelling issues with them, they either provide too much pressure and overcome the needles, or with a regulator to stem the pressure, it strangles the flow rate. The bike pumps only pump as and when required, unlike the facets which pump all the time.

Chris

Oh no, more woes then.

It's a solid state electronic fuel pump purchased from Vehicle Wiring Products. From the instructions is just says "...will provide a consistent, steady fuel supply to keep your vehicle running smoothly for years...". So I guess it runs all the time.

Oh ar$e.

Can anything be done or is it a throw away and start again situation? How does the bike pump know when to pump and when not to? As our lump is a '96 it didn't have a pump as standard so I'm assuming that if the ECU triggers the pump then ours won't have such a connection either.

Addition...
Just looked in the VWP catalogue and it is indeed a Facet type. Says it's for cars with fuel pressure but not injection. Has a rating of 2-4psi.

[Edited on 25/4/2003 by andyd]

Andy
Run a return to the tank like the twin choke weber on some fords (mk2 escort and sierra etc..) and treat it like a fuel rail on an injection system. The carbs can take what they want and the rest returns to the tank.
Oh and my pump is behind the drivers side rear panel in front of the axle. Don't think it will get wet, very rare does any water get into this area, unless it can defy gravity. You'd be surprised how dry the underside of a car is even in soaking rain!

Sorry Andy, didnt mean to add to the list of "to-do's", but might as well get it perfect as possible at this point rather than when you are trying to get it running!
Some people have made Facets work OK, but I know some of the Westfields with the 4psi Facet and a filter king regulator had issues. The bike pump isnt very complex, all it does is pump to a pressure (around 1.5psi) and when it reaches that pressure it stops pumping. You just power it with an ignition feed so when you first turn on the ignition, you hear it pump up to pressure. As the fuel is used by the carbs, it pumps a little keeping the pressure constant, but doesnt provide enough pressure to overcome the needles, unlike what can happen with the Facet.
As Chris says, you could use the facet and run a return feed back to the tankso effectively there isnt any pressure directly on the needles, but that may be more hassle if you've got to put in a second fuel pipe and a return connector on the tank, considering buying a 2nd hand bike pump from a breakers will only cost about £30. Most bike pumps are pretty much of a muchness too (same one used on CBR600/900 for example), so you dont even specifically need one off a blade.

Chris

[Edited on 25/4/03 by ChrisGamlin]

Cheers for all the replies, i have mounted as per dodgyrogers, but used the original bike mounting bracket.

I noticed that my pump has a mitsubishi stamp on it and recall someone saying the blade blade is the same, may be cheaper to look for that part from a motorfactors rather than paying the "oh its from a bike, that will be 7 times the normal price" thingy!

I am a little confused over this pump positioning. I thought that fuel pumps were either a push type, to be mounted under the tank at the back, or a pull type to go up front level with the carbs. I got my pump from Stuart Taylor and mounted it at the front as on ST cars. But you guys are using the same pump at the back. Are bike pumps different? Have I cocked up? Do ST know what they are doing?

Steve

I saw an ST Locoblade at Stonleigh yesterday and you're right, they do put the pump up at the front of the engine, and its the same bike pump as I use, which is at the back.
I'm not sure why they've now changed this around as when I was building mine Ian recommended it go at the back below the tank level, but it obviously seems to work. The only time I think it might have an issue is if you ran totally out of fuel, it might be harder to get fuel back down the line as ST mount the pump quite high on the engine cradle, so gravity wouldnt do the initial feed to the pump like it does on mine.

Chris

Hmm, I've not considered this at all but now the seed of doubt is sown. My pump is at the front under the carbs in much the same position as the bike, it's connected using all the original pipes and pulls the fuel from the tank thru an 8mm pipe. It seems to pull it ok. Any thoughts anyone?

Steve

Nah u should be fine coozer, as I said, ST are now putting them there and they must have built a fair few like it without issue, so I wouldnt worry about it. If it causes an issue you'll soon know about it

Chris

I intend to mount mine on the engine cradle as per ST as they race them with this set up putting the setup thru surge and supply situations you would not get on the road but close on a trackday they obvoiusly have had no problems as they would have moved em.
cheers
sting