302 fuel delivery

[oldray]

Little help please. I've been rebuilding a 76' searay 190 w/888 and type R upper with alpha I lower. My 302 has 351 heads and a 4 barrel edelbrock carb. In chasing down engine performance problems that turned out to be an unrepairable holly carb, I changed from the mechanical fuel pump to a 6psi electric pump at the end of last season and didn't get a chance to really shake things out before winterizing. Took the boat out for a test run a few days ago and I appear to be having fuel starvation problems at higher revs. I installed a new fuel filter where I could see it from the helm. At speed I started to notice some surging and a peek at the fuel filter showed it to be empty. I could see fuel spraying into the filter at the intake side but that's it. The fuel tank is in the bow of this boat and when I got it, there was a squeeze bulb installed in the fuel line approx half way between the tank and the fuel pump. So, before I chuck the electric pump and go back to stock, I have a couple questions. Question 1: Do you think the bulb is necessary because of distance? Question 2: Do I need a seperate fuel filter in conjunction with the fuel/water seperator? <br /><br />Thanks in advance, this board is awesome!

 

[Boomyal]

Re: 302 fuel delivery

I doubt that the squeeze bulb is OEM. Your gas tank sitting in the bow is higher than the motor so I doubt that you would have a problem getting fuel down to the original pump location. I'd check to see if the line is clear, remove the bulb and temporarily remove the clear, inline filter. See then how it runs. You may end up having to check the pressure between your electric pump and the carb.<br /><br />It would also not be beyond the realm of possibily that you are having a problem with your new carb.

 

[Walt T]

Re: 302 fuel delivery

Electric pumps should be installed as close to the tank as possible. They are not designed to pull fuel a long way.

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: 302 fuel delivery

I was out on my dad's robalo 26' one day and one of the engines started running like crap. It would idle and get to about 2500R ok but then sputter out and die above that. The fuel bulb check ball or whatever's in there was stuck, replaced the bulb and it was fine. I nearly sh!t myself before I figured it out though, it was the first year I got to take the boat out without him there and I figured I just blew a 200hp mercury outboard.

 

[Sharps-Nut]

Re: 302 fuel delivery

Strickly speaking from years of selling auto parts and years of using them this is what I have seen.. Some of these pumps are sold as boosters and are not able to feed a v-8 on the higher rpm side. Experienced this first hand with one installed at the tank on a 79 bronce to increase pressure and volume for high altitide rock climbing. And as someone else pointed out they need to be as close to the tank as possible to work effective. After modifying two 79 bronco's one pump has to be run all the time or the mechanical cant pull eneogh gas thru the electric down here in the flat land running out on the highway. The other performs flawlessly as a booster and never needs turned on back home for everyday use just when its nose gets really high in the air at high altitude at wot. Put a mechanical back on and use your electric as a bootster if the mechanical cant keep up. How do you like the winsor headed 302. Notice better top end? At what rpm do you feel the extra beathing power? Good luck. Sharps-Nut, loyal owner of eight vintage and late model blue oval powered vehicles.

 

[oldray]

Re: 302 fuel delivery

Thanks for the help. I wasn't too clear in my original post, I removed the squeeze bulb right away because I didn't like having ball valves in the middle of my fuel line. Sharps- I like the idea of keeping the electric in-line with the mechanical, just hook it to a switch on the dash I assume. As far as the extra breathing/fuel the 4 barrel gives me - ???. I bought this boat from a guy who claimed it was running two weeks prior to my purchase and had just blown a head gasket-WRONG! Failing exhaust manifold was flooding the head on the port side. So, rebuilt heads, new alternator, carb, batteries, chased down a really funky trim problem that turned out to be the reverse lock out switch spring, converted to the Ignitor II/Flame Thrower setup, new steering system out of a Maxum... Anyway, when I get this fuel problem solved I should levitate across the lake. Nothing quite like the sound of those secondary's openin up though!!!<br /><br />Thanks for all the great help.

 

[oldray]

Re: 302 fuel delivery

I forget to mention that the electric pump is mounted about a foot from the tank and runs 15 to 20 feet (bobin n weavin) to the fuel/water seperator. Ran all new hose when I installed the electric. Could this just be a crud problem in the old fuel tank? If so, whats the recommended fix? New tank the smartest thing to do?<br /><br />Thanks again.