View Single Post
  #15 (permalink)  
Old 05-30-2009, 12:09 AM
RallySnake's Avatar
RallySnake RallySnake is offline
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Northridge, CA
Cobra Make, Engine: Arntz Cobra
Posts: 1,838
Not Ranked     
Default

Xavier,

I have driven my Arntz Cobra for 20 years now. I have driven across the country and on many long distance rallies. I have used about 6 or 7 fuel pumps (I've lost count). I would never drive the car anywhere with just one electric pump. I have been stranded three times and sworn that it will not happen again.

There is no room next to my engine for a mechanical pump, the headers are in the way. I run a Carter high performance pump and a cheap stock type pump both mounted to the frame behind the passenger side rear wheel. I have an Oberg course filter for the fuel to go through before the pumps and a big metal can stock filter after the pumps. The pumps are plumbed together with a 3/8" Y connection before and after.

Electric pumps are fragile hard working components and are not to be trusted. I put a push button switch next to the key switch in my console for the second pump. For 20 years that has worked fine. I highly suggest that you do the same. It really helps when you're in the middle of west Texas (nowhere) and the primary cuts out.

I push the button when the primary pump fails and the secondary pumps turns on also. However, that bit me big time in a rally a few weeks ago. The primary Carter pump has an internal regulator that failed putting high pressure to the Holley carb. It flooded and killed the engine. I had to crawl under the car and pull a wire off the Carter so that the stock pump could supply fuel at the right pressure. We missed two checkpoints and lost the rally.

I have installed a simple relay that now switches from one pump to the other.
From the description of your problem, I believe that the problem is the pump itself. I don't care if it's brand new. My first Carter was a month old when the vane rotor started slipping on the motor shaft. Another time, the screen inside just got full of crud. You need to take the pump apart and find out where the problem is. And....buy another one!

You did not mention the level of fuel in the carburetor. Does it have sight glasses in the tanks or a screw cap to check the level? It is really important to know that the fuel is at the proper level. Two other things to check. Sometimes, when you turn a carb upside down, the float can get stuck. Sometimes, a little dirt can stick in the needle and seat open and cause flooding.
__________________
"It doesn't have anything on it that doesn't make it go faster."

Last edited by RallySnake; 05-30-2009 at 12:29 AM..
Reply With Quote