Portable Battery-Powered Electric Fuel Pump

[seakaye12]

I would like to consider rigging up an electric fuel pump powered by a small 12 volt battery. I would like to use it for supplying fuel to various motors with only integral tanks….but whose tanks are rusted out or otherwise unfit for use. Especially on motors where it is not feasible to quickly rig up a crankcase pulse sort of pump.

Have any of you done this? Care to suggest a suitable pump? Perhaps a small tractor or motorcycle battery can supply enough power for a day on the lake?

Another concern would be if the needle and seat of the typical old outboard carburetor would be able to contain the pressure. Any thoughts?

Thanks, Chuck in Santa Barbara

[RICHARD A. WHITE]

I can post a picture later, it is at home, but Scott Parrish mounted a tank above the power head of his Evinrude BIG FOUR, when we first fired it up…

I even have a video of it running.

So any gas can, that you can have a vent, and install an outlet on will work, just don’t mount it 20 feet above the motor… No need for an electric fuel pump, besides most motors, if I read your post properly are gravity feed tanks are what you have, and this will work nicely.

http://www.richardsoutboardtools.com
classicomctools@gmail.com

[jw-in-dixie]

Mercury Mark 20 with a gravity tank – runs great. Also has battery ignition, using a lawn mower battery. Turns more revs than with magneto. 😉

[Tubs]

Pressurizing the fuel can was how Eagle
and some others would transfer fuel.

A "Boathouse Repair" is one that done without having tools or the skills to do it properly.

[Mumbles]

I thought electric fuel pumps on outboard motors were either a bad idea or outlawed by the forces that be as they won’t shut off if a fuel line breaks or the motor blows. 😕 It’s all about safety as on an inboard motor they will shut off if the motor shuts down or loses oil pressure.

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[frankr]

Unless you can regulate the pressure to an extremely low pressure, it will hold the float valve closed on bottom feed carburetors such as found on some Gales and the Mercury AJ carbs with bottom feed. That is, any carb where fuel pressure tends to push the needle into the seat, as opposed to tending to push the needle off the seat. I already found that out.

[kerry]

Years ago, (late 60’s maybe?) I remember seeing a boat at the launch ramp running an air cooled ??? motor without the gas tank. He had a pole mounted at the rear corner of his lumie with a lawn mower tank and line running to the carb. I remember thinking it looked like a hospital I.V. Perhaps a little planning and creative engineering could produce a safer alternative to a pump? I agree with the others- a pump is not safe, or good for a gravity carb.

If you have too many, AND not enough, you're a collector.

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