Wiring Electric Fuel Pump in an Carbed Bus

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Runamuck Bus
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Wiring Electric Fuel Pump in an Carbed Bus

Post by Runamuck Bus » Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:59 pm

This topic has been covered numerous times (here and other places), but I have not been able to figure it out, so here goes...
I have read that the fuel pump should not be powered directly from the coil. In my (feeble) understanding, a 'relay' (or double-relay) is used to direct power to the pump during engine start and afterwards when the engine is running. I will even be bold enough here to say - power comes from starter solenoid when engine is cranking (starting), then is switched to 'power from the coil' after the engine is running.
While I may have just betrayed my own misunderstanding of this stuff, I will say that in all of the 'topic' study I have done, I still can't determine what type of relay I would need (or use), where everything would get connected or even if I need a relay at all.
There seems to be plenty written that applies to fuelie injected bus-types. I thought that the carbs version would be simple rocket science. Silly me! Anyone care to chime in?
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Re: Wiring Electric Fuel Pump in an Carbed Bus

Post by Amskeptic » Tue Oct 05, 2010 4:44 pm

Runamuck Bus wrote:This topic has been covered numerous times (here and other places), but I have not been able to figure it out, so here goes...
I have read that the fuel pump should not be powered directly from the coil. In my (feeble) understanding, a 'relay' (or double-relay) is used to direct power to the pump during engine start and afterwards when the engine is running. I will even be bold enough here to say - power comes from starter solenoid when engine is cranking (starting), then is switched to 'power from the coil' after the engine is running.
While I may have just betrayed my own misunderstanding of this stuff, I will say that in all of the 'topic' study I have done, I still can't determine what type of relay I would need (or use), where everything would get connected or even if I need a relay at all.
There seems to be plenty written that applies to fuelie injected bus-types. I thought that the carbs version would be simple rocket science. Silly me! Anyone care to chime in?
Get a simple four prong relay at your FLAPS. If it is Bosch or sensible, it will have labelled terminals 30/87/86/85.

30 . . . run a wire from the battery through an 8A fuse to terminal 30.
87 . . . run a wire from this terminal to the (+) on the pump.
86 . . . splice a wire from the BLUE wire coming off the voltage regulator (it has a connector just before it runs up the harness to the alternator idiot light)
85 . . . run a wire to a ground, like the one that holds the relay to the body of the car

You only need to prime the fuel pump once or twice a year, like after the winter sit or after you have drained the carb float bowls > I just slap on a quicky hot wire from the battery (+) to 87 terminal at the relay and run the pump for 5 seconds.

Otherwise, the residual fuel in the float bowl is more than sufficient to give you reliable starts without wiring the pump to starter.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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