Where to install oil pressure safety switch.

[Waltb]

1962 Hawk 289

I want to install an oil pressure safety switch for an electronic fuel pump.

I don't think it would be attactive to install it in the line to the oil filter, near the water pump. I don't know where the oil line to the dash oil pressure guage is. Any help is appreciated.

I am replacing an electic fuel pump and want it safer than what the previous owner had. Also, he did not have a regulator. Will I need one for a Facet-Purolator Posi-Flo pump, FEP06SV 4.0-7.0 PSI, 32 GPH?

I'm replacing the pump because my mechanic said I needed it. The car seems to be starved for gas at higher speed (40 mph), but only sometimes. I've rebuilt the Stomberg www and the trouble started. If it ain't broke... (I wanted to fix a gasket leak). I've since cleaned it 3 more times, and was careful to set the float to specs.

The power for the currently installed fuel pump comes from the accessory power. I want to change it to power from the ignition coil. But I'm concerned that I may have problems if the power to the ignition coil is fed through a resistor, perhaps a "resistor wire." Is this a problem? The pump may draw several amps (4?) and there would be a voltage drop across the resistor. This may be a problem for the pump, and the ignition coil. How about the ignition coil fuse. Is there a fuse in the coil supply?

I've checked the shop manual for this, without help.

Your wise advice is appreciated.

Walt B

[jallen]

Hi Walt, you should find the SENDER for the oil pressure gauge on the passenger side of the block below and behind the intake manifold.
Its fairly easy to install a brass T which will allow you to retain
your gauge sending unit and still have an oil pressure port to plumb in your oil pressure safety switch, which you could mount on the firewall. As far as needing a pump, if thats the case you will want to locate it as close to the tank as possible. You might want to
troubleshoot your fuel starvation issue before trying something that
may or may not help. I would start by making sure the tank and supply lines are not causing your problem. Good luck, keep posting.

[jallen]

Walt, for your 12 Volt power supply you might be able to come off the HOT side of your starter solenoid. Your instructions for your pump should give power requirements and maybe even suggestions for where and how to hook up. I can't think of a good reason to use the
coil lead for your power supply.

[leyrret]

In my experience Facet pumps have not needed a regulator.

[Waltb]

quote:Originally posted by jallen

Walt, for your 12 Volt power supply you might be able to come off the HOT side of your starter solenoid. Your instructions for your pump should give power requirements and maybe even suggestions for where and how to hook up. I can't think of a good reason to use the
coil lead for your power supply.

Great help, thanks.

The fuel pump instructions say to take the power from the ignition switch. I suppose that is presuming that an oil pressure safety switch is not used, although they "strongly recommend" it. The coil is where I've found some other posters say to connect the pump. However, if I use the oil pressure safety switch, I would not need to have power come from the ignition switch or coil, which would give power only when the ignition switch is turned on. The safety switch would do the same thing. Thanks for making me think this through better.

The oil pressure safety switch I will buy is three terminal. There are NO (normally open) and NC (normally closed) contacts (single pole, double throw). The NC closed contacts will be connected to the starter, which will activate the pump only when the starter is turning. The NO contacts will close when the oil pressure gets high enough (5 psi), sending power to the fuel pump.

I'm glad I won't need a regulator.

I haven't found any problem with fuel line or tank blockage, but because the fuel starvation problem is intermittent, there may be a problem that I haven't caught. I guess that if the problem continues after I install the fuel pump, then I missed the problem.

Walt B

[Waltb]

The fuel filter is a clear plastic job, about 2" in diameter, and it never fills up. It never fluctuates beyond about 1/4 full. Is that normal? I'd think it should fill completely. Would that contribute to fuel stavation?

Walt B

[Dan Timberlake]

"The fuel filter ........ never fills up. It never fluctuates beyond about 1/4 full..."
I"ve had some filters that filled, others that did not. I think it depended on if they are horizontal or angled upward.

Regardless, I'd start with a volume delivery and pressure test while cranking with the fuel line disconnected close to the carb.
For intermittent problems A pressure gage plumbed to read close to the carb and taped to the windshield while driving (to prevent a fuel line from running into the interior) makes it pretty clear how good the entire fuel delivery system is behaving real time.

[Waltb]

I've checked volume and it seems good, at least when I checked it. What do I use for a pressure guage?

Walt B

[Waltb]

I've got the fuel pump in, under the body, before the rear wheel. It wasn't self priming and although there was fuel there, I had to suck gas into the pump. So that will be a problem if I ever run the tank dry.

It's a lot quieter than the one I replaced.

Still a problem. Previous problem remains. Sometimes I can't get it above 45 MPH. Sitting with the hood up, it won't race about a certain rpm. Then, sometimes it will. I've had problems getting it to climb a hill above 25 MPH. Then sometimes it's ok.

Any suggestions?

Walt B

[StudeRich]

quote:Originally posted by jallen

Hi Walt, you should find the SENDER for the oil pressure gauge on the passenger side of the block below and behind the intake manifold.

Walt, on Studebakers with Gauges like your '62 Hawk, there are no Oil Pressure SENDERS, the neoprene flex line comes to the copper line from the Passenger side, rear of the Cylinder Head.

Coil feeds have no fuse.

If you do not have Overdrive, and are not using it for a electric choke Edelbrock Carb. just use the Ign. Sw. switched red wire behind the Left Head from the harness for the Overdrive.

If you did not have such a complicated oil pressure controlled circuit, you would then be able to use the electric pump to prime the Carb. for easy starting before cranking when parked over a week.
Maybe a dual source circuit would work, with a switch under the dash to supply the pump without the oil pressure.

StudeRich

[Edsel G. Tattooer]

I may be wrong but I have been told the Stromburg carbs only require 2 lbs of pressure. Is that true for the www models?

Owner of a 1950 4 door Commander

I'll Tattoo you anytime!

you can find me at

Lucky Linda's Body Art 952-445-3281
18 years in the tattooing biz

[jallen]

Hi Walt, never having seen your car, and not wanting to make assumptions about equipment you may or not have, it seems to
me you have a basic problem that hasn't been addressed. If
your problem is intermittent, Dan's idea sounds like a good
place to start, you have something restricting fuel flow, or
possibly an electrical problem. Have you ever cleaned your gas
tank? It might be something in the tank blocking the pick-up.
If that checks out ok you might want to put your distributor
on a machine to make sure it doesn't have an internal short,
and if you do have overdrive that might be causing your problem.

[redcreeper]

My 55 has the habit of the fuel draining back making it hard to start after it sits for a long time. I have been toying with a thought[caso] of using the ignition switch backwards as a safety and theft deterrent.
Here is what I thought of. hook the electric fuel pump up to the ignition switch in the normal start position thus by turning the key to the right for a few seconds to prime the system. then turn the key to acc. on the left to ignite the coil and allow the engine to start.I think the ignition will be ok and I think the mechanical fuel pump will pull fuel through the electric fuel pump ok as well. No testing has been done yet but if any of you folks have a thought on this please chime in. This may fix the starting problem but not the hill climbing issue but in true caso fashion I live to my Scottish heritage

My 1955 Commander
AKA Burnie

[Waltb]

quote:Originally posted by redcreeper

My 55 has the habit of the fuel draining back making it hard to start after it sits for a long time. I have been toying with a thought[caso] of using the ignition switch backwards as a safety and theft deterrent.
Here is what I thought of. hook the electric fuel pump up to the ignition switch in the normal start position thus by turning the key to the right for a few seconds to prime the system. then turn the key to acc. on the left to ignite the coil and allow the engine to start.I think the ignition will be ok and I think the mechanical fuel pump will pull fuel through the electric fuel pump ok as well. No testing has been done yet but if any of you folks have a thought on this please chime in. This may fix the starting problem but not the hill climbing issue but in true caso fashion I live to my Scottish heritage

My 1955 Commander
AKA Burnie

I no expert on this, but here are my thoughts. You would not need the fuel pump connected to the ACC position, just the IGN position. To pump fuel before the engine is started, just move the key to the on position, but do not engage the starter. If connected also to the ACC position, the pump would run all the time you were listening to the radio, etc, in the ACC position.

But the saftey consideration. Wired the way you suggest, there is no auto shutoff in case of an accident that ruptured the fuel line. That's where the oil pressure safety switch comes in. However, then it would not pre-prime the carb until there was oil pressure, so you would still need an additional momentary "prime" switch. Which is where the lead from the starter solenoid is useful.

Walt B

[Waltb]

[quote]quote:[i]
Walt, on Studebakers with Gauges like your '62 Hawk, there are no Oil Pressure SENDERS, the neoprene flex line comes to the copper line from the Passenger side, rear of the Cylinder Head.

Coil feeds have no fuse.

If you do not have Overdrive, and are not using it for a electric choke Edelbrock Carb. just use the Ign. Sw. switched red wire behind the Left Head from the harness for the Overdrive.

If you did not have such a complicated oil pressure controlled circuit, you would then be able to use the electric pump to prime the Carb. for easy starting before cranking when parked over a week.
Maybe a dual source circuit would work, with a switch under the dash to supply the pump without the oil pressure.

StudeRich
-----------

Originally posted by jallen

Hi Walt, never having seen your car, and not wanting to make assumptions about equipment you may or not have, it seems to
me you have a basic problem that hasn't been addressed. If
your problem is intermittent, Dan's idea sounds like a good
place to start, you have something restricting fuel flow, or
possibly an electrical problem. Have you ever cleaned your gas
tank? It might be something in the tank blocking the pick-up.
If that checks out ok you might want to put your distributor
on a machine to make sure it doesn't have an internal short,
and if you do have overdrive that might be causing your problem.

Thanks for all the good info. I have found the oil pressure flex line. I think I know which way I want to go with the wiring of the safety switch. I'm wondering about cleaning the gas tank. Will I need to remove it (probably yes.) Any suggestions about a "machine" to put the distributor on to check it? There is a carb shop in town. I'll call them. How about a problem with the vacuum advance -- will that give me the dramatic starved-for-power problem I'm seeing?

Walt B