Holley Red Pump dies

[HR20]

Just an FYI, my Holley Red fuel pump, in use for about three years, started acting up the other day. No distinct noise while running, then a slight racket, then silence. Crawled under the truck, felt the pump (hot). Decided it was time for a replacement/rebuild. Upon taking it apart, I immediately noticed that the copper screen/filter on the intake side had a nice round hole(the diameter of the intake port), the rest of the screen was covered with a black sludge. Nothing of the missing screen was found anywhere in the pump.
I only use #2 with the occasional commercial B10 or B20. Wondering if the screen was ate up by fuel or pressure or both? Replaced with a new one, ordering parts to rebuild the old.
Anyone else notice their Holley Red screens growing holes?

 

[RLDSL]

you really should install a filter or at least a water/trash seperator before the pump on any electric pump installation unless the pump has one built into it like the Facet Duralift pumps.
That little screen was meant for funning gasoline through which is generally cleaner ( even so, they still reccomend a filter before the pump on gas burner installations )

 

[HR20]

You are dead on, that's the first thing I thought when I saw the black slime on that thin copper screen. It's on my "to do list". I was just surprised by the hole that was in the screen.

 

[Agnem]

Sounds like the hole may have been created by rust particles impacting the screen. Just an idea. A disposable in-line filter is a good idea. I think I'll add one to mine.

 

[RLDSL]

Just one thing to remember, if you are installing a filter under the truck, install a shut off valve on each side of it, otherwise when you go to change it, you will take a diesel shower as it siphons off all over you.

 

[razorback]

yeah, diesel showers under trucks are not fun. been there, it is better than gas though.

 

[HR20]

Yup, got the diesel shower. Not that bad though. Another good idea on the valves.

 

[redneckaggie]

i always keep a bolt on hand that i shove in the line from the tank to keep from the diesel shower from happening

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

Just one thing to remember, if you are installing a filter under the truck, install a shut off valve on each side of it, otherwise when you go to change it, you will take a diesel shower as it siphons off all over you.

When I get my new Facet pump, I am going to install another prefilter before the factory fuel filter/separator, along with either ball valves or double shut off quick couplers between the pump and primary filter. I figure if I do get some bad fuel/water/etc I can simply unplug the hose and pump off the bad stuff into transparent container until it comes out clean, or (the real reason) I can run a bypass kidney loop filtration system through a separate filter. Wouldn't it be nice to have one dediated tank where you could just dump any oil you ran accross into it and then run an on board kidney loop to filter and return that oil to either of your fuel tanks after kidney filtering it to say 10 microns?

 

[cleithau]

Easier than a bolt and cheaper than shut off valves is just slip some fuel line over the end of needle nose vise-grips and you've got a fuel line clamp.

 

[Exekiel69]

The little screen on the Holley's are no good plus the BD will eat it in days, remove it and trow it as far away as You can. Get Yourself a prepump filter like to nice goldenrod with water block and You'll save Yourself a headache if the pump ever gets plugged with residue.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

The GoldenRods are wonderful.



I, by accident, ended up with a dozen metal-case Baldwin 3/8-inline filters.

Since the emergency/by-pass electric-pump is located under the cab, I used one of those for my pre-filter pump protector.

I prefer the see-thru clear plastic ones, under the hood, ahead of the mechanical lift-pump.

A glass sediment-bowl, ahead of any inline filter, is also a good idea, as the sediment-bowl will catch any big clumps that come along, before they can overwhelm the little filter.


I second the use of plenty of cut-off valves.

You may not mind a fuel bath; but, there are those that will panic and call authorities, when they witness someone spill a drop of "hazardous" chemicals on the ground.

 

[sle2115]

Well, as was said, pre-filter is a good idea. I use the Perma Cool and don't take a bath either. I have both tanks new, new sender in the rear and a very clean one from Darrin in the front. I have all new lines installed as well, run only diesel, with Stanadyne, a little 2 stroke, or new veggy oil for a little lubrication, and after about a year, I plugged one of the Perma Cool filters as far as I could tell. I cut it open and it looked near black inside...at least it was there and not in my pump! I wondered if some of it was from the recirculation of fuel as well, who knows what is washed off as fuel travels through the system to the front and back again!

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I cut it open and it looked near black inside...

In a pristine, new and clean, fuel-system, such as you obviously have, that black could very well be from engine oil that has gotten in the fuel system, either via the mechanical lift-pump, or possibly from the injection-pump, although it is usually the other way around, fuel leaking into the crank-case through either of those points of entry.



A fuel-pressure gauge, installed between the filter and injection-pump, is a wonderful trouble-shooting aid, and it will warn of a filter blockage before it just quits running from lack of fuel.

 

[flatlander]

A fuel-pressure gauge, installed between the filter and injection-pump, is a wonderful trouble-shooting aid, and it will warn of a filter blockage before it just quits running from lack of fuel.

Yes, but it is no substitute for a working fuel level gauge. I added one assuming I'd see wild psi fluctuations and therefore know when to switch tanks. Not so. The wild fluctuations occurred moments after the truck ran out of fuel and died.