Lift pump mechanical or electrical?

[Kevin 007]

Im a AAA/CAA towing service provider (running ford and ih diesel emergency vehicles); and I still would recommend to be as best prepared as you can to get yourself running/repaired to the best of your ability before relying on them to save your ass.

 

[ColLonewolf]

The Walbro FRB-13 pump lists four models. Two in twelve volt and two in twenty four. They are either a 6-7.5 psi or an 8-11 psi. Which is recommended? Thanks.

 

[CharlesG]

Our IPs are calibrated for an inlet pressure of approx 5 psi, so the 6-7.5 would be fine.

 

[Cubey]

The nearest O'Reilly to me (23 miles) has a Holley red pump in stock right now, the site says. The store i had selected back in tx said they'd have one by morning, so unless it's the weekend or a holiday, it looks like you can get a whole new one pretty easily with a day or two at worst. Maybe even same day.

One could carry a complete spare pump if they were really worried about the motor burning out, I suppose.

 

[Cubey]

Im a AAA/CAA towing service provider (running ford and ih diesel emergency vehicles); and I still would recommend to be as best prepared as you can to get yourself running/repaired to the best of your ability before relying on them to save your ass.

Yep. Around 2016, I had to sit around waiting two hours for lock out service on my car on a Sunday afternoon in Auburn, WA because they were so busy.

I saw a class c motorhome with roadside trying to figure out how they could even jack up the rear to change a tire since i guess they don't even have a proper way to do it. I carry a 12 ton bottle jack and a "the big one" (for Dana 60/70/80) bottle jack buddy to lift the rear end of mine:

https://bottlejackbuddy.net/the-big-one-1

 

[Old Swabbie]

I am an e pump fan....
However, like I have previously mentioned, I don't think mechanical or electric is better than the other. It's just opinion.
I'll take either one, but when it's time for the mechanical pump to be replaced, I usually just convert it to an e pump for the benefits.

As for pumps, Holley reds are good pumps, I've been really happy with mine.
When I get around to throwing the turbo on my 7.3 I'll be converting that truck to an e pump as well. I may try a duralift this time though so I can mount it in the engine bay.


Rock

I went electric a few year back. Had two Duralifts but changed to Holley red cuz when flooring it getting on the freeway the duralifts couldn't keep up and for a few seconds it was like the engine was turned off.

 

[Big Bart]

I went electric a few year back. Had two Duralifts but changed to Holley red cuz when flooring it getting on the freeway the duralifts couldn't keep up and for a few seconds it was like the engine was turned off.

Old Swabbie you are one of many on this site who found out the hard way many e-pumps are not up for the task. So I now mention in these e-pump threads to go the Holley red e-pump route to hopefully save others some pain. Others have had luck with generic e-pumps from China, but it’s rolling the dice.

What I don‘t see is posts that my new mechanical pumps that won’t keep up. Like any auto part some are bad out of the box, some will not last, but in general they work out of the box.

Members have also shared Holley claims these are set up for gas and diesel wears out the pump. But as Cubey shared there are rebuild kits to save money rebuilding the pump section.

 

[catbird7]

I'll throw my hat in on the Holley Red side of the conversation. Been using one for years and years no issues, and it pumped a lot of mixed fuel over the years, many gallons of 50:50 mix. I do carry a complete spare pump only because I often travel long distance to remote areas. One area the electric pumps can't compete with mechanical is suction power. Electric pumps are designed to push fuel. If the mesh strainer in your tank is clogged, an e-pump will drive you nuts until you figure out the problem.

 

[Booyah45828]

I don't know if diesel necessarily wears it out, but the seals in it might not be 100% compatible with diesel. I was looking into availability of a high volume mechanical lift pump, and a lot of places that off high volume mechanical lift pumps couldn't guarantee their pumps were diesel fuel compatible. I then asked for the material specs of the pump's components and got a lot of silence and "that's proprietary".

I talked to a delphi rep about it as well, just to see if the diaphragm in a diesel pump was the same material used in a gas model, and he told me he kicked it up to engineering, and that's as far as it went. If it's all nitrile, it's 100% fine as gasoline and diesel are both compatible with it. But I couldn't even get them to give me that kind of confirmation.

I also wondered if the gelling/waxing aspect of diesel is what makes them skittish about it.........