Manual or electric fuel pump

I have a 75 cj5 with a 304. Would it be better to stay with the mechanical fuel pump or switch to an electric. I put on a new mechanical pump and it works when it wants to so i would apriciate yaws oppinions before i change it again.

 

IMO the only reasons you'd want to go electric are if 1) you have severe vapor lock propblems, or 2) you want to convert to fuel injection.

A name-brand new mechanical fuel pump will be very reliable. You should carry a spare too. Check that the current pump delivers fuel with a pressure test or the jelly-jar test (direct the pump outlet into a jelly jar, and see how fast it fills. Obvious fire precautions apply.)

 

I have a clear fuel filter so i can see when how its pumping. It will hit and miss just pumping a little gas and sometimes it does good its only had about 2 tanks of gas run threw it.

 

Do you have any other symptoms of fuel starvation or just direct observation through the fuel filter glass?
The pump won't move fuel while the bowl is full and the inlet needle is seated.The pump will keep a slight pressure on it but there wont be any movement.
When the level drops, the pump will move fuel again.
Maybe that's what you are seeing.

 

If that's the only problem you have then I'd say you don't have a problem, pretty normal.

 

Well sometimes while its running the carb will suck the filter dry before the pump starts pumping again.

 

???
Never seen that one before.
Not doubting what you're seeing, but I don't see how that could be possible.
Maybe an air pocket or vapor lock.
You may have a leak between the pump and the tank that is drawing air (like a hole in a straw).
replace all flexible hose connections and steel line. Most have rusted by now and can look OK but still be rusted through or cracked where they touch the frame and you cant see.
Also check and renew any tank venting components. A bug/mud in the vent line will place the tank under vacuum till the pump can't overcome the suction

 

It's technically impossible for the carb to suck the filter dry as there is no suckage there, only pushage from the fuel pump.

 

Agreed with the above posts.
It used to bug me when I’d look at the fuel filter and it appeared empty or only half full. But the engine still ran, and I’d give it throttle at the linkage and see gas move through it so I learned to live with it.

 

the fuel will wick into a pleated filter and look dry when there is actually fluid moving...albeit not much but still there, i say run it

 

Every thing on the fuel system is new, the tank, sending unit, lines, pump, filter, and a kit in the carb. When i bought the jeep it had about 2500 miles on a rebuilt engine, (new rods, new pistons, all new bearings, new crank, turned cam, new elderbrock torker intake and 600cfm carb with a manual choke, new wires cap rotor and plugs the motor was bored .030) but it sat up for about 2 years so i changed every thing on the fuel system and a kit in the carb. Im no mechanic by no means but i get by. I set the floats by the instructions, set the points and rolled the distributer till it ran the best. The only thing i havent changed is the plugs and the points. It runs good about 1500 rpms or more but wont idle wroth a crap. It seems like it has a dead miss and im wondering if the po didnt no how to us a manual choke and fouled out some of the plugs. Im gona try to get them changed tomorrow and plan on putting in a dui distributer soon. But right now im about to pull out my hair.

 

Number one thing , since everything else seems good to go, would be the points. Lose that system. I refurbished my points distributor and it idled like crap. I retrofitted a 79 cj duraspark system and it idles sewing maching smooth.

Second thing to lose is the torker manifold. Those things are for high RPM race motors.

Then clean the plugs or better yet replace them
If the PO dropped one while installing them, it could cause a miss.