Re: Switching from mechanical fuel pump to electric??
 

The problem isn't in his fuel pumps, there is a problem within the carburetors themselves. Changing the pumps won't cure this.

Re: Switching from mechanical fuel pump to electric??
 

Re: Switching from mechanical fuel pump to electric??
 

Re: Switching from mechanical fuel pump to electric??
 

If the fuel pumps are bad,the motors will never start!

Re: Switching from mechanical fuel pump to electric??
 

The only problem he's having is starting after the boat sits for a week. Even without fuel pumps there should be enough fuel left in the carburetors to fire the engines.

Re: Switching from mechanical fuel pump to electric??
 

Listen to what BOB ONEAL is saying, I have the same problem same carb on a built small block. ITS THE CARBS. This Edlebrock model is an old Carter AFB, ya don't see these much anymore. I'll take a Holley or maybe Qjet if I have to, no more AFB's nothing but a hassle. Maybe a REAL good carb guy can make these work but I think they'd be retired by now - this is a '60's Hemi carb and used on a few Buicks.

Re: Switching from mechanical fuel pump to electric??
 

If you don't have alot of money, you can fix the carbs. If anything like a leaky quadrajet, a little devcon fixes 'em right up. You don't even have to take them apart.

But first make sure they are leaking and not just bad accelerator pumps.

Try this - run the engine for a bit. Turn it off. Immediately pull the flame arrestor, open the choke, and have someone pump the throttle while you look down the carb. You should see gas squirting. If not, then defiantely the carbs accelerator pumps are bad and you'll have to rebuild or replace them. If you do see the squirts, but you do not after it sits a few days, then the carb is leaking all its fuel into the manifold. I don't know the Carters, but they probably leak from a drilled passage that is plugged with a pressed in cap. Clean the area and Devcon it up. Fixed for a the cost of a tube of Devcon.

But I am guesing at this point it a leaking plug because you say it runs just fine the rest of the time. No need to rebuld if that's true, just plug the leak.

In either case, you don't have to spemd a lot of money. And a rebuild kit should not be that much money.

Re: Switching from mechanical fuel pump to electric??
 

How does the electric choke work?

The electric choke is simply a heater. Volatge is applied, and as it heats up, it opens the choke butterfly.

a)Pull off the flame arrestor on a cold engine, key off. Move the throttle a bit and the choke should close. If this does not happen, then you definately have a bad choke. If it closes, then

1) Turn ignition on.
2) With you voltmeter set on DC volts, check for battery voltage at the elctrical connection. The red lead on the choke, the black lead to the engine. If you read battery voltgae, you have power to the choke.
3) You can now wait and watch the choke start to open. If it does not, and you still have voltage, carefully touch the choke housing. It should be warm to HOT. If it is, and the choke has yet to start to open, you have a bad choke.
4) If you have voltage, and it opens, you do not have a choke problem.