1998 dakota getting a 318 carb. Low performance here. Not a performance build. Should I try to use the stock Dak pump and regulator with a return? Much of the engine wiring harness has been eliminated. I just don't know what computer stuff is needed to run that stock pump. Or just go with a Holley or similar electric 5-7 psi pump and wire it separate

Thanks

I would use the fuel pump in the tank and regulate it down at the carburetor and use the return. That way you don't have any plumbing issues with a externally mounted fuel pump. Tough to properly supply a external electric fuel pump with a gravity fed supply of fuel without modifying the stock fuel tank. It will be quieter also.

Use a relay to power the internal electric fuel pump and wire separate if your wiring has been hacked.

what about using an LA timing cover & regular parts house mech pump? I'd think that would be easy & the Hughes eccentric for adding the lobe to run a mech pump is dirt cheap. A fuel line back to the tank & no return needed

Not a bad idea except how would he draw fuel out of a fuel injected fuel tank? Isn't the electric pump mounted into the top of the fuel tank?

Plus I am thinking the OP is a little younger than us and thinking...mechanical pump? What's that? lol

Haha. Idk how much younger I am...44. My son is 14 tho and this will be his truck at some point. It will donate itself to a 1950 Studebaker pick up body. studeakota??

I'm going to see if I can keep the stock pump and wiring and plumbing I guess. If so then a regulator. If not I will pull the stock electric pump motor and run a small Holley electric pump suction line into there I guess

I thought about putting the cam eccentric on but I already have the engine cleaned and regasketed and painted

I would post a pic but I don't see the paper clip attatchement on top

Rich[size:14pt][/size]

I ain't never had or even worked on a FI setup so not sure how they are plumbed at the tank but if I was gonna do the LA cover conversion (makes sense to me) at the tank I would run a line to the bottom then horizontle then a clamp on aftermarket sock. The OP is only 44 yrs old, just getting started!

Like I suspected , your 12 years younger than I am, can't speak for RR. Not that is a bad thing, your a lucky guy to be younger.

It is best to keep and use the original in tank pump. Why not? The return is the way to go too with today gas and is the "hot ticket" on a hot day.

Otherwise you would have to custom fabricate a cover and pickup tube to go where the existing fuel pump mounts and then you would have a poorly designed pickup point for a external pump and like I said it would not be gravity fed for the noisy external pump that would vapor lock on hot days because of the pickup. Pumps can't suck gas uphill reliably, especially in hot weather.

To post a picture from your computer you click on file manager toward the bottom, but the picture must be small enough to fit. Most new cameras nowadays takes large pictures and they must be resized to fit here.
The other and better way is to host your picture somewhere and then it will be resized automatically to fit here and you can post more than 2 pictures at a time. In that case you use the 4th button from the left at the top of the posting page(not the quick reply page)to copy and paste the direct link to your picture/s.

I have done plenty of fuel injection work here at work. Have replaced many electric in tank fuel pumps, done lots of diesel fuel injection work and know race car fuel systems and injection like the back of my hand. I haven't had a carburetor around here at work since the 1980s. I maintain my own fleet of trucks, do 90% of the work myself since 1983. I also have 2 V-10 gas trucks that are injected with propane that I work on.

Yes both of my muscle cars at home still have carbs, although one of them is going to get a injection setup one of these days when I get around to it. Have all the stuff to do it but have too busy learning how to fly a plane in the last 15 months.
Flew this past Sunday.

When I was in training I flew twice a week, now I try to fly at least once week, still tons to learn even after I got my private pilot certificate. Never done learning to fly, it never ends.
The small mountains in Kentucky down by the Red River gorge this past Sunday, love it!

Something else to consider if it will fit as I cant remember but it may only work if you used the fuel tank and pump from a 1988 to 1991 Dakota. As I was going to say if the fuel pump from a 1988 to 1991 Dakota would fit your tank that they used the low pressure throttle body injection and that pump was regulated to 14 psi vs the 1992 and up ported injection systems that run around 48 or so PSI. Just thinking the low pressure pump would need alot less regulation to get down to about 6 psi. But I really dont think the older low pressure system pump will fit right in your tank and am not even sure if the older tank would fit your year either. Ah just a thought. I agree that on this crap pump gas today an in tank pump is the best bet but I use a external Holley pump and have for years on my 63. And I use a stock fuel tank and sending unit. The only problem I had was the fuel boiling in the carb bowls before I realized the pump in my area thats used in the summer boils about 190 or so and a phenolic spacer cured 99% of that problem. But if noise of an electric pump dont bother you you can mount the Holley red pump if you can get it mounted low enough as its preset to about 6 or 7 psi and does not use an external reg and I ran one for many years until I updated to the black Holley pump. Heck I ran 10's with the red Holley pump. But the red pump does not use a return line setup which is nice and if your tank pulls fuel out the top its not as good as the older tanks like in my 63 that uses a side mounted sending unit. They like to gravity feed the external electric pumps but I will say mine is mounted on the side of my tank and not below it. If you want to do the work you can make an external pump work fine but I do agree that the intank pump setup is the best for sure and should be trouble free. The mechanical pump will also work but it may give trouble with vapor lock and fuel boiling if not done right and you drive in real hot weather. Good luck which ever way you decide to go. Ron