Campfire story

[tom cloud]

I was just reading some old posts afore I chunked 'em and came
across this reply I sent to the Big_Bronco list.  Thought it'd
make a nice interlude -- and it is related to efi (moral:
turn off your danged fuel pump automatically if engine stops)

 ....

>QUESTION:  I have to mount an electric fuel pump, I was
>going to do it right by the gas tank, but I don't want to run
>a ton of wire for a hot lead to the front of the truck, any 
>ignition powersources available in the rear end anywhere?

Run a 10 or 12 AWG wire from a relay under the hood.  Suggest
making a bracket -- I made one that fits over the big orange
juice can next to the battery on my '82 Bronco and mounted a
fuse block and relays on it.  I don't know what your plans
or what you're doing, but you want the electric pump to turn
off when the engine dies:

****
Two years ago, a friend and I helped a man and his two young sons 
pull a Jeep Wagoneer off the edge of a precipice in the mountains
of Colorado (seems like it was Imogene pass).  He had a switch in
the cab for the pump and had not turned it off.  He had a carb, and
fuel had been trickling down into the engine.  When he tried to start
it, it locked, so he took out the plugs and got back in to start it.

Now, this was many miles from civilization, and he was from Utah.
Quite a crowd had gathered (that's mebbe six people in the mountains),
including a sheriff's deppity.

He got back in to crank the thing.  Just as he did, I shouted _STOP_.
Too late.  I heard the "snap" of the loose spark plug wires as
the gas squirted out of the cylinders all over his engine.  Every
body ran for their fire extinguishers.

He did drive it away -- some of the wiring was toast.  His carb
was full of white extinguisher powder and his engine was covered
with it.  My friend's parting encouraging word was "don't buy
any lottery tickets today".  (Course, anyone who takes a
Wagoneer up there has already entered some kind of lottery.)

**

Thanks, you gave me an excuse to tell a camp fire story.

But, do fix your fuel pump where it _automatically_ shuts off
if the engine quits.  Use the oil pressure switch and AND it with
the ignition START switch, or something (can use tach pulses and
a one-shot of a couple of seconds -- no spark, no pump).

===== end of campfire story =====


Tom Cloud <cloud at peaches.ph.utexas.edu>