Sam Buchanan

I understood this question to be in regard to whether or not the life of the electric pump would be shortened by intermittent use. I don't know for certain....but I doubt it. I can tell you that on my aircraft the Facet electric diaphragm pump that is only used for takeoffs and landings as a backup to the mechanical pump is still working fine after twenty-one years in service. The full-time mechanical pump has been replaced twice. ?

Permatex #2 is non-hardening. #1 is the crusty stuff.......

I'm in the process of reassembling the trans and engine for my TR6. Permatex #2 is my go-to, I apply a very thin coat to both sides of the gaskets. Be sure you check the oil drain-back on the pinion cover when you assemble your gearbox to make sure it is correct:

My P15 has no momentary switches, bypass lines, pressure regulators or gauges, or antique mechanical pump leaks. The fuel system is one place where additional complexity is not a good thing. ? I do agree the Carter rotary pump can make a little noise. Here is how I soft-mounted mine so the only time I hear it is when I first turn on the ignition...the sound tells me the pump is running. After engine start I no longer notice it.

Nick, it can go quite a bit higher than that and still cohabitate with the shifter. Look at my installation again:

I recently had to replace the thermostat on the P15, it was stuck open. Car would only get to about 120*F on a cool fall day and the engine wasn't happy. Installed a 160*F thermostat and now the old car runs at indicated 160-165* and purrs like a kitten. Keeping the thermostat in place while lining up the radiator and bypass hoses was sorta a pain. Just kept fiddlin' with it until it all fell into place. If I'd thought about the rubber band trick that might have simplified things a bit, I'll use it when I replace the new thermostat in thirty years or so.... ?

Nick, here is how I installed the signal switch in my '48: I put the wiring bundle in some heat shrink tubing to tidy things up a bit. The wiring is connected to the car via this terminal strip: The terminal strip is much neater than a tangle of butt connectors, makes it easy to trouble shoot, and provides a place to add circuits.

Could it be that the rubber tip is installed backwards?? Can you pry it out to see if it is cone-shaped on the other end?

Here is a good source for carb parts and advice: https://www.carburetor-parts.com/bbparts.html

If you see 7.5v at the battery with the engine running your alternator is working regardless of what you see on the ammeter.

Marc, if you strike out with conventional sources you should be able to find a rod end that works from McMaster Carr: https://www.mcmaster.com/rod-ends/corrosion-resistant-ball-joint-rod-ends-9/

Am I supposed to be carrying a jug of water in my P15??

If cold my '48 is started with the choke which has a fast idle of 1200-ish rpm. Hot starts sometime need a little throttle blip, so I have never seen the alternator not charging.....hot idle is ~700.

Yep. ?

That's probably what has happened. The alternator needs to be connected to the same wire that was on the 'battery' terminal of the old regulator, this wire goes directly to the ammeter. That will make the ammeter work the same as before.

The pin can easily be made from the shank of a bolt and the clip from a piece of sheet steel.

If you are seeing 7.5v the alternator is working just fine. I've never seen my one-wire alternator need to be revved to start working, the ammeter shows a charge immediately after the engine starts.

I use a 60a alternator which is more than large enough for the standard system on the P15. The two wires (armature and field) that attach to the generator are not used and are disconnected from the regulator if you leave it in place. The single wire from the alternator connects to the large wire that is on the 'battery' terminal on the old regulator. You can either leave the regulator in place and just use it to connect the alternator wire or remove it and connect the alternator directly to the "battery' lead in the wiring harness (that's what I did). I put a 60a fuse in the alternator line but that is just my decision, it isn't necessary for functionality.

I made my bracket out of 1/8" x 1" steel strap. There are generic alternator brackets available, here are a couple but there are others: https://www.carid.com/spectre/alternator-bracket-mpn-42273.html?view=505407&gclid=Cj0KCQiA88X_BRDUARIsACVMYD94DAB6qsVNoaJ-qaKbvZQ1JJlD4qN-y5t7uGyIb9w6De2vfUAMpMkaAkVSEALw_wcB https://www.motorcityreman.com/getoalbr.html?cmp=googleproducts&kw=getoalbr&gclid=Cj0KCQiA88X_BRDUARIsACVMYD8tSJwBQm0RqjeNv7asK8o8srqZIcLr9vHbLErPWUpPnLx0N3_eHUcaAr4jEALw_wcB Howard Enterprises, where I got my alternator, also sells an adjustable bracket: https://www.ebay.com/str/HowardEnt/Universal-Alternator-Bracket/_i.html?_storecat=7040873016

That would work, matter of fact, a different size notch could be made on a couple of faces of the top 4x4 so it could be rotated for the best fit. I would keep the "notches" shallow, however.

Good thread even if the baby monitors won't work. I try to get these "jack stands" under the car if at all possible:

No return line needed for a carb engine. There must be something wrong with your fuel hose if it bulges with 3 psi.......

Rich, There are numerous scenarios where a single failure will put the car on the side of the road regardless of what systems are in use (broken distributor, broken U-joint, blown out radiator, stuck thermostat, etc, etc, etc, hey....running out of gas!)). I carry a AAA card so I can call for the flatbed. Your single-point of failure is that you still have a voltage regulator instead of a reliable alternator. ? Yes, it is personal choice, but electric is functionally superior. The only sound argument for a mechanical pump is if an owner wants to retain originality.

Why keep the mechanical pump if you have electric? The reason for going electric is to eliminate the mechanical pump. ? I have more confidence in the Carter electric pump pushing fuel from the tank in full-time use than the antique mechanical pump trying to suck fuel all the way to the engine..... The block-off plate is just a piece of 1/8" steel, use your old mechanical pump as a template to make the plate. Add a gasket and use the original pump bolts to install. In regard to priming.....this is a non-issue. By the time you move your hands from the key to the push-to-start switch the carb bowl is full. The installation of an inertia collision shut-off switch is sorta controversial because it introduces a single-point of failure in an otherwise very reliable electric pump system. I ran electric for a year with no reservations until some here on the forum shamed me into adding a collision switch. I still think it is sorta silly in our old cars since all that is needed in a minor collision is to reach over and turn off the ignition to kill the pump. In a major catastrophic crash who knows what condition the uncrashworthy old Mopar and its occupants will be in......the shutoff switch may be a moot point. But I ran the switch on a test light circuit for several weeks, didn't see any false triggers so added it to the pump circuit. The switch is a magnetic Ford device mounted on the firewall where I can easily reset it or unplug it to restore power to the pump if it fails. https://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-OEM-Inertia-Switch-5L2Z9341A/233501072656?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

And don't call me Shirley.......