Ill-fitted pumps ?!

[PhilM]

Well, I've been fooling with this alky stuff for quite some time now and have been trying to find the "right" pump without having to get one specially made or paying over 600$ (e.i. Weldon ) per unit.

I have been using Shurflos since I started the system and have only had some small issues here and there, mainly when the pump sits. My concern: as I start putting more of these kits in customers' cars, someone will unquestionably fool with something (pressure switch, diaphram, wiring, mounting, etc...) - heck I fool with stuff all the time. Aside from misuse, if the pump does get meth "spilled" into it from either improper location/mounting or from a torn diaphram, then there could potentially be a "problem" when the liquid enters the motor The Shurflo company does not even make any pump that is flammable liquid compatible due to the dc motor they use. I remember one install with the pump mounted inside the fender with the pumphead facing down; when I removed it I actually poured water out of the motor housing.

I would really like to just offer kits with Weldon pumps (the only ones I've found that are totally Meth/Eth compatible at the pressures we need, but the kit will then skyrocket in price (1300$ +) and even their smallest HP pump is quite an overkill... I feel responsible to a degree and disclaimers work, but if someone gets hurt or loses an engine or car because of something like this, isn't the extra price justified for at least a portion of the market? I think it is great that kits are so inexpensive wrt to how much gain you can achieve, but then again 99% of the kits out there for meth, including mine, use the 50$ Shurflo's and I'm beginning to question releasing any more kits without an atleast compatible pump. If the manufacturer of the pump blatently states 'not for use with flammable liquids' should we really be ignoring that?

Any thoughts, Razor, users, DIY'ers, etc... ?!?!?! I know there is a TON of the Shurflo's in operation and I have yet to heard of a real big catastrophe aside from mistune, but does that mean it won't happen?

 

[Razor]

The solution is rite under your nose. The problem is your going to have to put labor/time into it.

What ya think.. I send a pump out without modifying it for the issues you just stated above

I will not go into the modifications I do to the pumps on line. Sorry that R&D I will absolutely not give away for free. Since it is "My Edge" :wink:

Part of hot rodding.. you hit a wall.. find a way to overcome it. Zero pumps in the last 6 months have seen any form of failure.

And yes you are 100% correct, there is no pump as supplied by any MFG that will hang with methanol. The flojet seems to be an alternative, but under really high pressure will seep out of its head.. I even question the weldon with alky sitting in it for 6 months.

You have some soul searching and homework :redface:

Everyone concentrates on the controller.. keep looking at that angle..

 

[PhilM]

I would not mind at all increasing the price of my kits, even over what it is already, and surely many people would not go for it, but that is OK as I can't mass produce em and still prefer to make them all myself, by hand - but only if I can get a better pump will increased price be justified.

I talked to a lot of pump engineers and they all told me the same thing RE: methanol... since it carries moisture. The people at Weldon assured me of it's reliability so long as I didn't remove the meth from the pump but I have yet to try one myself and the prices are VERY high... Not only that but ALL Weldon pumps can NOT be used with H2O, so there goes half the applications right there.

I have already tried the flojet, and as you already mentioned, it doesn't do well with HP operation required for some of the nozzles.

I am talking to some people at pumptec, as their heads look very promising, but there are issues there too with installation - and I still believe they are all brushed DC motors, making their use with flammable liquids still a no no. Also, being a piston style, you cannot dry run it, and it must be primed at all times although the reliablilty otherwise is greater.

Modding a Shurflo for me is out of the question --- don't wanna be the copycat, that's for sure... :tongue: Redoing someone elses steps is pointless in the scheme of specialization and general economy.

My controller is *bling* and has reached perfection on my level but it is a system, and every component is crucial. I am only shady about one item and that is the pump. I have a bunch of ppl running around with the shurflo's and no one has complained with problems, but I told them what to do to keep her running and to NOT crank up the pressure switch over what I've set it - I do loose a few psi's but most apps dont need it anyway and dual nozzles helps greatly with the atomization.

You know what, I'm going hydraulic, lol