joco1

ive had no problem with my hobbico electric fuel pump for over a year now but tonight it wouldnt pump when i tried filling my plane everything sounds normal but it just wont move any fuel at all ! do you think my pump is gone bad ive drank about a pint of fuel tonight seeing if i could get it to prime but no luck!

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

It has been my experiance that a year is about the life span of an electric pump, which is why I use only manual. They seem to last a little longer. Good Luck, Dave

seemefly_1

got my pump used lasted but now you must prime it every flight, switched to manual also.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

I've got to agree with DavidAgar. For the first 3-4 years I flew I was replacing an electric pump every year. I've switched to a manual pump and the first one I had lasted 8 years. I'm on the second one now and it's going strong.

Get a manual pump, you won't regret it.

Ken

Campgems

About the only difference between the manual and the electric pumps is that you have to crank the manual ones. Ipicked up my pump with a bunch of other stuff about three years back. It was well used then, and I"ve pumped about 15 gallons through it since I got it. No signs of trouble. I thought it had gone bad once until I noticed that I had bumped the switch on the pump and it was runing reverse from that power pannel switch.

If they go bad and quit pumping, check the pick up line to the pump. I've had two of them go bad on me, one broke off at the fuel level and the other broke at the niple on the jug top. If the pump does go bad, it usually starts leaking because the tube that is the hart of the pump is cracked and leaking.

Don

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I'm using a Mark-X pump, I bought it used with a flight box, 12 years ago!! It did quit pumping once, I took it apart to see what went wrong?? Turned out to be a big hunk of crud inside the fuel filter on the end of the fuel line in my can. A lot of electrics like to have a little positive pressure inside the can on the first pump of the day. I have a fuel line I use and just blow pressure into the can then it's fine the rest of the day. One of my old students gives his fuel can a squeeze the first shot of the day and everything is fine.
There isn't much to go wrong with a pump weather hand crank or electric, nothing in there except an impeller. The hand cranks don't really care if you use glow fuel or gas either.

bonebreak

I will be more than happy to replace an electric pump anually. I currently have a hand crank pump, and I HATE it. You just turn, and turn, and turn. I bought an Aeroworks Edge 540, and the tank in it is HUGE. I feel like it takes 15 minutes just to fill the thing up. After it's full, I am about to worn out to fly (just kidding, but it does wear me out). I had an electric pump, and it went out. I took it apart, and it seemed to me that the motor just didnt have what it took to spin the gears any more. That is when I bought the manual. I will still keep the manual in my flight box just in case, but I am buying another electric pump this week.

ChuckW

I too had an electric pump that failed. Now have one of these and it works great: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXGCY3&P=ML

It pumps very fast, has been extremely reliable and mounts right on the fuel jug for a compact package.

JohnW

My Feedback: (6)

If it makes noise, but doesn't pump fuel, the coupler between the motor and pump might be spinning on the shaft. Open the pump to verify. I had one die this way in about 5 minutes. I soldered a solid shaft (brass tubing) between the motor and pump and it worked for years pumping around 20-30 gallons a year.

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

same thing happened to me I sent it back, and it was replaced for being defective, still using the second pump works great,if this one breaks its worth it to me to buy another one, and not have to crank all that fuel around, 14oz tanks will wear you out

Mikecam

2nd year for my electric fuel pump. The Hand crank pump stays in my tool box as a replacement.

hulio516

I used to go inside restaurants to eat but the walk from my car to the front door about "wore me out" so I just started going to the drive up windows.

Stick 40

WHAT, does this add to your post count?

why post this, is there a reason????

I had a Mark X that I used a couple of years and then quit flying. I got it out 15 years later and it worked for a couple more years. Don't know if they are still around.

One of the guys at the fieldsaid that the Hanger 9 pump was working will for him.

sticks

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

For anything up to about fourteen ounce a 'geared manual' is by far a more practical and reliable setup although these can fail also perhaps at a slower rate. Since this is the beginners forum it is reasonable to assume a tank size somewhat smaller.

I do reccomend a geared manual over the Dave Brown Six Shooter as this one is considerably more difficult to crank and use.

The geared manual offers an important feature that an electric cannot do and you soon find yourself relying on. Simply by counting the cranks to fill the tank and the cranks to defuel you soon acquire a very good handle on the average fuel consumption of your engine the way you fly it. A very useful little trick

A geared manual can also offer a start on freedom from lugging a heavy flight box battery and perhaps a power panel too if you should choose to complete the escape by also going to a portable starter and portable glow ignitor or ignitor box.

John

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

Is there a way to adjust these pumps? OP talked about cranking his hand pump for decades before tank would fill. I have the same issue with one of my two pumps. One fills a 14oz ank in 30 cranks, one takes over a hundred. There is some kind of screw behind the label that goes into the pump mechanism but I haven't yet played with it.

I like the hand crank if and when it's working properly.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

All the geared manuals I have opened up have a open rear face over the roots gears with a sheet metal plate over the open face and inside the rear plastic cover. Some have had a small screw through the backside of the case and this would contact the center of that sheet metal plate. On occassion this screw would by either loosening or tightening a bit would allow a pump that no longer would prime to start working.

Many I see now have omited this screw making the pump with no possible adjustment.

The pump that has worked the best for me has been the hanger nine although these to have failed on me at times. I keep six cans gal/quart sizes all the time with different types of fuel with its own manual permanently secured to the can with RTV.


The OP's pump as he mentioned is an electric.


John

bonebreak

Mine is one of those that takes well over 100 cranks. Maybe I got a bad one?? It is a hanger 9, and I know that I have to crank it enough times that it really gets annoying, and most times I have to switch hands. I still think I will be going back to electric.....

DGUY

My Feedback: (9)

I am wondering if you do swap over from Elec to manual. Which is what I want to do. Who makes the best made (material) and most efficient pump?

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

I have had the best luck with the Hanger 9.

John

MetallicaJunkie

So Hangar 9 makes the best manual pump? One of their electric pumps only lasted me 2 months. So far my Sullivan Streamer has lasted about a year and 20+ gallons... its dieing on me now, it wont pump efficiently at 12 volts any more...luckily my field box is rigged for 24v.. i had to resort to that this past weekend to get it to pump.

Im going manual i just dont know which one to get for glow. On my gas can i have an MPI that has lasted some time.. i might just go that route

bigdanusa

I've pumped over 100 gallons of fuel in the last 5 years with this manual Dave Brown Six Shooter pump and it's still working great. Straps right onto a gallon of fuel. I carry my gallon of fuel in a 5 gallon bucket along with my electric starter and 12v starter battery.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXB887&P=ML

I've seen too many people lose too much fuel on the ground (and all over their radio in one instance) lol using an electric pump.

jimmyjames213

My Feedback: (2)

i have a tower hobbies manual pump.
takes 20-24 turns to fill a 8oz tank
its a year old and still works fine, although when its cold out it the gears jam easily, not that big of a deal if you spin it backwards for 1/4 of a turn then forwards it frees up.

RCAA

My Feedback: (4)

If you guys would use a 9 volt battery to run your electric pumps, they will last a lot longer. Most of the electric pumps will operate from 6v to 12v.[8D]

MetallicaJunkie

I ended up getting a Hobbico manual pump its all H-town had. ........I havent cranked glow fuel in years []

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I see on a lot of infomercials and a lot of people can't operate a broom or open a jar, see it all the time. I have a six shooter and a Magnum hand crank pump I use for gas, I like the six shooter but the small Magnum works a lot smoother and is faster. Odd, all the years I have used my electric pump I don't spill at all?? I have had to open it up to remove gunk but it keeps on pumping. I use a catch can on my pressure line so nothing is wasted. If I figure 20 gallons of fuel a year for 10 years with the same old used pump I think I got my money's worth. I bought a flight box, power panel, starter, 1/2A engine and a bunch more used stuff for 20 bucks, that was 12 or 15 years ago and most of it is still being used. I love a good deal.