Electric fuel pump
 

Hello
Am in the process of setting up my field box and am not to sure which way I should go with fuel pumps?

Should I go the manual pump or the electric pump?

Have the power panel set up on the field box so electrics is no problem.

Wouldlike to know what everyone is using !

Also thinking of buying an electric starter, what do I look for in a starter? and maybe some good brands!

Thanks for any feedback
dutchy50

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

Electric is a little faster and easier. I use a manual pump because it was cheaper, and it's fine for my .40 and .60 size planes.

For starters, I can't tell much difference from one brand to the next. You don't need anything high torque for the smaller engines, but if you're planning to go to anything over 1.00 ci you might consider one of the stronger ones. I think Hobbico makes the Dynatron which has enough torque for the bigger engines.

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

Get a manual pump. About 85% of the people who have purchased electric pumps have gone back to manuals. Electric pumps are expensive, and they encounter a lot of problems.

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

I use only geared manuals for all my glow powered stuff. Electric pumps and power panels are just stuff for the new guys to spend money on.

In addition manuals have the hugh advantage of making it simple to figure fuel consumption with simple habits of counting turns in and out. This is impossible with electric pumps.

John

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

I use an electric fuel pump and have for 37 years. The best one is:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...SM&C=PFC&V=SLI

This is also a good one and is cheaper:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...SM&C=PFC&V=SUL

Bruce

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

I like the manual version. More contol seems to me and no need for a battery......but that's just me. :D

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

There was a thread about this very same subject not too long ago. Read through this one to hear more opinions about fuel pumps:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_96...tm.htm#9683044

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

While not the cheapest, IMHO the Kavan starter is superior to all others for engines glow 1.2 or smaller. I even use it to start the 35CC gasoline Quadra I have.

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

The electric pump in my box is over 15 years old and still going strong. I use the cheap manual hand crank for my gas powered planes. I still have a power panel in my box too. I do use it but the battery died a long time ago and I use a auto jump start battery and connect it to two of the panel plugs on the outside. It only powers my pump and during the winter to power the glow driver for some added juice. I could live without the electric pump and power panel but what the heck, I have had them for years and they are in my flight box.

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

if you plan on burning several gallons a month dont get an electric pump...the pump that seamed top last longer was a Sullivan Streamer...but arent really desgned for rigorous use...i went back to a manual crank

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

I have been using a Hangar 9 crank pump for about 4 years, and it works great. I like being able to count the cranks to know how much fuel I am burning each flight. It can also help tell you if something is wrong with your tank, if it takes a lot fewer cranks than usual to fill up.

I once thought that it was starting to wear out, as it was getting really hard to prime and taking a lot of cranks to fill my tank. Turns out the inlet on the end of the suction line was just filled with lint. I cleaned out the lint and it was good as new.

Unless you are filling up 24 ounce tanks in big planes, I would go with a crank pump.

Good luck

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

I routinely fuel and defuel this one with a grand total of 56 ounces in three tanks with no issues. The inability to count cranks would really mess things up.

John;)

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

I have to ask....wth is that, and why?

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

I'm one...

I even use manual pumps for my gassers... and yet I've had people ask me why I bother with hand crank pumps...

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

I use the Magnum hand crank pump for my gas engines, it was always in my flight box in case my electric pooped out on me. My electric has been with me for way too many years and keeps going? I do see a lot of people having problems with there electric pumps these days, all I can think is they don't make them like they used to. I bought mine used 15 years ago. Don't really know if that means anything or not?? I know for a fact if I operated like John does I would have all hand cranks just like him. I only use one type and flavor of fuel so one pump does me well.

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

I have used both electric and manual pumps. don't forget you turned the electric pump on unless you want to take a bath, also don't forget to pull the one way valve while filling a tank used by ys engines while using an electric, talk about major fuel baths you don't know what tube to grab as all that fuel is spurting around. A cheap pump is a cheap pump I have gone trough 3 electrics and 4 hand crank pumps until I found the six shooter hand crank pump which is trully bullet proof but it doesn't pump as fast as the other pumps

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

I use just the hobbico fuel pump, but I use the slim M4 manual fueling system. The hobbico fits on this also.
Jim

http://www.slimlineproducts.com/online_shop/m4_pump.htm

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

The electric starter is great, and I also like the convenience of my electric fuel pump, though a manual pump will be just fine.  The electric starter, though, is one thing I would suggest you get, for the occasional finnicky engine, and just for the ease of starting, and it's safer.

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

I use an electric, hand crank, fuel bulb and syringe, depending on the plane....Rog

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

Sorry I forgot to quote txaggie08 and this is in response to a question in his post #13.


Its a Bridi Sun fly 3, an early pattern type with OS 70FS setup for cross country flight and with full tankage 56 ounces good for just over two hours. Fuselage servos are behind the wing and accessable through a rubber banded hatch as is the forward tank compartment. Fully expossed engine as are all wing linkages and nosewheel. All considerations when on the road.



John

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

I have been using the same six shooter for the last 30 years. It is not the fastest pumper but it does the job. For my large gas planes I use a geared pump, it takes about 50 turns to fuel up my 24 oz. tank. I've had a few electric pumps in the past, but they never lasted more than a year before leaking.

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

I use electric pumps for glow, gas and turbine fuels. The electric pump that I have found to work the best out of all of them, is the Sig fuel pump. It has an enclosed case for elimiation of spark for gas/jet fuels. I have one pump that has pump gallons of fuel in the past 2.5 years of owner ship. Never a problem. We fly weekly here in Florida, so it has seen a LOT of use filling a 50 oz tanks. They are more expensive, but last a lot longer. They have restrictors for the smaller fuel tanks to cut the flow down.

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

I have been using Sonic Tronics electric fuel pumps for 35 years. I have managed to wear out one, and the second is going strong.

Why mess around with a clunky manual pump for glow fuel?? If the few bucks ($15 -$25) for a pump that will last years is an issue, you may want to consider another (free?) hobby.

RAL

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

Because of the ability to monitor fuel consumption easily.

I would agree with the 'clunky' description for the Dave Brown Six Shooter but That is not a geared manual which is what I always recommend.

RE: Electric fuel pump
 

Who carries/sells the sig fuel pump?