Fuel pump

How long did it run without the fuel pump. It will idle off the fuel bowls for a bit.

BUT, my guess is someone added an electric fuel pump in addition to the stock fuel pump.

With Fuel issues and Electrical issues, I would stop driving the car until it is gone through from a safety perspective before you have a catastrophic car fire!

The car has a Holly carburator and there is an electric wire connected to it. Could the idle problems linked to my electric problems?
Hartwig

The electric wire is most likely the electric choke.

Check the ignition too, as with the ignition key to the "off" position, there should be no sparks...

The wire running to the Holley carb is most likely for the electric choke. They normally work ok. Depending on how it is connected, sometimes it is connected directly to an alternator terminal so the engine needs to be running, another way to connect it is via the ignition coil wire, the most common. The choke can be adjusted to "turn off" sooner or later by loosing the black housing and turning it. There are some marks with + & -, during the hotter months you can adjust it for the flap to open quicker.
Its difficult to say if the choke is your issue, the housing can also be turned so the choke is fully off all the time.
Post some pictures if you can, it makes life easier.

I probably should not comment on this post as the Pantera electrical system is something I know next to nothing about but is there not a fault that can occur that allows the engine to continue to run after the key is turned off ?

Someone more knowledgeable should comment on this.

You have a wiring problem as you describe it, the fuel pump should not run when the key is off. The positive wire to what sounds like a aftermarket installed electric fuel pump is connected to a incorrect power source. Make sure ALL eclectically supplied items like headlights are off if you still hear the buzzing of the fuel pump with everything off, pull the fuse ( identify what the fuse is for, their is not a fuse for the fuel pump, as the car comes stock with a mechanical pump) , find the pump, follow/ trace the wiring from the pump, it should be wired directly to the battery with a relay actuated by a keyed power source. Could be a failed relay.

quote:

Originally posted by SIG:
Hello all,
As a new Pantera owner I had my first longer drive with the car today. When I started the engine I noticed that it was not anymore running like yesterday. Below 2000 rev the engine seems to run to fat and when the engine is in idle it stops after a second. Full power seems okay. In addition, I found the fuel pump still turning even with the ignition key was removed and I had to remove the fuse to stop it working. Suprisingly, the engine also working without that fuel pump, which makes no sense to me. Do you have any advice?
Thanks and best regards
Hartwig

Thanks for your comments, I will check them all next week. Any other clue that I could look for to get the engine back to normal idling? I have attached a photo from one side of the carburator.
Brgds
Hartwig

Looks like your carb is setup for a Holley Electric Choke. The short black wire to the carb body is the ground.

The white (looking) wire provides the voltage to the choke.

Rocky

Buy a 12 volt test light, check the white wire for power, also check the ground wire black with the key on, if you do not have power your choke will not open and the engine will run rich and rough, it will start but as the engine warms the choke needs to open. pull the air cleaner off and look to confirm the choke is opening.

quote:

Originally posted by SIG:
Thanks for your comments, I will check them all next week. Any other clue that I could look for to get the engine back to normal idling? I have attached a photo from one side of the carburator.
Brgds
Hartwig

It may not be allied to your original problem, but I'd trace that white electric choke wire to see where it's connected to draw power. If ANYTHING extra like a choke wire is connected to the coil terminals, it will act like a rev limiter around 4500 rpms and you'll have no power above that rpm. At idle it may be fine but not under load. If it's wired into the fuse box on onto the alternator, it will be OK.

Thanks, I will keep you posted on the progress.
Thanks and brgds
Hartwig

Hello,
I made a bit of progress. I found a hidden switch that operates the extra fuel pump. It powers the pump even when the ignition key is not put in. I switched the pump during driving and could not recognise any difference. The previous owner had an NOS system installed and I think that the extra fuel pump was for that purpose.....
For the electric choke I have measured the voltage. It is 10.5 Volts whereas the battery provides 12.5 Volts. Seems as if I'm loosing somewhere 2 Volt which might be true also for other consumers like the coil.
I also wanted to change the spark plugs. What kind of brand and model do you recommend?
I also found two cylindric water reservoirs for the engine cooling system (photo), is that baseline design?
Thanks for your support
Hartwig

The + terminal of the electric fuel pump needs to be wired to the switched side of the ignition switch. It would be a good idea to install a low oil pressure shut off switch in line to the pump for safety reasons as well.

The + wire of the electric choke needs also to wired to the switched part of the ignition switch.

One thing that could help you overall is to use the Pantera-Electronics Engine Controller.

http://pantera-electronics.com/eis.htm

In your case it has two features that will help your situation. It controls the electric fuel pump, giving the engine an initial pressurization of fuel from the pump to pressurize the carburetor, then controls the rpm of the fuel pump as is needed by the engine, determined by the engine rpm.

It has a feature that controls the opening rate of the electronic choke. The rate is changeable to your own specific needed choke opening rate.

There are other benefits it provides. One specifically that I love is that it will fire fouled spark plugs and will clean the fouled plug while the engine runs. At this point in time, it is the only ignition system that will. Certainly an MSD WILL NOT.

As far as what spark plugs to use, everyone is going to have an opinion on that. With the P-E Engine Controller, that becomes much less of an issue considering the anti-fouling feature of the unit.