Setup for by passing the inline fuel pump

[RonV]

When it rains it pours  Hm? After a complete new tune-up and 20 miles down the road the in tank fuel pump stooped working  and had a wrecker tow it back to my house, I was told this is an on going problem with RV's and should install an electric fuel pump to a new  fuel regulator  and add 2 new fuel filters up to the mechanical  fuel pump and remove the paper filter at the carburetor.

Being new to all of this modification it sounds simple just to run new lines and by pass the old ones from the gas tank, I am new to all of this and asking if it can be done? I was thinking of just pulling out the fuel tank and start from scratch and make it simple and run new lines or use the existing lines after cleaning and flushing them.

Should I drill a hole in the tank and add a value on it and start from there? then add the electric fuel pump then add a filter and another filter before the mechanical  fuel pump, where would I need to put the new fuel regulator? by the fuel tank or before the mechanical  fuel pump, again this is all new to me so any help from you pro's would be very helpful.

Maybe I am thinking this all wrong but there has to be a simple way of doing it if it is an ongoing problem, a part list would be very helpful and some type of diagram, I have seen different PSI fuel pumps and I got lost, what pump do I need for a 22FT Chieftain and what regulator?
Thanks for any help you can provide     

[Oz]

Yes, that in-tank fuel pump is a known, common problem.

Certainly it can be done!  You really don't need to run new lines for it.  Don't know why you'd want to put in 2 fuel filters though.  One, in an easily accessible location, should be fine. The 2nd should be in the line going to the generator, which is irrelevant to your problem.

As for exactly how to arrange it, that's above my pay grade. 

[Oz]

Take a read through this topic from the point of the link.  Totally recreating the fuel system doesn't appear to be necessary.
https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php?topic=12931.msg76765#msg76765

Here's another with good info and diagrams (the topic may seem irrelevant, but the problem and content are)
https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php?topic=11542.msg65842#msg65842


BTW, I moved this topic.  You have a Chevy chassis but you originally posted on the Dodge board.

[tmsnyder]

That would have iirc the fuel pump relay up front near the driver side firewall or near the drivers side of the engine on the frame.  That can fail, that's what sends power to the pump initially on cranking the engine and then if there is oil pressure while the key is on.  So if it's bad it won't run the pump.  If there's no 12V at the pump when initially turning on the key to crank the engine, then it would be the relay that's bad.

The pump can also be bad itself.   It may have even failed in a way that took out the fuel pump relay. 

There is a way to use a jumper wire at the fuel pump relay plug to send 12v to the pump and test whether it is working.  I'm sure there's a thread on this site detailing that procedure.

As far as it being a well known issue with RV's, not really.  It's a chevy with an in-tank fuel pump.   There's nothing mysterious about the fuel pump dying in the tank.  That's what they do eventually.   On a pickup it's not a surprise at the 70k to 100k miles mark. 

You could remove the in tank fuel pump (extend the dip tube to the bottom of the tank) and use a frame mounted fuel pump.   But they are not nearly as reliable as the OEM style in tank pump.    They are easier to change since you don't need to drop the tank.   I'm on my 3rd frame mounted fuel (lift) pump on my daily driver suburban in 10 years, it sucks that they don't last but it's a 10 minute job to change it.

You need to actually troubleshoot the fuel system problem before just abandoning the whole OEM system, it might be something really simple.

If you do switch to an external pump don't just put it on a keyed power supply.  It should use the oil pressure switch to run, so if the engine isn't running, neither is the fuel pump. ( You would also need to add a momentary 'prime' switch on your dash, hold the button for a few seconds to run the pump and get fuel in the carb. ) Also it would be smart to put in an inexpensive inertial switch in case you have an accident, it will cut the power to the fuel pump so fuel line broken in the crash doesn't make a bad situation tragic.