electric fuel pump, Where?!

[Canopyman]

Hi! I have a 1964 Mooney M20E. Where is the electric fuel pump? When I hit the switch to start it, it will not turn on. Thanks!

[Guest]

Its located under the pilots floor board. Accessed through the the cove cover on the left side of the belly. To remove the screws you may have to remove the left gear door link to allow the door to swing out of the way.

Clarence

[carl]

If the electrical fuel pump is not working but it starts can it be flown somewhere to get fixed ? 

 

 

carl

[jetdriven]

Officially no but let's just say I have a friend who had a pump fail and flew an hour to a shop to get it fixed. At the time nobody else knew.

[rbridges]

is that typical of the pump failing?  Could it be the switch or a ground?

[Yetti]

So just to be sure if it is a Duke pump and it goes south, they will throw lots of plastic downstream.  There should be a filter right after the pump to catch it if the AD was done  There should be a screen right in the Fuel servo.   You have probably been flying it with the pump failed for awhile.

[DrBill]

I have a working Dukes core (leaks when running) that I intend to send to Aeromotors for rebuild ($400) and then make it available

as a "test" or swap unit.

You can "borrow" it if you wish.

BILL

[N33GG]

Fuel pumps can and do fail. And it is pretty random...they can be relatively new and fail, or they can last a long time before failure.

Could be a switch or wiring problem, but pumps do fail.

Good luck!

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard, CanopyMan...

Get out the voltmeter.

You may know where the FP is from the outside, by the convenient pump drain that pokes through the sheet metal. That's the drain for leaky pump seals... (This may not apply to Es, my experience comes from M20Rs)

Best regards,

-a-

[Jim Peace]

I bought brand new from here and there are plenty of threads on the subject:

 

http://www.cjaviation.com

 

Very happy.........

[Immelman]

Before you start in on your $1100 pump, is your $25 breaker switch original? If so you're working with a 51-year-old circuit breaker swtich. These do get tired and fail, which can be a hard failure or a more subtle one of the switch still closing but with higher resistance across it (which robs the pump of voltage). Go get a digital multimeter and lie down across your seats, and with the master off measure the resistance across that breaker switch with the pump switch in the 'on' position. If you see anything more than a fraction of an ohm resistance, you've got a bad switch. You could try, again with the master off, cycling that switch on and off maybe a hundred times and see if that helps.

[tony]

Before you start in on your $1100 pump, is your $25 breaker switch original? If so you're working with a 51-year-old circuit breaker swtich. These do get tired and fail, which can be a hard failure or a more subtle one of the switch still closing but with higher resistance across it (which robs the pump of voltage). Go get a digital multimeter and lie down across your seats, and with the master off measure the resistance across that breaker switch with the pump switch in the 'on' position. If you see anything more than a fraction of an ohm resistance, you've got a bad switch. You could try, again with the master off, cycling that switch on and off maybe a hundred times and see if that helps.

 

I absolutely agreed that a check of the switch is needed but they are a little bit more than $25......It must have been a while since you bought one. 

[ArtVandelay]

If you see anything more than a fraction of an ohm resistance, you've got a bad switch. You could try, again with the master off, cycling that switch on and off maybe a hundred times and see if that helps.

Use electronic cleaner on it, that way you only have to cycle it a few times. 

[Immelman]

I will also say that if it is acting up, rather than just using contact cleaner and calling it ops check good, go ahead and replace. I have seen several of these ancient switches fail in strange ways, including getting very hot heating while otherwise functioning normally... the whole idea of these is to also funciton as a circuit breaker. Will they if the pump shorts???

[Canopyman]

Thanks everyone for the help! I took the left cowl off as suggested and located the fuel pump. I found I was getting voltage to the pump. I also noticed the pump was getting hot while left on. Sounds like I need a new pump, right? 

[tony]

yup, I'd say so.  If you have a Duke's pump, now is a good time to dump it and put in a Weldon. 

[ArtVandelay]

Thanks everyone for the help! I took the left cowl off as suggested and located the fuel pump. I found I was getting voltage to the pump. I also noticed the pump was getting hot while left on. Sounds like I need a new pump, right?

BTW, sometimes you can get voltage, but not be getting enough current, probably not the problem in this case, but something to keep in mind, especially with electronics.

[Immelman]

Sorry to hear it sounds like the pump.

 

Previously, repair was an option. A place called George's Electric in Sacramento, CA could do repairs of the Dukes pumps, and mine a few years back had an issue with the motor-side only which ended up being a couple hundred dollar fix. I had heard recently they are no longer in business or not doing the pumps but it may be worth checking anyway. If repair is not an option, a new Weldon replacement may be the best bet... but unfortunately not a cheap one.

[ArtVandelay]

Sorry to hear it sounds like the pump.

Previously, repair was an option. A place called George's Electric in Sacramento, CA could do repairs of the Dukes pumps, and mine a few years back had an issue with the motor-side only which ended up being a couple hundred dollar fix. I had heard recently they are no longer in business or not doing the pumps but it may be worth checking anyway. If repair is not an option, a new Weldon replacement may be the best bet... but unfortunately not a cheap one.

No longer in business? Isn't he the one that does the gear motor?

[Immelman]

No longer in business? Isn't he the one that does the gear motor?

 

I could be wrong! I am likely mistaken... it may be worth it to call and see if they still repair Dukes pumps.

[Canopyman]

I have a working Dukes core (leaks when running) that I intend to send to Aeromotors for rebuild ($400) and then make it available

as a "test" or swap unit.

You can "borrow" it if you wish.

BILL

Hi Dr. Bill, Please call me. 954 579 0874

[mike_elliott]

Its located under the pilots floor board. Accessed through the the cove cover on the left side of the belly. To remove the screws you may have to remove the left gear door link to allow the door to swing out of the way.

Clarence

And don't mix up the shims on the gear door link..put them back the same way they came off.

[cleatus99]

I have a Weldon Fuel Pump it was Installed in 2012 leaking out the bottom of the fitting.

i hope this isn't normal service life.

[carusoam]

Easy job when you are your own A&P...

R&R + ship it out to be OH'd or change seals yourself?

mine lasted a decade more than yours...

best regards,

-a-

[romair]

I just had to overhaul mine last week. Depending on the pump, you can expect about 1000 for a new one and around 750 for overhaul. Mine was the 8163-B model. I chose to go the overhaul route. I used Quality Aircraft Accessories in Tulse OK - total price was $800. Expect a couple of hours to get it out and back in.