Stuart---I'll try to answer your questions in (almost) the order as
posed, then give you another thought to consider.
Yes, there are electric pumps that can be placed in the engine
compartment, as opposed to the trunk area. Mine is bolted to the left,
inside fender well, below the master cylinder. BAP GEON is the name on
the side of this small, solid state unit. A pressure regulator is
necssary to lower pressure to around 3 lb. There's a 'notch' in the
fender ideal for this pump. Mount it on thick rubber, to control
vibration and noise, should you decide to go this route. Wire it to a
fused source, controlled by the ignition key.
The engine driven pump can stay in place, if desired. It can be capped
on both ends, to keep dirt out. OR, it can be removed and the 'hole' in
the block can be blanked off. (Makes it easier to change oil filters)
The fact that your tach cable "runs over the fuel pump" sounds as if
your distributor drive gear was installed off by a tooth or so, under
the pedestal. (This does NOT mean you're out of time.) When 'correct',
the spring clips that hold the cap in place will be in line with the
engine, and the ground wire from the distributor to the coil (-) will be
directly in back. Write to me direct if any of this is unclear.
Now, on to the first part of your letter...It just might be that
sustained driving is causing your carburetors to get TOO COLD. This can
happen when the (cooler) fuel flow is greater than the surrounding
temperatures and can't warm the carbs. This would not be the case in
city driving. It is usually necessary to have (hot) water jackets in the
intake manifold, as the original design allowed for. To check if this is
so, immediately feel the carbs with your hand (or your brother-in-law's)
after a long drive, as you described. If they're cold, that is why they
respond to choke.
When carburetors, or engines, need more fuel from a pump it won't be at
idle when the demand is low. Me thinks you would have enough fuel at
idle, if it were warm!
Race engines can benefit from this colder fuel, because idling or low
revs is not one of their concerns. Street engines need some heat for
drivability.
Dick Taylor
'73
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