[BADMOON]

I'm working on my new-to-me '79 mini and I discovered that it has an in-tank electric fuel pump. It appears to be an original and unmolested 79. I've searched the forums, but the results indicate it was originally a mechanical pump. Anyone know if the current setup was an option in 79? Local dealer shows only mechanical pumps for '79. It is currently not working and I'd like to replace it with another in-tank electric, but don't know where to find one. I'm new to mini's, but have a long-term addiction to cruisers; this is new territory to me.
Thanks in advance,

Dave

[toy4xfun]

i am not sure but it does not sound right to me. the tanks are different between the mechanical and the electric in tank. i would think may be the guy had a tank problem and put a newer tank under it and eliminated his mechanical pump.

[KLF]

Has it been converted to fuel injection? Or is there still a carb?

If it's still carb'd, you have to be careful to get a low pressure pump. The stock EFI in-tank pump runs at about 70 psi, it will blow the float valve out of the carb.

BTW, WE WANT PICS!!

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

The electric pump is not stock, and I can't imagine why someone would put one in... The stock pump is easy to get to, very reliable, and I don't think they are that expensive...

Has your stock mechanical pump been bypassed? It should be near the front of the engine on the passenger side of the head.

[BADMOON]

Thanks,
This tank looks very original. It's behind the passenger seat and under the bed-has what appears to be a factory skid plate as well. What years had this as the location for the tank? If this is a tank from a later mini, what's the best way to identify which year? I'm thinking I read that electric pumps came out with fuel injection? I may be ahead to just remove the pump and mod a pickup tube in its' place rather than to try to figure out what application the electric pump is from. I guess if I have to drop the tank anyway, I might find a part number on the old pump and then find out if it's available. Any direction from the experts is much appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

[liljlandon]

Your head should have the place for a manual pump regardless. If its not Fuel Injected, then a manual pump will be just as beneifical.

[BADMOON]

No mechanical pump on the motor; still carb'd, with no other signs of modification that I can see. If someone swapped tanks, they did it before the truck was undercoated; the skidplate has the same undercoating as the rest of the truck.

[liljlandon]

Pictures? Ive never heard of this... Could be FAQ worthy?

[KLF]

NONE of the pickups had a tank behind the passenger seat, at least not in '79. That is definitely not stock, and IMO it's not safe either.

If the fuel pump is missing from the head, besides removing the blockoff plate you're gonna also have to check to make sure the cam is there on the end of the camshaft to drive it.

[BADMOON]

I planned to take some pics last weekend, but got there and batteries were dead on the camera. I'll try to get some this weekend. It's about 20 miles from my house-at my brothers' place. I'd thought about the pressure differences between the mechanical and electric pumps; the truck was running before the pump quit. Maybe it was a low pressure electric?

Originally Posted by KLF

Has it been converted to fuel injection? Or is there still a carb?

If it's still carb'd, you have to be careful to get a low pressure pump. The stock EFI in-tank pump runs at about 70 psi, it will blow the float valve out of the carb.

BTW, WE WANT PICS!!

[BADMOON]

I'm sorry, I wasn't very clear in my description; the tank is not in the cab behind the seat, it is under the bed of the truck--just behind the passenger seat (at the very front of the bed). Is this the stock location for the tank? Ah crap--I hadn't thought about the cam drive possibly not being there. I'll be sure to check that when I go back out. If the cam drive is missing and I can't determine the application of the electric pump/tank, what's the prevailing thoughts for an external, in-line electric pump?

Originally Posted by KLF

NONE of the pickups had a tank behind the passenger seat, at least not in '79. That is definitely not stock, and IMO it's not safe either.

If the fuel pump is missing from the head, besides removing the blockoff plate you're gonna also have to check to make sure the cam is there on the end of the camshaft to drive it.

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

I think he meant under the bed on the pass side KLF. Sounds like it has a low pressure electric pump. The tanks were all on that side from the 70's (maybe earlier) through '95.

[BADMOON]

Right you are 2nd gen-sorry about that bad description. I've had a 72 chevy pickup with the in-cab fuel tank---what the heck were they thinking??? With all my ramblings, does anyone have a guess as to what application this tank is from? I also have an '81 2wd and it definitely has a mechanical pump (and 22r). Would the tanks from 79-81 have been interchangeable? If so, this may be the direction to take in swapping them. I've also had the thought of adding the tank from the 81 to the drivers side of the '79 for an aux tank. Anyone ever done this?

Originally Posted by 2ndGenToyotaFan

I think he meant under the bed on the pass side KLF. Sounds like it has a low pressure electric pump. The tanks were all on that side from the 70's (maybe earlier) through '95.

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

You may be able to just install an inline electric or a mechanical pump on the engine without dropping the tank at all. If the tank isn't out yet, I'd go that route first.

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

Haven't heard of a second stock tank on the drivers side. The exhaust would get interesting, but I like the idea!

[BADMOON]

Do you think the in-line electric or mechanical pump would draw fuel through the inoperable, in-tank fuel pump? I was thinking that I'd probably have to remove it before the fuel would flow. As for the idea of an aux tank, I'll look closely this weekend to see if it appears do-able. It would be nice to have the added capacity since I'm miles from anywhere interesting to explore.

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

I think it would be fine, if it's not, then you can drop the tank and remove the pump...

[liljlandon]

I installed a low pressure push pump between my fuel pump and tank, so that it would push through the old fuel pump. It held 2.5 PSI with the key on, at the carb. I doubt youd have any trouble unless its stopped up instead of just bad.

[BADMOON]

The good news here is that I can blow into the tank through the fuel line at the filter so there aren't any blockages. I guess that probably means the fuel could flow the other direction too. I'll try the simplest approach first-install a mechanical pump and see if it draws through the old pump. Thanks for all the help-I'll post some pics after this weekend.



Dave

[BADMOON]

I decided I couldn't wait until the weekend to figure this thing out. After several calls to the local parts stores, O'Rielly's found a listing for an electric fuel pump for a 1979 Hilux with 20R. New pump in hand, I dropped the tank (after verifying it was not an electrical problem) and removed the pump assembly for comparison to the aftermarket fuel pump---exact match! Once I get photos posted, you'll quickly see why I was getting no fuel to the filter-the rubber elbow had blown off the pressure side of the pump. I decided to replace the pump with the new one even though it appears the old one is still operable. The rubber base-mount is extremely soft and beginning to distort, so I figured I'd start fresh again and hope it will last another 30 years. After dropping the tank and removing the pump, I am 100% convinced this setup was OEM. There were no signs the tank had ever been removed or replaced and the wiring harness was completely unmolested. I ran out of time to re-install the tank tonight, so I 'm hoping to get that done tomorrow evening. I took pictures and will try to post some in this thread. FWIW, the date of manufacture is 8-1979. I'll post up final results later. Thanks to all for the thoughts, advice and suggestions.

Dave

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

Interesting... I'm awaiting pics!

[BADMOON]

Here goes:







I'll try to get a couple more uploaded.