Forum Discussion
Gdetrailer
Jul 22, 2014Explorer III
travel queen 1 wrote:Gdetrailer wrote:travel queen 1 wrote:
Hello all,
Update; understood, it is a 1984 Travel Queen with a Chevy 454, not sure I am thinking the fuel pump may be in the fuel tank?
I have an older RV that I bought used around a year ago. It has a fair stereo system that works OK when the rig is running, however if you are parked and want to run the stereo no matter if the key is in run or acc the fuel pump will run. Everything is so tight and hard to get to. Has anyone else had this dilemma and is there an easy solutiom?
The fuel pump SHOULD NOT be running anytime your ignition is turned to ACC, period.
Pretty good chance that someone had to "MacGiver" the fuel pump wiring.
Most likely was a problem for the previous owner and they rewired the fuel pump from the Ign/Run to the accessory position.
You may need to locate the shop manuals to find out the wiring schematic..
I am no expert with GM but I do believe that a 1984 454 would be a carbureted engine from factory from the small amount of research I have done..
What this means is the fuel pump WOULD NOT have been originally electrically operated, instead it would be a mechanical pump mounted and driven by the engine.
A mechanical fuel pump would look a lot like the following link..
HERE
Older vehicles with carburetors and mechanical fuel pumps would sometimes exhibit “vapor lock” under high temperatures and the mechanical pump would not be able to draw enough fuel quick enough to replenish the fuel bowl in the carb.
With that said, the previous owner may have retrofitted an aftermarket electric fuel pump to your RV in order to solve a vapor lock problem or to replace the mechanical pump(often hard to get to), this pump WILL NOT be mounted in tank. Aftermarket electric pumps would be typically mounted to the frame rail NEAR the fuel tank (trace the fuel line from tank to front).
The previous owner must have simply used an accessory wire to power the pump, while that can work the previous owner SHOULD have also wired in a oil pressure switch cut off (not included with the pump but will be mentioned in the fuel pump installation manual).
Basically in a nut shell a oil pressure cutoff switch NEEDS to be added, you simply need to “TEE” the existing oil pressure sender port, add the cutoff switch and wire the pump through the cutoff.
You may need to add a cutoff bypass relay to power the pump during start position in order to fill the carb fuel bowl.
Another scenario does exist that the previous owner could have retrofitted your engine with either an aftermarket fuel injection or transplanted a "factory" OEM fuel injection (Throttle body or 8 injectors).
If Aftermarket (like Holley) the pump would be located outside the tank.
If OEM retrofit then the pump most likely would be in the tank..
I hate it when the "crazy cooters" get under the hood and mess around with things.. It is the main reason I try to avoid buying used vehicles.
On edit.. Found schematic I have from an electric fuel pump I installed.

The oil pump pressure switch will have three terminals.
I for Ignition (engine running)
S for Start (from starter solenoid)
P goes to the pump.
No need for any relay since the switch handles the switching between start and run.
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