Marine or automotive, does it make a difference

[opsirc]

I have a 71 chevy engine in my boat that needs a new fuel pump. I can get a automotive one for a fraction of the cost of a marine one. Is there that much of a difference between the two that would prevent using the automotive one?

thanks

O

[Whoaru99]

Some marine parts have special features and certifications regarding safety and reliability.

After all, you don't want a fuel leak or gasoline vapors filling the bilge area. Nor do you especially want to try to walk back to shore in the event of a failure.

Also, if anything were to happen, I'm just guessing an insurance company could reject your claim if there was an incident even remotely tied to a non-marine grade part.

[opsirc]

Whoaru

thought about that, but I have taken the old one apart to try and rebuild it, did not seem to be anything special about it. the one they use is just a single stage diaphram pump.

O

[upnorth]

From my experience the biggest need for Marine over automotive is you stuff like distributor caps, wires, and that like. Because there is likely to be some gas fumes under the cover most times you don't want anything that will spark.

Fuel pump? I would go with the automotive, the manufacturer probable did

[Surface Tension]

I vaguely remember the fuel problem you were having.

Inside the tank is a drop tube/pickup line with a check valve on the end. If that line is rotted or the hose clamp is bad you'll be sucking air. Also it takes a considerable amount of suction to open that check valve which will compound an air leak. Its also possible that valve is corroded or stuck shut and needs a good soaking in a carb cleaner.

So if you haven't tested the pump with new lines that should be done first.

About the automotive fuel pump. I don't know what if any differences there are. If there are it would be in quality and in the in case of failure the marine pump might not dump fuel. You could try asking the manufacture what the differences are.

[Valv]

If you have a Chevy engine in boat you already have a car engine, not marine. If you have a Mercruiser or Volvo GM engine then you have a marine motor.

The automotive pump will dump fuel into bilge if diaphram ruptures, the marine has a special bowl wnd return to avoid spillage in case of failure.

I would go with marine, lookup online and you'll find many places that sells them discounted.

[opsirc]

thanks for the input guys. the shop mannual claims that it is a GM inline 4. only two lines; one in, one out. it has a small bowl but nothing coming off of it. the carb rebuild kit came from NAPA.

Frank; if I remember from last spring when I took everything apart, there was no check valve in the tank tube. thought it was strange myself, but it worked fine the previous year. did not have problems till I had to tear everything out to rebuild the whole in side. rotten mice might have to put a in line check valve before the tank.

Sam