# Fuel Delivery for a 389 Tripower



## 389Tripower (Sep 25, 2011)

My dad and I are beginning to restore his '65. Currently it has the single four-barrel carb but he has a tripower from a '66 that we would like to use instead. My dad did this once back in the day but said that it was "starving for fuel." Part of this he figures is because at the time, he was using a fuel rail that his dad had made up from some scrap. However, there is another issue he was unsure about and so I ask all you experts. The car currently has both an electric fuel pump AND a mechanical fuel pump. Should we be running both or only one?


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

First off, awesome that you guys are doing this.

As far as which fuel pump you "should" be running, it really depends on the car and what you're planning to do with it. A good quality mechanical pump (keyword: good quality) should be plenty enough to feed any stock Pontiac. There are aftermarket mechanical pumps that can go way beyond stock. I'm running one in my car. Done right, there's nothing wrong with a good electrical pump either - they're just different. They like to push instead of pull so they need to be mounted near the tank, they need power and also it's best to have some sort of safety mechanism to ensure they shut off in a crash (the last thing you need is a pump continuing to dump fuel into an already bad situation).

These days it's more of a preference and budget thing. Either solution can be made to work just fine. I'm not sure that running "both" would buy you anything. 

Bear


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## pontiac (Mar 6, 2011)

factory ac brand mechanical pump is adequate.


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

I just sold my 65 tri power intake to 66Tempest, he has a 66, you have a 65, so you both have each other intakes.. Get with him, I"m sure he will swap. Mechanical fuel pump provides plenty of fuel with the right plumbing. Outer carbs have to be used or they will mess up.. SO, you have to get on it or don't get the tri power..


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

What pontiac said. Been running a stock AC mechanical pump on my '65 for 29 years with the tripower without issue.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

:agree never ran out of fuel with the factory fuel pump and she's been down the strip a few times, no issues. :cheers


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