FE Fuel pump questions 4918 using it on a 312 Y-Block

[FERoadster]

I asked this on the Old FEForum but didn't get a reply. I know there are Y-Block folks here.

Neighbor down the road (only 10 houses in 1-1/2 miles) has a 1956 T-Bird he upgraded to a 312 with Ported CI heads and  BT Intake.
He called this morning and is looking for a high volume fuel pump since he is getting fuel starvation at full throttle. He is using an aftermarket Holley (Brawler) carb with dual pump and Mech. secondaries 600CFM.
He specifically asked about a 4918 pump for a FE and said it will fit a Y-Block. Looking here the 4918 was superseded by a 6974 are those available? Can a FE fuel pump ne used effectively on a Y-Block?
Richard >>> FERoadster

[Joe-JDC]

I must have read this wrong earlier.  The C1 heads ported, and ported BT intake will be stressed to make 1 hp/ci without lots of compression, and camshaft change.  The stock style fuel pump should be more than adequate to keep the carburetor supplied with enough fuel.  A rebuild from O'Reilleys, or any auto parts store will work just fine.  My 345Y makes 402hp, and I use a stock replacement fuel pump without any issues.  The sock on the fuel pick-up tube can be clogged, fuel tank rusty, fuel lines rusty, or the ceramic filter in the glass bowl be partially clogged, all hurting fuel flow.  If those are all new/clean, then I would suspect the ignition, coil, resistor, wires, plugs, or float level wrong or bad.  If all this is good, then yes, you can use a FE fuel pump for the model year up through '64 if the car has electric windshield wipers.  I know many folks that have stroker Ys with Mummert aluminum heads, ported intakes, headers, cams, 1.6 rocker arms, and they get by with the stock style fuel pumps.  IF all else fails, then add an electric inline fuel pump to assist with a pressure regulator set for 5-5.5psi.  Joe-JDC

[Falcon67]

If he's running out of fuel at RPM, especially if it pulls almost OK in first and falters in 2nd - he should check the entire fuel line and make sure that it's full diameter the whole length.  Including where it exits the tank.  Lots of the stock tank outlets I've see have a necked down portion where the pickup pipe passes through the tank mount plate.  On my 67, the ID was down to like 1/4".  5300 RPM + 351C + 650PD - it'd fall flat.

[TomP]

Seems to me the FE and YBlock pumps are similar but not the same. A few years ago I put a new fuel pump on the 61 Meteor wagon and it drove me absolutely nuts. It would start and idle fine, but any throttle at all and it dies. I changed carbs, distributors, made sure top dead center is accurate, etc for several weeks. Then on a lark, know that I do have a new fuel pump and it does indeed pump fuel I wondered how much. I ran the engine by filling the carb bowl and ran the line from the fuel pump into a bucket. It ran around a minute and put out maybe half a cup of gas !
 Turned out is was a fuel pump for a YBlock in a box with the FE part number. The lever was being barely moved by the cam eccentric.

An FE pump may be already compressed on the low side of the eccentric and may bind up... dunno, never tried.