# How empty beforefill? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [August 18, 2022, 10:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881 "2022-08-18T10:31:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 9:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/41 "2022-08-19T21:06:07Z")
I did replace the mechanical pump on my 59. 200 mile trip and after 50 miles losing speed. It made it the rest of the way though unlike an electric that will just quit. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 9:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/42 "2022-08-19T21:56:12Z")
Anyone remember the mechanical fuel pumps with the vacuum booster for the windshield wipers? I remember changing the fuel pump with the vacuum connections on my 1954:Buick and 1965 Rambler. I also remember people installing electric fuel pumps to replace the mechanical fuel pumps if the camshaft lobe was too worn to operate the fuel pump. I don’t think these electric fuel pumps had a vacuum booster, so the vacuum windshield wipers must have really been slow. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 9:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/43 "2022-08-19T21:59:22Z")
The fuel pump on my Mitsubishi motor was attached to head and driven by cam. It died and I lost the plastic spacer used to prevent heat transfer. Had to buy a new spacer. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 11:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/44 "2022-08-20T11:10:48Z")
Filled both main and auxiliary gas tanks, still no gas to carburetor. Had to be one of three possibilities, fuel pump, clogged fuel filter, clogged fuel line. We went with pump. Most carbureted vehicles of that era used mechanical pumps, bolted to the engine block, driven by the camshaft. Took about 10 minutes to swap out the pumps. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 11:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/45 "2022-08-20T11:13:49Z")
Yep, looked at a 58 T-Bird with that type of pump. Remember those without it too. Slowing down wipers sped up, accelerate, wipers slowed. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 1:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/46 "2022-08-20T13:26:17Z")
@Purebred Both school buses I rode back in the days had vacuum wipers and didn’t have vacuum boosters on the fuel pump. One bus was a 1939 Wayne body on a GMC chassis and the other was a 1946 Superior body on a Chevrolet chassis. In a heavy rain, we lurched along as the driver would let up on the accelerator to make the windshield wipers move. These were the original interval wipers. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 5:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/47 "2022-08-20T17:02:35Z")
Me too, I think the ‘newest’ bus was a 55 Ford. Then we moved to Mpls, no school buses, at that time, walked to school. City buses were much larger (GM based?) diesel pushers. ---
**Author:** ![37chev](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/94ad74/32.png) [@37chev](https://community.cartalk.com/u/37chev)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 8:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/48 "2022-08-20T20:25:35Z")
Nowadays I run my tanks nearer to empty because I get discount gas credits from the grocery chains where we shop. I would rather get a dollar per gallon off of 18 gallons then a dollar off 10 gallons. Simple economics ---
**Author:** ![weekend-warrior](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/weekend-warrior/32/26122_2.png) [@weekend-warrior](https://community.cartalk.com/u/weekend-warrior)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 8:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/49 "2022-08-20T20:29:39Z")
But how much are you really going to save when you burn out the electric fuel pump from running the tank so low? ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/50 "2022-08-20T20:36:23Z")
What is this grocery chain that gives a dollar of each gallon ? ---
**Author:** ![PintoKid](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pintokid/32/45996_2.png) [@PintoKid](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PintoKid)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/51 "2022-08-20T20:40:07Z")
> [@VOLVO-V70](#): > > What is this grocery chain that gives a dollar of each gallon ? Harris Teeter by me (North Carolina) has a max of 60 cents off each gallon. Still pretty nice. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 9:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/52 "2022-08-20T21:02:46Z")
I never do this but the wife does. I think once she had 50 cents off. The thing is you could get a dollar off on 18 gallons in one purchase, or a dollar off of ten gallons, then a dollar off on eight gallons the second time. Maybe you only get one coupon instead of a card I dunno. I guess I could have cancelled my dental insurance last year too when they were all closed down and saved $300. Lots of ways to save money. Some significant and some not. ---
**Author:** ![Beancounter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/59ef9b/32.png) [@Beancounter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beancounter)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 9:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/53 "2022-08-20T21:27:28Z")
The real question is, “How long can a pump operating under no load sucking up accumulated debris and at maximum RPM at no load continue to operate?” My answer would be “As long as you can afford to replace injectors and pump”, . ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 9:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/54 "2022-08-20T21:28:42Z")
What if the fuel pump doesn’t burn out? Then he got the extra savings. Running low on gas all the time before refilling does not always mean the fuel pump will fail from overheating. It may increase the likelihood, but the failure doesn’t always occur. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 9:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/55 "2022-08-20T21:32:04Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > What if the fuel pump doesn’t burn out? Then he got the extra savings. Didn’t read the whole thread, but curious, what extra savings do you refer? Do you mean b/c the gas tank was near empty the car was lighter, so it got better mpg? ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/56 "2022-08-20T21:33:42Z")
Read the first post ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 10:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/57 "2022-08-20T22:16:53Z")
A tank of fuel lasts me 2 to 3 weeks, I refill when the level is between 1/8 and 1/4, sometimes lower. Then there is the fuel pump bogeyman. Is a full tank of fuel cooler than 1/8 tank? The debris in a dirty tank will only approach the pump when the tank is low? ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 10:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/58 "2022-08-20T22:44:54Z")
I dunno. We rented a van with some friends to drive to Florida. He was the city fire Marshall which means he should be up on preparedness of the population and civil defense issues. He had first shift and were driving late at night. I kept looking at the gas gauge going from half, to quarter to an eighth as we passed open gas stations. When I finally insisted we stop for gas he said he just wanted to see how far a tank would take us. And it was march and cold and dark and out of state. I never understood. I’m sure he had to take all the federal response tests too same as me. Yup, let’s see if this ole rental gas gauge is accurate or not. One of us has motor club. That would be me. ---
**Author:** ![37chev](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/94ad74/32.png) [@37chev](https://community.cartalk.com/u/37chev)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 1:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/59 "2022-08-21T01:13:26Z")
I live in the very NW corner of Washington State. Both Safeway and QFC offer up to $1.00 per gallon on up to 25 gallons per fill-up. I have been filling my '95 Ranger pickup for example and also gas cans for a max of the 25 gallons and use the gas cans to partially refill the tank on this or other cars until I build up to the max $1 per gallon again. At $5.65 a gallon I we save 17% on those purchases. My wife pays attention to “bonus point” days which is also a help. Not an insignificant amount to an eighty year old. ---
**Author:** ![37chev](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/94ad74/32.png) [@37chev](https://community.cartalk.com/u/37chev)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 1:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881/60 "2022-08-21T01:16:19Z")
Been doing this since the chains started about 15 years ago. I did lose one fuel pump on an olds with 190 K miles on it but I did the work so I’m still ahead. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-empty-beforefill/185881.md?page=2)