Testing Fuel pump off the car...

[canada karl]

I have a spare fuel pump that's been kicking around the garage forever. I've been thinking about keeping it in the trunk as a spare if I go on a cross country trip. Can I just connect it to a battery to see if it works or will this damage it in some way?

[GripGreg]

Karl
I'm thinkin' from my small shade tree that you should actually pump fuel to not overheat it?
That way, you'll see it actually pump gas instead of just hearing it click.
I've heard it doesn't take much to overheat one & it's not good to run outta gas for the same reason.
You could pump gas from one clean bucket through a hose to 'in' & through & out to another bucket.
I'm just guessing,,,,Greg

[Mike W.]

You can run it dry for a few seconds to see if it runs or not, but don't do it for an extended length of time.

[canada karl]

Greg What you said explians why my car went dead on a cross country trip years ago. I was getting low on gas and the motor quit in the middle of nowhere! I pulled over baffled. After the car sat for a short time it fired right up again. Now I'm thinking the pump must have got too hot and shut dowm temporarily. Mystery solved. Guess it dosn't pay to let the fuel get too low. Karl