Author Topic: Fuel system plumbing "trends"  (Read 654 times)

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Mark Bliss

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Fuel system plumbing "trends"
« on: October 22, 2023, 09:52:41 AM »
I am re-plumbing a car originally done in the 70's
It was originally done with one of those big Fram paper cartridge deals (I think it was an HP-1?) that was common in the day.
As was shown in the old Holley fuel pump directions, it was placed before the pump, which worked fine, but never seemed like an ideal plan to me, for several reasons. (Holley technical engineer Mike Ulrich once confirmed my thoughts and basically said, "yeah, you shouldn't do that")
Anyway, on to modern times. It seems the current trend is to place a courser screen style filter as a pre-filter, and a finer screen filter post regulator near the carb. I am wondering if the pre-filter is even necessary. I have a brand new Holley "Black" pump, (Same as the "blue" but higher volume, totally overkill but its been sitting here on my shelf for 25 years or so) and I am thinking many thousands of these blue/black pumps were installed over the years relying solely on the little internal screen for pre-filtering...
Any thoughts or experiences welcome.

Mark Bliss

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Re: Fuel system plumbing "trends"
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2023, 09:58:23 AM »
And moving on to re-doing the crankcase ventilation...
As built for drag racing at the time, this has the old "pan-vac" check valves and plumbing. Removing all that for street use for multiple reasons, including the suspicion that those old check valves are likely shot.
So what is common for a street FE? Open venting? Open venting via an oil accumulator? A conventional PCV valve system?
What are you guys installing?

Rory428

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Re: Fuel system plumbing "trends"
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2023, 08:41:15 PM »
Concerning the fuel system, on my Fairmont, for over 25 years now, I have been running 2 Holley GPH 110 "Blue" electric fuel pumps, each fed by a 3/8" solid line from a JAZ fuel cell, with a regular disposable 3/8" fuel filter between the fuel cell and the fuel pumps, then a short length of 3/8" tubing, to a Moroso Y Block, which converts the 2 3/8" lines into a 1/2" aluminum fuel line up to the engine compartment, where another Y Block splits it back to 2 3/8" lines, each feeding a Holley blue regulator, with both regulators connected together . The connector is a simple piece of threaded pipe, threaded to the outlet ports facing each other, than the remaining outlet on each regulator plumbed with a 3/8" hard line to each float bowl on my single Holley carb. Years ago, when I tried a Tunnel Wedge with 2 660 Holleys, I ran the same lines to each primary float bowl, as the 660s had a connecting tube between the primary and secondary float bowls. I originally plumbed the car with a single GPH 110 and one regulator, but added the 2nd pump in 1989, when I played with nitrous for a year. I had some racers tell me that the 2 pumps and regulators was "better", but the ET slip showed no difference in performance. Nothing fancy, but has been working just fine for over 35 years. I replaced the small fuel filters between the cel and pumps, after about 15 years, and cut them open, and they still looked pretty clean inside.
As for ventilation, I am just running a normal type PCV setup on both the Fairmont, as well as my 428 CJ powered 59 street strip car. Years ago, on the Fairmont, I just ran a pair of breather caps, but got tired of constantly wiping oil mist residue off the valve covers, and the ET slip showed no penalty for using the PCV.
1978 Fairmont,FE 427 with 428 crank, 4 speed Jerico best of 9.972@132.54MPH 1.29 60 foot
1985 Mustang HB 331 SB Ford, 4 speed Jerico, best of 10.29@128 MPH 1.40 60 foot.
1974 F350 race car hauler 390 NP435 4 speed
1959 Ford Meteor 2 dr sedan. 428 Cobra Jet, 4 speed Toploader. 12.54@ 108 MPH

Mark Bliss

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Re: Fuel system plumbing "trends"
« Reply #3 on: October 25, 2023, 09:09:13 AM »
Thanks again Rory.

I have seen the dual pump setup similar to that, though I think it was usually "redundant" as a fail safe.
Certainly overkill on volume capacity.

One trick to backward engineering the PCV system onto this thing is vacuum port availability. There is one large port on this vintage manifold and piggybacking power brakes and PCV is generally not the desired path to take...
So I have to examine the situation and come up with something creative.

Rory428

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Re: Fuel system plumbing "trends"
« Reply #4 on: October 25, 2023, 08:54:48 PM »
Mark, most Holley carbs have a large vacuum nipple on the base plate, that is where I hook up my PCV vacuum source. I have also used several different older factory Ford Bakelite spacers, that have a hose nipple as well.
1978 Fairmont,FE 427 with 428 crank, 4 speed Jerico best of 9.972@132.54MPH 1.29 60 foot
1985 Mustang HB 331 SB Ford, 4 speed Jerico, best of 10.29@128 MPH 1.40 60 foot.
1974 F350 race car hauler 390 NP435 4 speed
1959 Ford Meteor 2 dr sedan. 428 Cobra Jet, 4 speed Toploader. 12.54@ 108 MPH

machoneman

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Re: Fuel system plumbing "trends"
« Reply #5 on: October 26, 2023, 07:36:28 AM »
Mark, most Holley carbs have a large vacuum nipple on the base plate, that is where I hook up my PCV vacuum source. I have also used several different older factory Ford Bakelite spacers, that have a hose nipple as well.

Yep. Or drill/tap any carb spacer for a nipple fitting.
Bob Maag

TomP

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Re: Fuel system plumbing "trends"
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2023, 06:43:44 PM »
If there is foam blocks in the fuel cell the filter is really needed.

cammerfe

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Re: Fuel system plumbing "trends"
« Reply #7 on: October 30, 2023, 01:36:45 PM »
My '64 Custom/427 came from the factory with a sheet-metal canister holding the fore-mentioned Fram cartridge filter. It was placed between the factory fuel pump and the fuel log for the carbs. When I put the 427 in my '67 Cougar, I put one of the fancy Fram housings for the same cartridge in place as well. As I remember, I attached it to the AC compressor mount.

The fuel system for my land speed car has a fuel cell in the trunk for the methanol.  There is a filter mounted at the outlet to the fuel cell to protect the adjacent electric pump. there is another filter just prior to the delivery system on the engine. As mentioned above, the first filter is designed to protect the pump from any of the anti-slosh foam in the cell that might come loose. The much finer filter under the hood is extra protection for the various orfices in the delivery system at the engine.

KS