I'm swapping from tbi to carb and I'm going with an external electric fuel pump. I'm dropping the tank and removing the pump. Will an earlier year carb car fuel pickup work on my tank? I've heard different opinions on what to use after removing the fuel pump. I would like to buy something off the shelf/parts house if possible. Oh yea.. I did a search and didn't have much luck. I know my answer is here somewhere. Thanks.

Since no one has any good information. Tell me why this won't work.

Before:

After:

The strainer is soldered to the stainless line. It shouldn't go anywhere.

What strainer did you use? It looks very similar to the factory part used on my '57 Bel Air, which slip fits over the pick-up pipe and holds itself in place. I've suggested to people in the past to do just what you did, you're the first I recall posting a picture. I think this should be a sticky.

For the record, the '82-'86 factory carb pickup/sender will fit the EFI tanks ('87 used an electric in-tank pump).

http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/en...n-1st-car.html (Father & Son 1st Car Swap Project Chronicled) Post # 596. . .

Here's where I purchased the strainer from. It came in a ac delco box so I'm assuming I can get it from the local parts house. I haven't ran the delco # by the parts house since I've received it.

Chevy Gas Tank Sending Unit Strainer, 3/8", 1956-1981


{Note: The above link no longer works. It appears the site has changed to:
Camaro Gas Tank Sending Unit Strainer, 3/8", 1970-1981 }

you still need power I haven't finished mine yet but I think there is 4 wires to the plug 2 are for the gauge but you can leave them all just plug it back in and it will work fine.

Moderator note to members: The purpose of this sticky is to provide information about how to convert a fuel tank pick-up from in-tank electric pump to manual pick-up. If you have comments about any other topic (e.g.: "I just kept the pump, it runs fine") I will delete it. Please post any questions or comments not related to converting a fuel tank pick-up from in-tank electric pump to manual pick-up in a thread in the main portion of this forum.


Thank you.

thats a very clean setup that you made. what did you have to do to make it? sizes, and what did you use?

3/8" stainless line and compression fittings. Available at most industrial parts houses. There is a link to the strainer that was brazed to the piping.

i havent peeked under the car today but arent the lines from the tank to the engine 3/8? and i believe there is a compression fitteng by the filter? I think Ill follow your example and just mke it myself, just use the existing parts as donors

I just pulled the tank and pickup from my 84 TA today (factory carbed). Picture attached of the pickup. It looks like the strainer is completely gone. I'm sure I can find one of those, my question is about the rest of the setup. I am planning on using a mechanical pump, with -8 AN braided line going to the pump and back for the return. A return-style adjustable regulator will handle the connection to the pump, return to tank, and feed to carb.

Any engineering ideas for how to make the pickup 1/2" line so it is not a bottleneck?

Also, assuming this is not a street car, can I safely close off the vapor line, or how does the typical hot rodder vent the fuel tank?

What is that black thing attached to the lid of the pickup?

Edit: Sorry, didn't see this post was specific to pickup conversions from EFI. Mods please move to Carbureted main forum if desired.

I just did this. But I did it for the return, Im using a sump.

I drilled out a larger hole in the cap and JB welded in some half inch copper. I bent it to follow the old pickup tube. It was the only thing that I could find with a nice 90 degree elbow.

While you have the tank out, why not just drill and weld a 8an fitting in the bottom? Its easy, and if you put it where the stock baffle is, you dont have to worry about fuel missing the pickup.

For the vent you can just use an old fuel filter. Im using a new one that I will never use.

I think you've got the right idea. I might look at bending new steel line, and using a -8 AN bulkhead fitting that seals real well at the pickup cap. I don't have ready access to a welder, and since I'm going to use the vent and return tubes, I might as well reuse the pickup too.

Apparently for the vent, you are right about the fuel filter. Some people have run a vent line above the tank, used an inline fuel filter and then a tip-over check valve, pointing down, to vent pressure from the tank. It sounds safe to me, especially since I don't want to run lines to the charcoal canister in the front again (which is gone now anyways).

do you even need a strainer?

You don't need one, but if its a car you drive daily and need to rely on it, I'd use one.

I simply ran a 3/8 hose from where the original piece connected the fuel pump, ran it to the round retainer and cut it at an angle. From there i mounted a in line fuel filter before and after the fuel pump. No strainer. I blocked off the return line and charcoal line and left the small blck filter that mounts next to the brake line. Hasnt given me a problem yet and ive done it on 4 camaros converted from TBI.

I think that filter is only one way though. I think its only for suction. And the line for the charcoal filter is pressure only. I could be wrong though, and I dont know if it would even cause any problems. I just used a cheap fuel filter for a vent.

The two filters idea is a good one, but would limit flow and pressure I would think.

I am fixing to swap from a holley blue to a holley black for the bigger engine so i dont think the filters matter that much as a holley like that is a pusher not a puller, basically it is like having one filter i would imagine. I might consider your cheap filter swap on the one way valve, makes sense.

Use a strainer. Your pump will thank you.

We used a fuel sender from 86 camaro V8 4bbl model. fits well

Dont Use a Strainer! How often do you want to drop your tank???

Measure fuel pump cut rubber hose (3/8) , to length add about 1/4 inch length to it or so. Put a hose clap on and there you go.

Put a inline filter in somewhere that way your fuel pump on your block willl never see any contaminats.

and you can replace that easier then dropping your tank!

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A VENTED GAS CAP!!! if not ALOT of presure will build!

Drill a hole in the Gas cap, and your done!!

FWIW, I'll go on the record as disagreeing with everything said in the above post.

since i'm already here, I'll post my masterpiece.



Since I have (or had) an 87 LG4, I had the wonderful pleasure of having a supplemental in-tank low pressure pump. I'm not sure if it had ever worked since I bought the car, stock, in 2004.

FWIW, I gained 7 tenths last time to the track with this "mod."

now for the driver mod...lol.

This is going to seem like a redundant question, but if I disconnect the power to the pump outside the tank, like removing it from the pig tail, will my fuel gauge still send a signal?

It should as long as sending unit wire is still hooked up. Looking at diagram it should work but what do I know I am only an electrican. Lol

Looks like the strainer for the 82-86 carbed cars is still available, Im thinking just cutting the tube off my bad carb sending unit and using the compression fittings to splice it to the efi unit. Bottom of the tube would still be stock carb unit so could use the stock strainer

This came out of a 1985 4.3 Astro van and is with a return line set-up and is kind of a universal fit with a 27 gallon gas tank:

ok. stupid question. my '89 has a carbed 355. the dude i bought it from had a hokey regulator with a return line out of it. i think my fuel pump in the tank took a dump,so my question is....if i do all this to the pickup,run an inline elec pump,why do i need a return if i have a regulator? my duster has the same regulator that i have also put on the camaro and i don't have a return on it so what is the difference? seems like i could just drop a pickup in the tank,use the factory filter under the car,pump it,regulator,and bam!

the return style regulater is used for high fuel pressure pumps, like fuel injection. youll burn up the pump without a return line. if your useing a pump made for a carb, you dont need a return generally.

You still need to get that old in tank pump out. but a return line if useing a pump for a Carb is not required.

Depends.

The factory used a return line for all 3rd gens, including those with carburetor and mechanical fuel pump. They did that for a reason.

If you like vapor lock, then don't bother with a return line.

57 has a valid point. If you run a engine driven pump ,vapor lock could be a problem. I would do a electric pump my self and place it at the rear of the car. We managed to road race for 1000 s of miles with out a problem. Be sure to have a cut off switch. Altitude will also change the boiling point of fuel so if you are at higher elevations more to consider. We have set many a Land Speed Record with a Single Electric Fuel pump. I step it down to 14 psi at the back of the car and to 7 at the fire wall. We burn 1 gallon per mile. We used the same fuel delivery system at all of the open road races which are 100 miles plus. I am not against a open system {return Line}. Your question was do I have to use it. NO. Should you? It depends on how you will use the car. How deep is your pockets. I am a big fan of Magna Fuel Prostar pumps as they bypass externally.