Dragula

I have been avidly researching and reading posts regarding fuel pump setups. I have previously purchased a Holley "Blue" electric pump. However, due to reading of peoples complaints about noise levels, I am thinking of returning the pump to Summit in order to pursue an alternate route. I have thought of going the mechanical route. However, living in Texas where temperatures soar into the 100's during the summer, and also where the air temperature about 18 inches above the asphalt can reach 160 degrees , this might not be good. The fuel will spend a lot of time in the hot engine compartment where it will have the opportunity to get hot, boil, evaporate, cause problems such as vapor lock and generally lots of headaches. Then I found this suggestion.
Apeiron suggested during a post some time back (which I came across during a search) to run a high pressure/volume mechanical race pump with a regulator and return line. This sounds intriguing and might just work. The regulator can drop the psi from ~15 to the 6-6.5 acceptable range. Also with the high flow of ~120 gph, the excess fuel can be returned to the tank. This will allow fresh, cool fuel to keep recycling through the system and solve the abovementioned problems.
What do you guys think of this proposition? Sounds ideal to me! I would probably want to run a smaller than 3/8" , maybe 1/4 or 5/16 line back to the tank, right?
Engine specs in sig.

Jester

Seems like kinda the long route to fix a problem that may or may not actually happen. You're gonna need a good pump too feed that motor anyway...but not that big. Try a Holley pn 12-327-11, and skip the return line.

if you have problems insulate the line with some rubber hose, maybe make a coolcan, and shield the carb.

chevymad

Also with too much circulation you may just end up heating all of your fuel. Dodge trucks have a returnless system because they found that pumping the fuel to the engine compartment and back was heating it. Temps of 140 degrees were found in the gas tank. Other manufacturers are also looking at ways around this.

Dragula

So the setup might work TOO well over a longer period of time in high heat conditions. Well, Jester, I guess I'll just start with a regular mechanical setup and go from there. At least it was a thought!

Sals82Z28

Dragula,
I'm going the same route. I have the Summit pump, the same as Holley blue, but I'm getting rid of it cause of the noise and it's really not intended for everyday reliability. I also read that the Carter mechanical pumps work really well. I would love to send mine back but I used it for year.

But if your worried about heat, Summit and Jegs sell that "wire/hose wrap" that insulates the lines. Seeing as you run headers you must have a fuel line somewhat close to these and those get really hot. So maybe wrapping up the lines in this wrap will help out.

Dragula

Yeah...after more thought I am still thinking about this setup. In order to prevent the fuel from heating up the fuel in the tank, I think i will route it through a fuel cooler/radiator in the line somewhere as well as using some heatwrap in the header area. That should prevent the high heat condition from occurring in the fuel tank itself. I'll let you know how it all turns out. It won't be any extra work since the car is without engine/suspension/tank/entire front end/back end/doors.....it's pretty much stripped. It should be easier to plumb it all with everything taken apart.

Damon

The MAIN PROBLEM with getting fuel into an front engine/rear tank type car is the LONG DRAW from the tank up to the engine. As the car accelerates the weight of the fuel in the line works against the pump(s). THis is no small consideration. I was running out of fuel at the top of 1st gear in one of my old Malibus only running high 13s! That's with a Carter 120 GPH high volume mechanical pump up on the engine and smooth, hand-bent 3/8" line all the way back to the tank.

The pump had PLENTY of volume capability but it couldn't draw enough fuel through the line against the acceleration of the car in lower gears.

This is exactly the reason that race cars (even carbureted ones) have rear-mounted fuel pumps and front mounted regulators. Often, they also have a rear-facing sump in the tank, versus the stock front-mounted one.

If you want a system that I KNOW will feed your car into the 11s, this is it:

Rear mounted Carter 5 PSI street electric pump (mounted to the upper part of the trunk floor where the old transvers-mounted muffler used to reside. Resued stock 3/8" line going forward from there. On the engine use a Carter 6 PSI 120 GPH mechanical pump. This will do the final shove up to the carb and MORE IMPORTANTLY it will do the pressure regulation.

I run this setup on my blown 78 Malibu and it holds a constant 6 PSI under any and all conditions without the complication of regulators and return lines. I can tow a boat in 100* heat for 2 hours and never boil the lines.