BretD 88GTA

After Jerry posted about the 1LE fuel tank on eBay I decided to do some investigating. I was almost going to bid on it but decided to wait. I have other items I want to buy that take priority – like a set of HMS strut mounts.

Anyway, a little reading at http://www.1le.net revealed some interesting information. Apparently ALL '90-'92 F-bodies received the "baffled" fuel tank.

The difference lies in the fact that the 1LE cars also received the longer fuel pick-up, bigger fuel pump, and double fuel strainer.

So, the tank itself is not rare. It's the parts inside the tank that make the difference. This will probably create a mad frenzy at the dealership, but I did run all the numbers with Dal at VanDevere Olds/Buick and ALL the 1LE fuel components are still available thru GM. I will be doing this upgrade at some point.

james_85Z28

c'mon buddy you can e-mail the part numbers

__________________
"Everytime I walk by the Raider sticker it zaps my energy and I have to hurl." - Don L.

JERRYWHO

Part numbers

Fuel tank: 10121026
Fuel sender unit (longer): 25094804
Fuel strainer (double screen): 25121120
Fuel Pump: 25116163

Jerry

james_85Z28

thanks Jerry This is my upgrase when my FP dies......hopefully in a couple years

Kevin91Z

I thought this was common knowledge?? Thats why the later model thirdgens dont die when you go around a corner with less than a 1/4 tank of gas.

And the only fuel tank still available for thirdgens is the later model one.

Here are pics of what the baffled tank looks like:
http://para.noid.org/~thresher/image...0&dispsize=800

__________________
1991 Camaro Z28
355 RWHP, 360 RWTQ
12.803 @ 108.50 MPH (1.923 60')
Member: Southern California Thirdgenners
-=ICON Motorsports=-
Work: Manley Performance Products

BretD 88GTA

According to Dal, all those numbers have been superceeded by new numbers, but they do come up as available. It's just under $600 for all the parts.

BretD 88GTA

Kevin,
Prior to Jerry's post I had never looked into this before, so to me it was new information. Plus, there's still a bit of mythology floating around reagrding the 1LE cars so I don't think that many people are aware of this.

I do have to say though that I've never had a problem with my '88 sputtering going around corners with low fuel. Now, back in '95 I did have a dealership repair my fuel tank because it would leak at the base of the filler neck when full. I was always under the impression they had repaired the leak. I'm wondering now if the dealership just went ahead and replaced the tank all together. I'm gonna have to check this out.

Dyno Don

Usually they just replaced the leaky tank with a new one.
I was at my Chev dealer one day and saw 20 of them stacked up.

RU-QWIK

OK, my car will die out if I take a hard turn with not much gas in it.... ??? The only time the tank has been removed, was when I changed the pump, so I know it is the original......

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1991 Camaro RS/Z28 weekend playtoy...
1969 Camaro SS ...454/ muncie 4 speed 12 bolt w/ 4:11's
1997 Yukon, Supercharged , 12" Cognito Motorsports lift , Chameleon pearl ghost flames, too much to list..
2005 Lexus IS300
1957 Chevy 150 Pro Touring ride
1994 Chevy 2500 4x4

BrandenCali

Cant fill the tank up full on mine either it will leak =/ can't have it under a 1/4 tank around a corner and it may die?. Was there a recall on tanks?

BretD 88GTA

The only thing that made me think they repaired my existing tank was that they charged $500 IIRC. That inlcudes the repair to the tank, a new fuel pump, new fuel strainer, and all the labor involved. All this work was also performed in one day. I was going out of town and had to have my car back ASAP. I took the car in on a Friday morning and picked it up at the end of the day.

The prices Dal just gave are as follows:
gas tank 279.93 each
strainer 17.47 each (1LE part)
fuel pump 63.46 each (1LE part)

sender unit 235.91 each (1LE part)

Don, do you know if there's a part number on the tank I'd be able to see while under the car?

Dyno Don

Nope, it's usually on the top.

Benny

$600!!!!!

__________________
1992 RS B4C/1LE 5.7L
SLP Cat-Back Exhaust

Dwayne88IROC

Is the 1LE fp better then say a Walbro 255?

The sender is the killer. What's so special here? Is it because it's custom for the baffled tank or would my stock sender work?

I haven't upgraded my stock stuff yet and I was going to get a walbro.

BretD 88GTA

Dwayne,
I now have all the current part numbers from Dal and am checking into them. It appears that the fuel pump #25116163 is the only pump now available from GM. Similar to the baffled fuel tank. There may or may not be anything special about it. It is supposed to be bigger.

The 1LE sender is supposed to be longer than the standard unit. It reaches to almost the bottom of the tank and allows the car to run reliably down to the last 1/2 gallon of fuel. A nice feature when racing.

The 1LE strainer is supposed to be a dual pickup piece, opposed to the single pickup standard piece.

The newer (read as baffled) fuel tanks are also supposed to be 18 gal. capacity.

Kevin91Z

Not even close Dwayne. The stock 1LE fuel pump would be designed to handle the stock rating of 245 HP max. An aftermarket fuel pump would support at least twice that.

Benny

Does this Walbro fit the stock in tank position or is it in line?
And how much do they cost.

__________________
1992 RS B4C/1LE 5.7L
SLP Cat-Back Exhaust

Jstcrzyengh

Not to bring this back from the dead or anything

But I just checked on the following numbers:

Sender - 25027221 - $513.11
Strainer - 25027354 - $32.00

The above part numbers are what chevy gave me after I gave him the 1le part numbers. I am trying to set my car up right, down to the last detail, but GM list is pretty killer.

The plan right now is to take the 91 RS tank I have get it cleaned, put in the sender and strainer for a 1le and use the walbro 255. Should work out to be a good combo.

PS side note... Anyone know if the gas tank "renu" process is any good?

BretD 88GTA

You might want to double-check that sender price. Here are the prices I got from Dal at Vandevere Pontiac-Buick back in January:
gas tank - $279.93 each - current part number is 10269091
sender unit - $235.91 each - current part number is 25027221
strainer - $17.47 each - current part number is 25027354
fuel pump - $63.46 each - current part number is 25116163

Jstcrzyengh

Well, the prices he gave you are essentially the prices that show up at gmpartsdirect.com. GM list is the 513. I figure little details like using the 1le sending unit and strainer may be that little bit of difference.









...In making it one more day without having to fill up again

formula91

You mean my '92 should have an 18 gallon fuel tank?

When my needle reaches a tick above the E I fill up and get about 14 gallons. Does that mean I actually have 4 more to go?

My fuel dash light is out, otherwise I'd drive it longer just to see how far I go.

bluethunder28

No. The only "18 gal" tanks were in the "Players Series" cars. GM owned the cars and when the series end, all of the 18 gal tanks were removed and the racers could buy them outright. It costed $10,000 a year to race the cars and all cars were "sealed" so there wasn't much that could be done to the car so it was really a driver's series.

BretD 88GTA

I've read in magazines that some 1LE owners claim to have 18 gallon tanks in their cars and 1LE.net (while it was still up and running) was making this claim as well. As Glenn posted and from the research I've done this not correct. The street versions of the 1LE cars have the same capacity fuel tank as the non-1LE cars -15.9 gallons.

Daniel U

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead. My '88 IROC's fuel pump just died(1 week before the April 6th norcal gtg!) and I want to do the 1LE tank+guts swap. Anyways, my nieghbor works at a GM dealership and may be able to research the 1LE parts for me. Did anyone take pics of the 1LE parts they bought and compare them to shorter parts. I understand the double strainer and sender unit are longer and the later model tanks (90-92) have baffles. I just want to make sure I don't buy the same parts as I already have in my IROC. I've always been upset when fuel starve hits! Thanks in advance, Daniel U

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Daniel U

Exactly what I want to do!

Dyno Don

Just get yourself a '90-'92 tank and sending unit, put in the Typhoon/Cyclone GM pump and go. That will save you a lot of money and headaches.

Daniel U

So the sending unit in the 90-92 tank is the same as the 1LE? Will the Doulble strainer fit on the sending unit. If I could see pictures I may be able to make my own?