In a day or two, I'm pulling the electric fuel pump from my tank, I'm going with a mechanical fuel pump. I have read in some old threads that I can use fuel hose in it's place as a pickup tube, however, I am unsure of the diameter I would need. If anyone has done this LMK what size you used.

I believe that your fuel sending guage is part of your fuel pump assembly.. in fact I am almost positive since everytime i asked if someone had one they always gave me one as "Fuel sending unit w/ electric fuel pump" so you may run into problems with your fuel guage if you do that perhaps?? I didn't need a fuel pump just the guage since mine came with a mech fuel pump on the block..

When you pull your sending unit out you will see that your fuel pump is hooked to the sending unit with a small piece of rubber hose already. Take that piece and match up the size.

You can lay your old pump with the small piece of connecting hose still hooked to it on the bench next to your sending unit and then cut your new hose to the same length.

You should be good to go after that?!!

Good luck!

I did that, but I put a metal tube inside the rubber hose to keep it from closing up.

http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/ca...nk-pickup.html (Carb gas tank pickup)

I particularly like this because it maintains the inlet screen with a readily available part.

thanks for all the replies, looks like I won't have as hard a time with this swap as I thought.

Just a bit of information for those of you wanting to remove your in tank pump. The job of removing and re-installing the fuel tank took about 8 hours (including a trip to the Auto Parts store).

The line I used in place of the fuel pump was a 5/16" fuel hose. It looks like if you prefer to use metal line it would be easy to substitute it in place of the fuel hose.
Also, If you don't intend to use a fuel pump with a return port, you might be able to use the return line as a fuel pickup tube, since it goes all the way to the bottom of the tank.
So far I've been happy with the results.

Another note that's helpful to those that are wanting to do this, if you're going to run the pick up hose to the bottom of the tank, cut a small V Shape at the bottom of the hose. The V Shape will prevent the hose from suctioning itself to the bottom of the tank which would prevent the intake of fuel. If you leave the hose flat on the end you risk the chance of this happening.

This is what Im trying with the engine I just put in the GTA I got.
so far it seems to work, I just put a glass fuel filter in the line just befor the mechanical fuel pump on the block. Im thinking of putting a second glass fuel filter in line just to be safe.

Im wondering what risks are involved in useing the factory return line as a pick up line since it doesnt have a sock at the end?