I think my stock fuel lines are 3/8". My Carter Street pump seems to put out 7psi, which should be enough. My engine is close to 390HP and I can rev up to about 6000 with the cam I am running.

I wonder when I put on a 125-150HP shot of nitrous, will I have enough fuel and will my fuel lines be good enough?

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1984 z28 w/ a 357 cu in. monster engine which is looking like the posterchild for Edelbrock... all the suspension stuff... 9-bolt posi disk is in... K&N filter... 93 octane...

-=ICON Motorsports=-

 

Probably not. My Malibu started having fuel pressure problems at on the 13.7 @ 101 speed range using 3/8" line. But on the other hand my buddy's 383 third gen was running 12.3s at 113+ using a Carter pump and stock lines so...... who knows? But ripping out fuel lines and installing 1/2" is a major PITA- especially replacing the pick-up lines INSIDE the fuel tank.

I'd get a Carter low pressure 5 PSI electric pump and mount it back by the tank, STILL USING THE BLOCK-MOUNTED MECHANICAL PUMP UPSTREAM. That's what I do on my Malibu. It's been good for roughly 500HP and high 11s on the juice. Pressure never wiggles off of 6 PSI.

NEVER NEVER NEVER GUESS ABOUT YOUR FUEL SUPPLY WHEN USING NITROUS!!


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94 Firebird Formula M6- No options but Z rated tires. No mods over $10. 13.5@105.
79 Malibu "beater" w/junkyard 400 SBC, tweaked QJet 4bbl, finally a decent set of heads, a few other tricks. A maddening 13.000001 @ 108 on the motor with little traction. No nitrous runs with the new heads yet.
Grandma's old 78 Malibu (33K miles!) soon to have the powertrain from the 79 put in it.

"One of the last remaining QJet tuners on Planet Earth!"

 

Thanks for the tip about the electric pump. I will look into doing that when I put on the nitrous kit... whenever that is! So the electric pump keeps the mech pump fed? What about at idle? Do you just shut off the power to the electric pump when you do normal driving and only use it with the juice?

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1984 z28 w/ a 357 cu in. monster engine which is looking like the posterchild for Edelbrock... all the suspension stuff... 9-bolt posi disk is in... K&N filter... 93 octane...

-=ICON Motorsports=-

 

my son is running the stock lines with a mechanical pump. desk top dyno says he's making around 400 hp and he has no problems going 6000 rpm.

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-=ICON MOTORSPORTS=-
1st & 3rd

 

I can go 6000 with stock lines and around 400 hp


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Cant think of anything

 

I'm using 3/8" lines and check my sig!

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84 Camaro ZZ4 with HOT cam. 1.88 60' (12.98 @ 105MPH E.T.)
Other Mods: You name it and I have probably changed it.

91 Firebird 5.0L TBI

ASE Certified CHEVY DEALER Auto Tech
LIVE AND DIE BY THE ALMIGHTY BOWTIE!

 

I use a Holley blue pump mounted back near the fuel tank and plumbed into the stock lines and have no problems. 3/8 line should feed at least 500 hp with no problems.

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Stephen's racing page

87 IROC-Z Pro ET Bracket Race Car
383 stroker (carbed) with double hump cast iron heads and pump gas
454 Big Block buildup now in progress for the 2001 racing season

Best results before the 383 blew up
Best ET on a time slip: 11.857 altitude corrected to 11.163
Best MPH on a time slip: 117.87 altitude corrected to 126.10
Best 60 foot: 1.662

Racing at 3500 feet elevation but most race days it's over 5000 feet density altitude!
Member of the Calgary Drag Racing Association

87 IROC bracket car
91 454SS daily driver
95 Homebuilt Harley

 

I agree with you guys- Camaros seem to do OK with 3/8" lines deep into the 12s. My Malibu has a longer draw from the tank and that might make the difference.

But someday try to blow through 10 feet of 3/8" line- you'll be amazed how difficult it is!

Bio- if you ever try runnign the electric pump jsut let it run all the time. It is internally regulated at 5 PSI max so you will not have carb flooding problems or anything like that. Just gives it a little boost up to the mechanical pump which then pushes it up to the carb and does the final pressure regulation.