502454

I am building a 70 Camaro with a LS1 / T56 and I am working on the fuel system. My question is what fuel pump will work the best (I don't want to use an internal pump unless I have to). The tank has a sump with a baffel welded in, a 1/2" pickup tube will terminate in the sump.
Also, how do I get from the Corvette fuel rail to the 1/2" and 3/8" stainless fuel lines that goes to the pump and return line. I will use the existing 3/8" hose bib as a return line.
Thanks,

TOM

John B

iTrader: (10)

You can have the correct AN -6 & -5 fittings brazed directly onto your fuel rail. You mentioned 1/2" & 3/8", however, they are actually 3/8" & 5/16". That's what I did on mine and it works perfectly.

Actually any good pump like a Walbro should work. If you can, you're better off with an in-tank pump for two reasons....1) the gas actually cools the pump and keeps it from physically overheating and 2) it helps cut the noise down.

502454

John,
I wanted to avoid the intank pump for several reasons, 1st if it fails on the road I would be in a world of hurt, 2nd my stock tank isn't realy setup for the intank pump. Will the hole for the stock sender and pickup fit the new style? I have welded on the tank so more welding is not a problem. How hard would it be to adapt something to my old tank and any sugestions?
By the way any updates in the works for the Monte? I refer to your site often, well thought out and put togeather.
Thanks, TOM

John B

iTrader: (10)

I guess I have several comments based on your concerns Tom.
</font>

• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">the reliability of these fuel pumps is so high that if you were to conduct a survey of how many people got stranded as a result of the pump failing I'm sure it would be an extremely small percentage (next to zip!). </font></li>
• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">even if the in-tank pump did fail, you could temporarily splice in an electric pump into your fuel line to draw gas through the old pump to "limp" home.</font></li>
• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">all you need to do is create a baffle around the base of the pump to prevent fuel slosh at low tank levels (you could use a plastic tray like the TBI trucks use)</font></li>
• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you have access to a late model TBI tank pick-up, you may want to see if it fits or modify it slightly (most GM stuff is surprisingly interchangeable!)</font></li>
• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">the other advantage of using something like the stock TBI type pick-up is it will enable you to use the stock OEM fuel level gauge!
  </font></li>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Thanks for the positive feedback on my LS1 swap pages. Glad that they offer insight for you! I am working on updating the main links on the index page so that it will have a one page summary for items like the fuel, exhaust, etc. so that people won't have to fish through nine months worth of updates to figure it out on their own. This just takes time that I really don't have a lot of as of late so it may be a month or more before I get to this.
Hope this helps <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

bgreen

I've done many Walbro intank installs, and I swear by 'em. We're using one on our Cobra LS1 setup. I think I have pictures of our install as well, of a custom intank setup in a fuel cell. Here's a link to a page with a couple pics: http://www.chitownsyty.com/bg/pics/1/page_08.htm

We did the same setup as John B did with the older C5 fuel rail, and return line. You could hack a stock F body pump assembly and setup a deadhead system as well, saving you the creation of a return line & whatnot.

Brian Green

jeromio

I picked up a complete FBody tank from a salvage yard ($65) which included the internal stuff (pump, sender, FPR).

If I can make the tank fit, I will just use that. It's a plastic tank, which I like. It also has all the modern charcoal canister /vapor recovery stuff which I also like (fuel vapor is by far the worst source of pollution from cars). Otherwise I will see about using the guts (everything is mounted together) in my stock tank.

I found that aftermarket pumps and FPRs were just way too expensive for me. Plus, to simplify things (and also save more dollars), I like the idea of using as much of the stock, cheap, readily available and already debugged FBody stuff. I'm gutting a Camaro guage cluster too.

parsonsj

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If I can make the tank fit, I will just use that. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Jeromio,
I like that approach. Any chance you could take some measurements of the tank for me? Just height, width, length, plus the location of the filler tube and fuel outlets.

thanks!!
John Parsons

502454

Thanks all for your avice I will hit my local wrecking yard with tape measure in hand. I read where the Hotchkiss F71 used the late Camaro tank and in hind site thought that might have been a mistake due to all of the mods. I think I will just modify my tank for an intank pump and hope for the best.

TOM

John B

iTrader: (10)

Tom, please don't butcher your car like the F71 "abortion" job. Rework your fuel tank!

502454

JOHN,
I agree I hated to cut the subframe for the A/C unit on one side but it worked out so good I am glad I did it. The tank is another thing, I will go with the stock tank and make it work. Thanks for the info on the intank pump it seems like the only way to go. It's just one more modification. A trip to the wrecking yard to get a pump mounting flange that will adapt to my tank will get me started.
Thanks again for the help,
TOM

John B

iTrader: (10)

You're welcome and good luck Tom. I don't think notching the frame up front for the A/C is an issue......it just bothered me to see the trunk cut up for no reason to fit the late model LS1 fuel tank. There is nothing about the stock LS1 fuel tank that makes it mandatory to use it in a retrofit application! This just made it seem to me that these guys were clueless when they did the swap.

jeromio

Well, I did see this post and remembered to actually measure the FBody tank. But then I left the measurements in the garage <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" />

So, presumably I will remember to go grab the paper and post it this evening....

jeromio

Damn I'm a slacker. Here it is finally:

The tank is sort of triangle shaped, so looking at it from the side, it's 7 inches tall on the narrow part and 12 inches tall on the fat part. Then it's 20 inches long and 32 inches wide.

I put it in my car today (well, not totally mounted, just temporary) and it fits pretty well. I have it in there backwards. In the FBody, the narrow part is forward. In my Z, I've got the fat part forwards. It looks pretty good. It also works out since the Z has the filler on the passenger side.

parsonsj

Hey Jeromio,

thanks for the info. My rear frame rails are 36" apart, so the tank will fit nicely. Sounds like something I'll pursue once I have the rest of my floors and trunk back in.

thanks,
John Parsons

MikeM79

John,

I have a plastic fuel tank complete with the pump from a 2000 Trans Am. It came as part of the entire LS1 package I bought. I will probably end up re-working the stock fuel tank as suggested in this thread which would make this stuff available for sale. Keep it in mind as your plans take shape.

parsonsj

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <snip> make this stuff available for sale. Keep it in mind as your plans take shape </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Mike,
I'll do that. I see you're located on the east coast (I'm in Maryland), which will make it easier. Drop me an email when you decide what you want to do.
John Parsons
jparsons@bellatlantic.net

jeromio

There's some pictures of the actual tank here:

http://240z.jeromio.com/motorswap/framefuel.html

MikeM79

Jeromio,

Great pics on your site. Quite an ambitious project!!

One "off topic" suggestion if I may. On your engine page I saw you using newspaper on your fenders to protect them. The best thing I have found for this job are the padded blankets movers use to keep furniture from getting knicked. Around here Home Depot sells them. I use a couple of bungee cords to hold them in place and don't have to worry about dropping a wrench, etc.

parsonsj

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Great pics on your site. Quite an ambitious project!! </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'll second that! Thanks for the link to the pics. I got a grin out the bar code on the side of the tank. I was reading your comments about pulling the motor again ... I'll bet I've had mine in and out of my car a dozen times. It's out right now. Hopefully, it will have to go in just one more time!

I don't have a tank at all right now ... so I think one out of a late model f-body is worth a good look.

John Parsons

http://www.pro-touring.com/featured_...7_chevy_ii.htm

<small>[ April 06, 2002, 09:21 PM: Message edited by: parsonsj ]</small>

jeromio

The paper is there for overspray - I painted my engine bay. Not really all that concerned about protecting the fenders at this point. The paint si in fair shape, but the car has a few areas of surface rust, plus, the bright orange/red paint is not my ideal choice.

Sometime in the distant future, the car will get properly painted. Until that time (and money), I'm happy to have a finish that I don't mind abusing.

This project is droning on, lemme tell ya. I just spent about 4 solid hours today wrestling with the fuel lines. Arrrgh. This steel line is not easy to work with. I made a miscalculation and had to try ahd straighten/rebend a section. Note how I didn't say that I had to kink/unkink/rekink the sections. Except of course that that's what happenned. Did I already say Arrrrgh?

Arrrgh. Also had to remove the driver's side arm, strut, and shaft, incl. brake line and cable in order to route them there lines. Managed to snap my tubing bender. Now it requires vise grips.

Now I'm pretty sure I already said Arrrgh.

But - Arrrgh.