I just picked up a racetronix fuel pump for my 98 TA that is awaiting a carb style intake, head and cam ls6!!

My question is....do I NEED to use the "hotwire" kit? I'm not trying to be cheap, but I only plan on light autocross/street driving. I have not skimped out anywhere else in the build so far. I guess after reading about the hotwire kit, I'm still confused on what exactaly it does, and if I NEED it or not.

 

Bump for a good question. I'm curious as well for the 99+ pump.

 

Do you NEED it? No. Is it a good idea? I personally think so. I have a hotwire kit/pump going in to our 00 WS.6, thats getting a new Heads/Cam setup for piece of mind. In my opinion, fuel delivery is just too important.

Heres what i got directly from Racetronix's website:
http://www.racetronix.biz/itemdesc.a...%2D001&eq=&Tp=
High performance fuel pumps need a good power source in order to perform to their full potential. On average a Walbro high-performance fuel pump requires twice as much power as a factory fuel pump. Factory wiring is just enough for a factory pumps power requirements because manufacturers need to save cost and weight. Racetronix field tests have shown that running a high-performance fuel pump off of the factory wiring can cut pump performance by 30% or more. Problems with failing factory relays, connectors/terminals and fuse contacts are also common when excessive load is placed on them.

The Racetronix plug and play harness is designed to remove all fuel pump load from the factory pump circuits while providing the pump with a new heavy-duty power source. The Racetronix harness gets its power directly from the alternator's battery terminal. The voltage at the alternators output is typically 1-2 volts higher than at the battery when the motor is running (high charge/load conditions and WOT). This means that your Walbro high-performance pump can provide as much as 20% more fuel in some cases. The Racetronix harness uses high-quality automotive-grade wire which is resistant to oil, gas, heat and rot. The main length of wire in the Racetronix harness is ten-gauge stranded copper. This is three to four gauges thicker than factory wire which helps reduce resistive power loss to almost non-existent levels. This helps improve pump performance by as much as another 10-20%.High-quality weatherproof fuse holders and relays are used for maximum reliability. The Racetronix harness has factory-type connectors which plug directly into your fuel pump module/sender so no cutting or splicing is required. The Racetronix harness has a redundant ground upgrade as it is necessary to improve the harness on the negative side of the pump's supply as well.

 

I didn't go with a hot wire kit and have had alot of problems and car isn't getting enough fuel because of that reason. I currently have a walbro and i'm fixing to swap to a RT with the hotwire kit so that I can finally really drive my car !

 

Can the hotwire kit be used on the factory pump? Does it require the pump to be removed to install it?

 

Yes, you could use a hot wire hit with a stock pump for a slight benefit.

The hot wire kit is used outside the tank only, so the pump does not need to be removed for installation.

As for the above questions, I always recommend the hot wire because an aftermarket pump draws more power than the factory pump. The marginal factory wiring will not get as much voltage to the pump as this kit will. For the slight additional cost there is no reason to cut corners. It far outweighs the aggravation of doing it twice.

 

thanks guys!! I'm gonna get one!

 

Its the hotwire + the racetronix pump supposed to add/recover any hp? I ask because I had only the pump installed, and this past weekend I put the hotwire and I felt the car more responsive. Was that expected or its all in my head??