99 Black Bird T/A

iTrader: (4)

TA is due for a new fuel pump & upgrade. Original pump has 155,xxx miles and a lot of hard driving. Making 1,300 mile trips, I want some piece of mind with a new fuel pump. I've had aone low pressure TBI fuel pump last over 200,000 miles and had one fuel pump fail with only 109,000 miles. Most of my friends have had fuel pump fails between 60,000 and 150,000 miles. Seems like this kit would be a good upgrade over another stock fuel pump.

My local mechanic will do the install. I know the exhaust & panhard has to be dropped and the tank come out.

What's a reasonable price for this install?
Should this take more than eight hours?

Any tips and advice is appreciated.


99-02 LS1 F-Body Complete Fuel Pump Assembly W/RACETRONIX 255LPH Pump Installed (up to 600HP)

http://www.ws6project.com/user_stor/...oducts_id=6821

Brand New RPM Speed Complete fuel pump assembly for 99-02 Camaro Firebird LS1. This module has the Racetronix FPA-001B 255 LPH fuel pump pre-installed! This is a direct drop in replacement of your factory pump.

Includes the following:


* Module
* Racetronix FPA-001B 255 LPH Pump
* Level sender and float arm
* Regulator
* Pressure sensor
* Filter socks
* Tank gasket

*NEW in box FIT and QUALITY GUARANTEE!

ScottyBG

Did you see my thread when I did the install? I'm not a professional mechanic, but I spent between 15 and 20 hrs installing it. That included doing dual pumps, all the plumbing, and all the wiring. I did spend some time making up some brackets and figuring out where to put stuff. I didn't rush at all. I didn't want to mess something up, and have to order more hose or such.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/fueling-i...ct-review.html

ScottyBG

I was thinking you were going to do lines too when I first read it. Without doing lines, I could drop the tank and change the module, and run the hot wire in 3 hrs easily on a 99-02. '98 would take longer. Be sure to take it to him just about empty, will make handling the tank much easier. I also would add the hot wire to it as well. The factory wiring doesn't provide enough power to that pump to be able to get it's full rated output.

99 Black Bird T/A

iTrader: (4)

Yes, i saw your thread. Its pretty fantastic with dual pumps and new lines. Good stuff.

Thank you for the info. I will take the car in almost empty.

I added the hot wire kit to my order.

3 to 4 hours sounds pretty good!

usnfenix

iTrader: (11)

I was wary of doing my own install but replaced the fuel pump in my 98 with a full racetronix system a few months ago and honestly it was easy, I used the trap door method and have easy access for any future repair/upgrade. There are plenty of purists who will shun the trap door and all blah blah blah, its up to you and its worth looking into if you don't want to be charged by a mechanic.

took me 2 hours in my garage with multiple breaks for the "where the **** did that tool just go" moments

99 Black Bird T/A

iTrader: (4)

Thank you for the info, USNfenix.

I can't bring myself to cut a trap door in the TA. My local mechanic is pretty fair on labor, I needed to know what we were getting into hour wise so I can have cash on had to cover it.

Majestic9C1

iTrader: (19)

I did my install with dropping the tank in about a half a day..(helps when the exhaust is dumped like on mine) but I also converted to a return style system so that added alot of time to it.

usnfenix

iTrader: (11)

Hey and I wont push it but its up to you. I forget the thing is there honestly and I never will see it unless I rip up the carpet. But, if your cool with spending cash to have it done the other way that's your choice no harm done.

TX98Z28

What did your mechanic quote you? It's what it comes down too. I personally can't justify spending more on labor than what the whole kit cost, but then again time is money so it might not be worth your time to do it, ultimately depends how much money you make. For me though I refuse to let any mechanic touch my car. Bad past experiences….that is all I'm going to say.

99 Black Bird T/A

iTrader: (4)

Follow up - Got Racetronix kit installed today.

My friendly neighborhood mechanic did the install. Drop off to pick up was 5 hours including an hour lunch break. Install took 4 hours and part of that was because of the nearly stripped terminal on the battery. Install labor cost $250 and I think was a fair price given what was involved with removing Panhard, exhaust etc. Well worth the cost to not hack the car with a trap door.

Dropped the car off with low fuel light on so the tank was near empty. He said that really helped

The old stock pump went 157,000 miles and was working fine.
I just didn't trust it on long trips.

Thanks to all for the advice.

My next up grade will be new injectors. Probably Denso #36 for the planned 403

gametech

iTrader: (1)

Any idiot who shuns the trapdoor method is not a "purist". You are not talking about a car that will ever be an investment collectible. The trapdoor method is merely a common sense solution method of working around spotty engineering

ScottyBG

I totally agree here. Unless you have something like a all original 2002 TA WS6 with 2300 miles on it or something, cutting the trap door is a good modification. I have dropped the tank on a 98 a few times before, and you really have to bend the fuel neck to get the tank in and out. I would rather swap a cam, and heads, than a fuel pump in a '98, via dropping the tank. If your in there regularly, like many people are with aftermarket pumps etc. It makes life much easier, and doesn't stress the filler neck bending it every time you drop the tank. I was a "purist" for a while, then realized I was just an "idiot". I seen the light and cut the trap door. I made an aluminum plate I put over the top of mine, and I put a couple sheet metal screws in it. When the carpet goes over it you can't tell its there, can't even see it from the bottom when it is up on a lift, or there are mirrors under the car, like at a car show either, the tank is in the way.

If I ever really wanted to, can't think of why I would?, I could drop the tank, weld the piece back into it, grind it smooth with a flap wheel, paint it, and you would never know it was done.

gametech

iTrader: (1)

This issue reminds me of something that comes up on older corvettes. In order to change the heater core, you can disassemble the entire dash, or you can drill a couple of barely noticeable holes in the firewall. I would love it if someone were to ever compile a list of these common car mods that can turn an hours or days long struggle into a few minute job.

99 Black Bird T/A

iTrader: (4)

Each to their own. One can do as they please.

Race & track cars I can understand why one might do a trap door of having to be into the fuel pump and gas tank regularly.

I view daily drivers with trap doors as hacked regardless of of the car is Collectable or not. I'm not a fan of hack methods in general like butt splicing wires, cutting the wiring harness and so on if it cost a little more time and little more money to do it to suit me I'm OK with that.

A race car or track car is a different case than a daily driver at least in my view.

Probably my inner C3 72 Corvette owner coming to the surface
Yes, the dash got pulled when the heater core was done - both times over the last 34 years

On a different note, my old fuel pump must have been on the way out after almost 157,000 miles and not able to hold full pressure.

The car pulls hard again from 5000 rpm +

ScottyBG

I once hammered the hood venting fins shut on a C1, welded them closed and ground them smooth. I sprayed a coat of high build primer on them, and blocked them smooth, then repainted the hood.

The other corvette owners that heard I had done this didn't take "each to their own attitude" about it. I got hate mail. You would have thought I had burned an American flag, or slapped their daughters. There were people that would avoid me at car shows because I had done it. I liked the look of the smooth hood!!

You are totally correct, they are our cars that we pay for with our hard earned dollars. We really shouldn't judge wither someone cuts the trap door or not.

It's good to see you got your pump in and running, I've ran Racetronix pumps, and many of their items for years. There are a lot of Racetronix haters, just like Holley haters, they are out there. Mainly Racetronix dislike stems from the service side, but rarely do they have a quality or engineering issue. I don't hate on any vendors, they all have their faults. I just spend my money the best way I can, and sometimes that is buying from the vendor that has faults, because it is still the bang for the buck. (Well, I hate my cable company, so maybe that's not true, but they have the best internet so I'm still a customer). I think it is hard to beat Racetronix components for performance and engineering, for what you pay for them. It seems like you did OK at $250 for the labor. That seems about fair. Sometimes its hard to judge because every car is a little different, Some have been apart before that makes it a little easier to break things loose, and some have more corrosion than others and be harder to get apart, little things like that. I think you will be pleased with your choice for a long time.

G Atsma

How were you able to hammer the hood vents shut if the hood was made of fiberglass, like the rest of that car and all other vettes?

ScottyBG

C1s are steel. They predate the fiberglass.

G Atsma

WRONG. ALL Corvettes since 1953(first production year) have had fiberglass bodies. No steel bodies.

ScottyBG

It must have been an aftermarket part then. It was a long time ago, but it had stamped lovers in it and the hood was steel.

G Atsma

That could be. You made me think about it though, so I did a search for "Corvette body construction" and got the above answer. I wasn't gonna stick my neck out for nothing! LOL