It has been almost 10 years since the “Terminator” Cobras came out in ’03, and they only lasted two years until a newly designed Mustang was released, yet the cars are so damn good that the performance aftermarket still embraces them. As soon as the ’03/’04 Cobras hit the streets, road courses, and drag strips around the country, they were an immediate force to be reckoned with in the hot street and strip scene. Other than a few minor flaws, they were pretty close to perfect. The aftermarket performance companies saw those flaws and seized the opportunity to embrace them, offering fixes for the supercharged 4-valve engine to make it both more reliable in a performance environment and also create even more power from the already potent powerplant.

Creating more power, however, often requires additional equipment to properly make use of it. More power means more heat, and that’s especially true of a supercharged engine, so in addition to the speed parts, the aftermarket came up with some parts to aid cooling. One of the weak spots on these cars is the factory supercharger surge tank, which carries the water that is circulated through the intercooler mounted underneath the supercharger. The factory tank is made of plastic and doesn’t get along well with the intense heat generated in the engine compartment. Eventually, the plastic will rot or crack, leaving the driver sitting on the side of the freeway, frustrated.

These parts are going to improve the quality of life of a 2004 Cobra.

Part Numbers For The Installation:

• Accel Lightning Cable Red #1846
• Accel Lightning Cable Black #1851
• Accel Lightning Screw-On Cable Ends
• Canton Battery Box/Supercharger Surge Tank #80-235ND
• Optima Red Top Battery #8002-002
• Steeda Battery Box #555-3801
• ** If You Want The Complete Kit (Including Hardware) From Steeda, Order #555-3800

Canton’s Battery Box And Supercharger Surge Tank

Precision WeldedCanton TIG welds all of their tanks, valve covers and oil pans to ensure a strong, durable and leak-free product. TIG welding is time consuming when compared to MIG welding, but it the only proper way to weld aluminum. 

One of their most popular items for the ’99-’04 Mustangs is the Supercharger Surge Tank. These kits are available for drag racing applications and street-driven or road course applications as well. In the case of the ’04 Cobra, this car has certainly seen plenty of passes at the local drag strip, but it mostly serves as a weekend toy (and in southern California, weekends are still subject to awful traffic). With the car’s clear purpose defined, the Canton Supercharger Surge Tank (non-drag) was the ideal choice for providing a little relief for the factory cooling system while providing better cooling during test and tune days at the track.

This particular tank provides a larger volume container and can be packed with ice when at the dragstrip to really drop engine intake temperatures. The Canton tank goes in place of the small factory unit on the passenger side of the engine compartment, and takes up more space, necessitating the battery relocation to the trunk.

Canton believes in making a high-quality and durable product, which is why every product is TIG welded. TIG welding is a more time consuming process that requires a certain degree of skill, but the results speak for themselves. With improved penetration into each weld and by providing uniform heat throughout the process the likelihood of leaks or cracks is greatly diminished. “Regardless which product it is, (oil pan, tank, or valve cover) everything goes through a series of tests to ensure that it is in-fact leak-free,” said Zeranksi.

Another functional design component is the .100-inch aluminum construction that increases strength and durability, while still being lightweight. Despite the industrial strength construction, the overall unit is aesthetically beautiful thanks to the polished finish and striking attention to detail on the welds that results in a functional and beautiful addition under the hood.

Once the tank and battery tray were properly aligned, it was time to measure for the new lines to the tank. With the addition of a few clamps and a couple of hose barbs the tank was ready for use. Besides the functional aspects of the Canton tank, the tank also enhances the overall appearance of the engine compartment thanks to beautiful aluminum construction.

(From left to right) First, it was necessary to remove the plastic cover to remove the existing plastic tank. These stock tanks are subject to the effects of heat and time. In this case the tank was already showing signs of wear making it susceptible to cracking. Dean carefully trimmed the original battery tray to securely mount the new tank from Canton. Once the tray was trimmed to fit the tank the rough edges were smoothed out with a grinding wheel, resulting in a perfect fit.

Relocating the Battery to the Trunk With Optima, Accel and Steeda

Steeda Autosports offers their battery boxes as a complete kit or just a stand-alone box, either option comes with a choice of the "Hardcore" or Ford logo.

In order to install the Canton tank, the battery had to be relocated to the trunk of the Cobra, which would require a few additional items to make the switch possible.  At this point Dean severed the battery cables in preparation for relocating the battery.

There are numerous options when it comes to securely mounting a battery in a non-factory location, but few are as good looking as those produced by Steeda. The aluminum box offers sturdy construction while adding a little flash at the same time. Depending on the demands of the racer, Steeda offers a variety of options when it comes to relocating the battery—a complete kit that includes the box, cables, and all of the necessary hardware, or a standard box-only option.

Many racers elect to assemble their own mounting kits, cables and tray, but the option of a complete kit makes it easier for those without spare parts laying around. As if there were not enough options, Steeda offers the battery box with their “Hardcore” logo or the iconic Ford logo.

Like all of their products, Steeda put considerable time and effort into designing their battery relocation kit. “During testing, we used a four-wheel digital scale to prove that relocating the battery does in fact help balance the weight  distribution during braking and acceleration,” said Glen Vitale of Steeda. “According to our research, by repositioning the battery to the right side of the trunk added 60 pounds over the right rear tire” Translation: better weight distribution resulting reduced nose dive under hard braking.

(Left to Right) Sean first starts by drilling holes on the right side of the trunk to mount the Steeda Battery Box. On the engine bay side, we removed the factory ground strap for the battery along with the power wire. The new Lightning cable that is ran to the trunk is secured to the power inlet on the factory fuse box.

Thanks to limited the miles this car is driven, the owner has had to replace the battery a few times (due to the battery going dead from lack of use) with cheap batteries from the local parts store. This where Optima Batteries stepped in to give the Cobra a little love with brand new Red Top battery. The Optima Red Top battery is a perfect choice for this particular car because it requires no maintenance and will outlast other batteries thanks to its outstanding shelf life. According to Optima, the Red Top can sit without being used for almost a year and still be able to start the car; making this yet another outstanding reason for selecting the Red Top for this particular application.

Adding a further element of durability and performance, while also reducing weight, was the ACCEL Lightning Cable kit. These cables provide the same amount of starting power as stock battery cables but at half the weight, a reduction of 2.4 pounds for a 20-foot run of cable. The ACCEL cable is easier to route, too, since it’s 37 percent more flexible than an equivalent copper cable. That flexibility also gives the cable superior fatigue resistance for a longer lifespan. You can get it in a variety of gauges and with red and black heat shrink tubing kits.

Better Weight Distribution and Cooling in One Job

Overall, the ’04 Cobra greatly benefited from the well-selected variety of modifications installed at the powerTV’s shop. This heavy car is now enjoying the weight savings and improved weight transfer thanks to the Steeda Battery Relocation Kit. The issues with running warm during the hot summer months are now eliminated thanks to the enhanced cooling capabilities offered by the Canton Supercharger Surge Tank that make the car a lot more traffic friendly. Accel assisted with all of the fine details by providing the lightweight Lightning Cables, connectors, heat shrink, and wrapping materials. And without a doubt, the car will benefit from the long-lasting Optima Red Top battery as it sits underneath a car cover in the garage.

Attention to details wins races and Championships. Sure, it takes some skill in the driver’s seat, but no competitive racer can refute that it also takes some planning skill. Doing your homework. Figuring out how to maximize every little bit of horsepower and handling that your race car can make. Countless hours are spent getting your engine combination exactly correct so that it can make the most dependable power and be there at the end of the race.

One Size Does Not Fit All

It’s true, not all race fuels are the same. Not even fuels from the same manufacturer are identical. They are designed and formulated for specific applications. In that aspect, you can consider racing fuel another component of your race engine. It’s not a matter of simply gaining 2 or 3% more power by picking a higher octane fuel. It does go back to champions paying attention to details and selecting the right components to maximize their racing effort with consistency. Every racer and engine builder knows that there are differences in race components. There is no “one size fits all” for every crankshaft, camshaft, pistons or valves. These components are built for specific race or engine applications. For instance, a camshaft manufactured for a quarter mile drag race probably isn’t the best choice for a 3/8ths mile oval dirt track. What if we were to tell you that the same principal applies to fuels?

Dr. Dean Hill speaking at the AETC conference in Orlando.

Let’s Get The Facts

We decided to get the straight facts about racing fuels from Steve Burns, CEO and founder of VP Racing Fuels. Along with Burns’ insider info as a research and development guru for premium racing fuels, we are drawing on information from Dr. Dean Hill, PhD Chemist that served as NHRA fuel inspector for National Meets for several years.

Remembering the fire triangle from our high school chemistry days, Dr. Hill added to the ongoing lesson by saying, “There must be fuel, Oxygen and spark or compression for combustion to take place. All three of these things can be controlled and adjusted.” VP’s Burns explained that an important concept to remember is that “gasoline doesn’t burn. The vapors of the liquid gasoline burns, and that’s extremely important to remember when you are thinking about controlling combustion in a gasoline engine.”

To illustrate this point, Burns said, “you have to have something that evaporates. You can take a piece of wood, and it will burn, but it doesn’t evaporate,” continuing his explanation of the vaporization of liquid fuel by saying, “what allows for combustion in the engine’s combustion chamber is the transition of liquid into a gas at temperatures below the boiling temperature at a given pressure.”

VP Racing Fuels engine lab is where octane rating is determined on test engines using ASTM standards.

According to Burns, pressure, or heat, causes the cooler molecules in the fuel to get more excited and react with the air in the combustion chamber. The more heat that the molecule is exposed to, the more readily it becomes to react with the air.” The key to racing fuel, according to Burns, is “to control the reaction so that it is a smooth combustion.”

So, let’s summarize what we have so far: The goal of an internal combustion engine is to take air, combine that air with a proper amount of fuel that will evaporate and burn in the combustion chamber to make power. Dr. Hill reminded us earlier that it takes fuel, oxygen and spark for combustion to happen, and that all three of these elements can be controlled and adjusted. Burn’s added to that by emphasizing a controlled reaction of fuel for smooth combustion.

Historically, fuel companies have dealt with the issue of controlling detonation by adding octane agents to preventing uncontrolled combustion. That has worked well for lower performance street vehicles. Race engines however, are a different subject.

Burns explained that manufacturing race fuel begins at the molecular level. “Pre-ignition is nothing more than the fuel igniting before I told it to go off. What typically happens is that the combustion chamber gets hotter and hotter as the engine is working, causing the reaction to happen quicker, at higher speeds.”

Steve Burns looks on as Duane Minazzi, VP's chief chemist, analyzes fuel using a gas chromatograph.

In the simplest terms, “Octane is the ability to resist detonation,” Burns said. “If the detonation happens during the compression stroke before the optimal position of the piston in the cylinder, you can have serious inefficiencies and many times in racing motors, severe engine damage.”

There’s A Lot More Involved

According to Dr. Hill, “There are two ways to ‘hop up’ gasoline. You can increase oxygen which enables more fuel to be burnt or increase the octane rating which enables higher compression ratios to be used.”

Burns agrees that increasing the octane rating can help with the self ignition and pre-detonation issue, especially in higher compression engines, “but resistance to detonation is more than just octane. There is a lot more involved.”

Octane rating is often misunderstood in pump gas usage. Although we all pull into gas stations and are offered the choice between several octane rated gasolines, the octane rating at the pump can be deceiving because of the ASTM standards on rating octane. You will typically see three acronyms to describe octane rating: RON, MON and PON.

• RON (Research Octane Number) is determined on a running test cell engine with a variable compression ratio under laboratory type controlled conditions. The results of fuel in the test engine are compared to known characteristics of fuel with different mixtures of iso-octane and n-heptane. For example, fuel with the same detonation characteristics as a mixture of 90% iso-octane and 10% n-heptane would have an octane rating of 90.

• MON (Motor Octane Number) is generally considered a better measurement of how fuel behaves under load. MON testing is similar to the RON testing procedure except the fuel mixture is preheated, higher engine speeds are used and ignition timing is varied to test the fuel’s knock resistance under stress. The MON of pump gas will normally be around 10 points lower that the RON number.

• PON (Pump Octane Number) is simply the average between the RON and MON and is most frequently seen displayed on gas station pumps as (R+M)/2. Don’t believe us? Go ahead and take a look on the gas pump next time you fill up at the local service station.

As you can see, octane ratings mean different things depending on which ASTM standard you are measuring the resistance to detonation of a fuel. Burns’ statement concerning a fuel’s “resistance to detonation is more than just octane,” refers to the complete makeup and constituents of the fuel. As for octane ratings, most racers, and race fuel manufacturers consider the MON the most accurate rating of a gasoline’s octane rating.

Burns tells us that “you need a fuel that resists detonation, evaporates well with the air inside the combustion chamber and releases the most heat for the available oxygen.” The rapid expansion of air by heat is what makes power, therefore, what we are really looking at in fuel molecules is the energy potential.

Burns went on to say, “You can make fuel with a thousand different types of molecules. Wouldn’t you want to control the consistency by narrowing it down to the 500 or 600 best molecules?”  To illustrate his point even further, he added, “It’s like having 1,000 players trying to make a team. You have them sitting there in the stands. To make a great team, you want to pick the players that you know are dependable under stress and are predictable performers.”

His analogy made a lot of sense to us. If you took the time to isolate the different players, discover what characteristics they had under game situations, you would pick the best role players to make a consistent winning team. “Putting together a winning team costs money. We see this with every dynasty type team put together in sports. But what you are rewarded with is the consistent “W” in the win column,” states Burns, adding, “Manufacturing fuel is no different. For racing fuels, we select the best molecules for a specific task.”

Minazzi tests for specific gravity using a digital meter to ensure the the fuel is in compliance with specifications.

There IS a Lot More To The Equation 

At the molecular level for example, the amount of carbon atoms in hydrocarbon fuel, can affect how quickly or how slowly the fuel burns. The more carbon atoms and bonds, the longer it takes to break the bonds and burn the carbon atoms. The way the atoms are bonded to each other also affects speed of the combustion and amount of energy released. When you’re talking about a couple of milli-seconds for an optimal energy window, dependable reaction is everything.

In essence, what Burns explained to us is that his engineers “hand pick” the constituents that make up the different types of fuel that VP Racing Fuels manufacture. Each type of fuel has a specific purpose and predictability by design. The cost of making a premium racing fuel is higher than a pump gas that operates in a wider operating range of variables and less energy potential, but it’s no different than paying a slightly higher price for an aftermarket engine component that is tailor made for high performance.

Final Thought: Let’s Put This All In Perspective.

A gallon of race gas can cost between $8 to $12 a gallon. The process of manufacturing that gallon of race gas goes way beyond the typical process of manufacturing pump gas. There is still the exploration, recovery of crude, fractional distillation, and refining, all done under the regulatory oversight of big brother. Then the selection of additives, the chemicals that make race gas a high performance product are selectively added. To cap it all off, there’s packaging, marketing, handling wastes and all the other costs of doing business.

Compare that to a bottle of filtered tap water that we put into our high performance bodies. We think nothing of paying $1.50 or more for a 9 ounce bottle of Evian water. Bottles of drinking water are as common in the pits as gallons of racing gasoline. Remarkably, bottled water has less regulatory oversight and taxes than gasoline. That water ends up costing the consumer over $21 a gallon. When it’s all said and done, it’s an amazing technical achievement to produce a gallon of high performance race gas at an affordable price.

When we first began on 666, the vision for its final result was one of humble intentions. We aimed to build a wicked Fox body that was right at home on both the street and the strip, incorporating many of the “race” elements into the suspension and drivetrain, while maintaining some level of drivability, as well. But as would be expected from a group of editors with deep roots in drag racing, 666 gradually took on a new form.

The 408ci Small Block Ford that we had in the car gave way to an all-aluminum 427 from Dart, along with TCI’s new C4 transmission, new suspension components, and other changes. Throughout the build, we’ve taken this Pony car from the 13′s to the 12′s, down to the 10′s and finally, after more late nights and busted knuckles than we can keep track of, into the nines. And while the nines were a big mission of ours,  we’re drag racers, and we’d be in defiance of the code of a drag racer if we just stopped there. And so our project matches on, where we turn our attention next to the fuel system. For that, we’ve again teamed with Aeromotive, whose fuel system components can be found front to back on our Project 666.

666′s Current Setup

Regular visitors to StangTV and those following the progress on 666 may know what the current spec sheet looks like on this car, but to get you up to speed, a couple of years back, we installed Aeromotive’s then-new Stealth fuel tank, which satisfied our needs at the time with 800 horsepower potential, compatibility with EFI or a carburetor, and no losses in street-ability or fuel capacity.

The Stealth system featured an OE-designed fuel tank with a fully-contained, sump-style fuel pump and filter located within the tank. Because of its mounting point that drops down two inches from the lowest point on the stock tank, it proved to have ideal fuel pickup on acceleration and an optimum gravity pickup point – something not previously possible with aftermarket fueling options on the Fox body. But as we take more of a full-on race car approach to 666, it was time to take a full-on race approach to our fuel cell.

Aeromotive’s New Stealth Fuel Cell

Aeromotive's new six-gallon Stealth fuel cell, which was originally designed to be standard hardware on the Ford Cobra Jet Mustang, is an aluminum, racing-style cell with an internal A1000 fuel pump.

From The InsideAeromotive’s 6-Gallon Stealth fuel cell features an internally-mounted Eliminator or A1000 series fuel pump, with an internal baffling system that keeps a column of fuel t the pickup point to eliminate slosh. 

As a race car, the new Stealth fuel cell offers 666 a number of advantages; it’s lightweight, it has a decreased fuel capacity, is designed for drag racing, and carries the option of a couple of Aeromotive’s top-notch race fuel pumps. Constructed of aluminum, the tank holds six gallons of fuel and offers many of the same advantages of the larger 15 and 20 gallon tanks, with the exception of carrying a street-style sending unit. Very much a universal design, the Stealth tank is a sump-style part with Aeromotive’s A1000 fuel pump – or the option of the Eliminator fuel pump – built right into the tank. It also features an integrated baffling system to keep a column of fuel at the pickup point to eliminate fuel slosh issues.

“Right before we began production on the first generation tanks, we began working with Ford on the Cobra Jets, and they said, we want you guys to do the fuel system,”  explained Aeromotive’s Jesse Powell. “We decided it would be best to do an in-tank version, so that you don’t need an externally-mounted fuel pump. The engineers loved it and we collaborated to arrive at the six gallon capacity. This Stealth tank has now been standard on the last two iterations of the Cobra Jet and can also be found on Chevrolet’s COPO Camaro concept.”

The smaller, universal six-gallon capacity of the new aluminum Stealth fuel cell is perfect for our Project 666, which has become a real strip warrior in recent months. The new cell offers many of the advantages found in the larger OE-style tank, but uses an aftermarket sending unit.

Either of the fuel pumps – the A1000 or the Eliminator – can perform in anything from a 300 horsepower carbureted application to an EFI motor making 1,700 horsepower, so all of our bases are covered from a fuel delivery standpoint with this new setup.

And as any drag racer will attest, it doesn’t require a 15 to 20 gallon, OE-style tank or fuel cell to driver to the staging lanes, make a pass, and drive back the trailer, or even to make a couple of late round, round-robin passes. A compact, six gallon fuel tank such as this is perfect for a racing application like our Project 666. “This tank is really the universal version of the original Stealth tank; the second generation, if you will,” says Powell.

The Stealth fuel cell sports an A100 Micron stainless steel fuel filter, return line provision, a pair of AN-08 vents with rollover valves for rollover ventilation, and a standard 12-bolt flush mount lid assembly. Internally, the cell design sports a “box” that contains the fuel pickup and filter and also the return that, even when low on fuel, is always overflowing with fuel – much like a garden hose being run into a cup. This maintains a continuous flow of fuel at the pickup at all times.

“With this design, you’re not uncovering the pickup when you’re turning left or right, hard braking, or hard acceleration, and it keeps positive pressure on the inlet to reduce vapor lock problems,” explains Powell.

Aeromotive Stealth 6-Gallon Fuel Cell Features:

Eliminator Fuel Pump (internal) – P/N 11104
• 100 Micron Stainless Steel Fuel Filter
• 6.2 Gallon Capacity
• Return Line Provision
• (2) AN-08 Vents with Rollover Valves
• Standard 12-Bolt Flush Mount Lid Assembly
• Natural Aluminum Finish

Out With The Old, In with The New

As is commonly done with a car such as ours where the original trunk is still fully intact, we’ll be relocating the new Stealth fuel cell to the trunk rather than under the car where the current Aeromotive OE tank resides. But in order to do so, we’ve got a little work to do to make preparations. Before we can get to the installation, however, we need to remove the old tank, which is little more than a process of removing the return and supply lines from the filter and pump, removing the filler neck assembly, disconnecting the sending unit lines, and undoing the straps that hold the tank in place under the car.

We've opted to use the recessed spare tire compartment in the trunk to mount the new fuel cell. With a pair of 3/4-inch square tubing welded parallel into the compartment, we then welded a pair of L-brackets to the opposite sides of the tank, which will rest on the square tubes for mounting.

From there, we turn our attention to the trunk of 666, where we’ll need to fabricate a pair of mounts to firmly place the tank and bolt it down to. Sean, our resident fabricator and mechanical wiz, took a pair of 3/4-inch square tubing, sized them down appropriately, and welded them parallel to one another down into the recessed spare tire compartment in the trunk. Two L-brackets were then welded to the lower edge on each side of the tank with two bolt holes cut through each. The tank could then be placed on the 3/4-inch rails and bolted down.

Then it was matter of modifying our plumbing configuration to reach the tank – now in the trunk – using the supply, return line, and sending unit wire that we already had in place. To accomplish this, a pair of fuel line bulkhead fittings were placed in the floor of the trunk.

Here's the fruit of our labor, with the new lines re-routed through a pair of bulkheads in the trunk floor to the tank and the stock sending unit wire, also re-routed through the tank from the undercarriage of the car. Armed with a pair of rollover vents, we've optioned to seal one off, while routing the other out through the floorboard of the car.

On the supply side, the hose was cut to place a new inline fuel filter on the line, and then both the supply and return lines were connected to one side of the bulkheads, while a new pair of fuel lines were connected to the trunk side of the bulkheads and run up to the new Stealth fuel cell. As mentioned above, we re-used the sending unit wire, and only had to re-route it up through the trunk to the new tank. Lastly, because we only need one of the two rollover vents that come standard on the Stealth fuel cell, we capped one of the AN fittings off, and with a loop in the line as is common, routed it out the floorboard of the car.

While the switch from our previous OE-style fuel tank to this legitimate racing tank from Aeromotive may be a rather small ingredient to the whole picture, the result of our work on this, the brains of the fuel system, brings 666 one step closer to it’s performance potential and true identity as a race car. Along the way, we gained some added performance potential with the awesome A1000 pump, reduced some weight from the car, and improved our level of safety a touch with the optional two rollover vents. Now it’s time to fill up and hit the track!

Diaphragm Pumps

Diaphragm pumps use a membrane, usually a rubber composite, that moves in an up-down motion over a cavity. The cavity has an input and an output, each with a check valve in place to ensure a one-way motion of fluid. As the diaphragm moves up, it creates a vacuum, drawing fuel from the line to the cavity. As it moves down, the fuel is pushed out of the cavity under pressure. The check valves keep the fuel from being pushed out the wrong side. This is the design most commonly used in stock-style mechanical fuel pumps and cheap aftermarket low-volume electric pumps, and they last quite a long time.

This is what a spur gear pump looks like. It is a simple and efficient design, but they are noisy.

One of the biggest benefits of a diaphragm pump is the vacuum created on the feed line as it actually draws fuel from the tank to the pump. They are also very good for dirty fuel systems, since the fuel does not flow through the membrane, debris and other contaminants are less likely to damage the pump. Diaphragm pumps are not as efficient as other designs; these are not commonly used in extreme performance applications.

Piston Pumps

Similar to the diaphragm pump is the piston pump, which mounts the engine like a standard diaphragm pump, but it uses a piston drive similar to a master cylinder. Like a diaphragm pump, the piston pump draws fuel into the pump and forces it out under pressure; the difference here is that there is no diaphragm to rupture and the piston action can create substantially more pressure and flow more volume.

Race Pumps mechanical pumps can generate 150 psi of fuel pressure using just 105 lbs of pushrod force. Piston pumps are more expensive than traditional pumps, but the fact that they are rebuildable for about $10 makes them a viable option.

Race Pumps mechanical pumps can generate 150 psi of fuel pressure using just 105 lbs of pushrod force. Piston pumps are more expensive than traditional pumps, but the fact that they are rebuildable for about $10 makes them a viable option. We talked with Race Pumps owner and pump designer Howard Stewart about the development of the piston pump and he told us, “The idea was to bring simplicity to fuel pumps. There is one moving part that displaces up to 450 gallons per hour.”

Because the pump is mounted to the block and runs off the camshaft, the pump only produces what the engine needs; there is no need for a return line. With that in mind, there is an option for a small return line for cars where vapor lock may be an issue, specifically for street and methanol cars.

The rotary vane design, which many brands use for high-volume high-pressure fuel pumps, have multiple sliding vanes (3) that are driven by a spindle (2). As they rotate, each vane slides out, sealing to the wall of the cavity. The fuel gets trapped between two vanes and pressurizes as the cavity gets smaller towards the outlet. The roller vane pump is the same except the square vanes are replaced with rollers. 

 

Rotary vane pumps, such as the Holley Red and Blue fuel pump designs, operate with a paddle-wheel device inside a larger circular base. The wheel is offset to one side, creating a crescent shaped cavity. Paddles on the wheel slide in and out of the wheel as they spin inside the cavity, this draws fuel into the pump as the cavity opens up, then compresses it as it narrows again, finally pushing it out of the pump under pressure. The nature of the sliding vanes creates a lot of friction inside the pump. The slide must seal the pump, maintain pressure and slide in and out, resisting centrifugal force, all at the same time.

Sliding vane pumps are generally relegated to low pressure applications and are almost always T-style pumps (motor on top, inlet/outlet on the bottom), though there are a few inline sliding vane pumps. For high pressure applications, the roller vane design is used. Where the sliding vane has a lot of friction on the flat edges, the roller vane uses the same basic principle, but instead of a paddle, a roller bar is used. The roller still moves in and out of the inner wheel, but much of the friction is reduced, increasing the sealing and efficiency of the pump. This style of vane pump is more suitable for high pressure than the sliding vane. Rotary vane pumps are efficient, but they are loud. Contaminates in the fuel can create problems in the pump, but they are more tolerant than georotor pumps.

Georotor

Gear-drive pumps use two spur gears that mesh together to pump fluid from one side to the other. This is the same type of pump that is used for external oil pumps on an engine. They are noisy, but they work well. The majority of belt-drive and hex-drive pumps use this design, with the exception of Aeromotive, which uses the georotor design.

Georotor pumps are the most common design for modern electric high-pressure, high-volume fuel pumps. A georotor pump operates by spinning spur gear that drives what is essentially an internal ring gear. This internal gear has teeth on the inside of the ring. As the spur gear spins, the ring gear rotates inside the cavity, creating a suction on the inlet and produces pressure on the outlet. These pumps are very efficient, quiet and can build very high pressures.

Here is an animation of a georotor pump. The spur gear in the center drives an internal ring gear, which pulls the fluid into the cavity, compresses it through the crescent-moon form in the center and pushes it out under pressure. These pumps are the most efficient of all the designs. Image credit: Staffanlincoln

The drawback of a georotor design is that they are highly susceptible to damage from contaminants and overheating. When the fuel feed is reduced to the pump, cavitation occurs, which destroys the pump in a matter of minutes. A common misconception is that georotor pumps do not produce vacuum on the inlet side, meaning they must be gravity fed by the fuel tank. In reality, georotor pumps can generate significant vacuum. As the vacuum increases, the boiling rate of the fuel decreases, and the fuel to turns to vapor. This causes cavitation, which is an air bubble imploding. Cavitation is like setting off a bunch of tiny explosions inside the pump, it doesn’t take long, even a few minutes, to destroy the pump. By mounting the pump as close to the tank as possible, with a good gravity feed, you reduce the amount of vacuum generated by the pump, eliminating the vapor issues.

Choosing a pump that suits your needs

Regardless of the style of pump you choose, you need to know what size to get. While the old penchant of bigger is better is often true, there are situations where too much fuel pump can actually cause problems. A fuel pump is designed to move fluid and build pressure. A typical carburetor requires 7-14 psi of fuel pressure to ensure the bowls stay full. EFI systems require wildly different pressure, but typically range from about 26 to 60 psi, more with boost.

Recently we had a 400 hp small-block with EFI that required 26 psi of fuel pressure. Because of some fuel delivery issues, we ended up strapping a monster fuel pump that was capable of 100 psi and could feed a 1500 hp-carbureted engine. We noticed that the fuel pressure gauge would slowly creep up to almost 30 psi, even while the car was driving because the fuel pump was too big, causing the engine to run rich. It was simply pushing fuel past the built-in regulator on the TBI set up. A separate high-performance regulator could solve that problem, however the point is, too big can be a problem in certain situations.

Holley's new Dominator pumps can support up to 2100 hp with its two internal pumps. The second pump can be triggered to turn on from a variety of sources.

There are several key variables that are used to determine the fuel requirements of any given application. Flywheel horsepower, engine fuel efficiency, also known as Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC), Maximum fuel system pressure and pump flow at that pressure, along with available voltage at the pump under load and the pump flow volume at said voltage all factor into the equation. Yikes. While that sounds a bit complicated, it really isn’t. There are some simple formulas that we can use to extrapolate the information needed.

The Simple Math

Take a 1500 hp NA engine, with a BSFC of .45, multiply the two figures together (1500 x .45) and we get 675 lbs of gasoline. Take the same horsepower in a turbo application with a BSFC of .65 (1500 x .65) and the result is considerably higher at 975 lbs of fuel. This just goes to show that a fuel pump that says it is capable of feeding 1500 horsepower may not be enough for your 1500 hp application.

The classic Aeromotive A1000 electric pump is capable of feeding 1500 hp for an NA engine, 1200 for hi-pressure systems.

For a naturally aspirated engine with an alternator, this might be all you need, but if you are running forced induction or nitrous, or not running an alternator, then there are a few more considerations. Forced induction alters the fuel pressure needs with engine load. As the fuel pressure demand increases, the pump volume decreases.

For example, the Aeromotive A1000 pump on a carbureted NA engine, set to 9 psi running on 13.5 volts flows 791 lbs/hr, feeding 1582 hp @ .5 BSFC. On the same engine with EFI, regulated to 43.5 psi on 13.5 volts, the volume drops to 614 lbs/hr, feeding 1228 hp @ .5 BSFC. Add in some boost–6 psi, an 8:1 boost reference regulator, intercooled, pressure regulated to 91 psi on 13.5 volts and the flow craters to 370 lbs/hr, feeding 616 hp @ .6 BSFC. This demonstrates a flow reduction of 53%. More pressure requires more fuel pump volume.

The other consideration for race fuel pumps is voltage. This variable is far too often overlooked as a given, but drag cars that run off a battery alone will have less available voltage to the fuel pump. Just like an engine needs fuel, an electric motor needs voltage to function. As the voltage drops, the motor’s speed drops, reducing both pressure and volume of the output. Considering the Aeromotive A1000 pump—at 80 psi, the volume will increase 40% when the voltage is increased from 12 to 13.5 volts. For non-alternator cars, a belt-driven pump would alleviate the voltage variable.

Belt-drive vs. Electric Pumps

The mechanical fuel pump has been around since the very beginning of the automobile, but major advances in the last 10 years have made the mechanical pump once again viable options for serious high-horsepower engines.

“Mechanical pumps have flexibility that electric pumps don’t have,” states Crow. “The Aeromotive belt-drive pumps start at the 500-700 hp level. The primary advantage of a mechanical pump is they offer positive displacement and are being driven by unlimited horsepower. It takes power to operate a pump; a belt or hex drive pump may take 5 hp, whereas an electric motor takes considerably more power to operate.”

Electric pumps consist of 2 components, the electric motor and the pump. Belt drive pumps are just pump section, simplifying the overall design.

Stepping up the flow is the 11105 belt-drive pump is capable of producing 3600 hp on gas and 1800 hp with methanol.

An electric fuel pump’s motor speed is directly tied to the volume it produces. The faster you turn the pump, the more it will produce. The limiting factor to the electric pump is that as the flow requirements increase, the power it takes to move that fluid increases. It takes a massive motor to spin a fuel pump with lots of pressure and high volume. As the pressure goes up, the work load increases. Most fuel pumps at 150 psi are essentially stalled because the motor slows down to the point that it can’t produce any flow. This is why build tolerances are so crucial in a fuel pump. “Aeromotive runs tolerances of .005”-.01”, which is what makes them so efficient, Crow stated.

The beauty of the mechanical belt drive is that as the engine spins faster, the pump runs faster, providing the flow you need without relying on battery voltage. Aeromotive changed the landscape for EFI on high-horsepower engines with their belt-drive pump in 2004. Before that, the only way to feed a 1500+ hp EFI engine was to run multiple electric pumps or a second battery just for the fuel pump. All Aeromotive belt drive pumps run a georotor design, where other belt drive pumps use the external spur gear pump, with two gears that mesh externally.

“External spur gears pump less volume at low rpm than a true georotor internal gear design,” explained Clow. “At low RPM, specifically during start up, external mechanical pumps can’t produce enough volume and pressure for the fuel injectors to properly fire. With a georotor mechanical pump, you can get enough volume, but you need to alter the crank timing in the ECM, increasing the open time for the injectors so that the engine will fire with less fuel pressure. Once the engine starts, the belt drive pump will supply the full amount of fuel.” For the convenience factor, a small electric priming pump for starting the engine with a belt drive system can be used. This is not an issue for carbureted engines with mechanical pumps. Once the bowls have fuel, the engine will start.

One of the drawbacks for a belt-drive pump is the location of the pump in relation to the fuel cell. Belt drive pumps have the ability to draw as much as 20-inches of vacuum because they are so efficient. As we discussed earlier with georotor electric pumps, the problem that can arise from this is vapor lock. As the amount of vacuum increases, the boiling point of the fuel decreases. To combat this, you need to consider the fuel line feeding the pump and the design of the fuel cell. As the length of the fuel line increases, the diameter of the line must increase to keep up with the flow.

Internal or external bypass?

Another benefit of a belt-drive pump is that they don’t need a return line to effectively regulate the fuel pressure. Because they don’t produce the same volume and pressure all the time, there is not a continuous overflow of fuel. That does not mean you can’t use a return line with a belt-drive, but it is not required. For most high-powered electric pumps, an external bypass regulator is required.

High pressure and electric pumps do not like being deadheaded (pressure back up to stop the flow), it leads to cavitation and overheating. Brett from Aeromotive offered a suggestion for the location of the external bypass on EFI engines-“Install the regulator after the EFI fuel rails so that the fuel is in the rails at pressure. This ensures that there are no losses in flow or pressure when the injector needs the fuel.” Sounds like good advice to us.

Whether you want the convenience of fast start up, simple installation and constant fuel volume of an electric pump or the high-volume flow without the need for additional battery voltage, the choice is yours. In any case, make sure you research the fuel needs of your application and make sure it matches the pump you choose. It just could mean the difference between a win and a loss.

All too often, in the game of project cars, room for improvement is always available; it’s practically inevitable. This hobby allows for the slightest opportunity for wrenching to snowball into a day of all-out upgrades. Besides, who likes sticking with average? When it comes to upgrading, consumers have got a ton of products to choose from. For some, upgrades happen purely out of necessity, others for fun, or when the budget allows for it. The privileged just can’t wait to get the latest and greatest offerings in the aftermarket, and who can blame them?

Unlike the aspects of the past, though, there are a myriad of companies that provide solutions to the guessing games of the past. One such company is Concept One. If you aren't familiar with Concept ONE, they offer some of the industries finest accessory mounting kits for small- and big-block Chevy’s in a modern serpentine system. What’s more, Concept’s line of components provides a custom look and feel with off-the-shelf availability; a complete package not matched by many.

For us though, our install consisted of a well-liked but somewhat mysterious upgrade—the serpentine drive belt system. If you’ve ever fussed with a multi-belt design in the past, then hanging the alternator, power-steering pump, and other drive accessories to your GM small-block could prove a bit challenging.

Prior to aftermarket performance powerhouses like Summit and Jegs and availability of serpentine kits, that meant scouring the wrecking yards for OEM brackets and guessing at the alignment of the V-belts and the clearance of each accessory.

This turned the weekend project into a small treasure hunt to turn up the correct items for a complete build. We can safely say, though, that most of those days are long gone.

A modern serpentine system completely eliminates the need for multiple belts and squashes any concern for fitment. First introduced in GM vehicles during the mid-‘80s, the serpentine system is more efficient than the older multiple belt systems. It’s become an industry standard on all modern cars and trucks.

The beauty of Concept ONE's serpentine kit lies in its flawless design. The Victory Series keeps the A/C compressor, alternator and power steering pump cleverly tucked within the boundary of the engine block. No matter if you’re into street rods, late-model trucks, or in our case, a mid-‘80s Camaro, Concept ONE’s kits will fit a variety of applications. What’s more, their all-inclusive kits come complete. This means less down time and more fun on the road.

Each Concept ONE Victory Series kit includes:

• Ultra small polished Sanden SD-7 compressor with billet manifold
• A new Delphi aluminum power steering pump
• An Edelbrock waterpump
• A heavy-duty 105 amp polished Powermaster one-wire alternator
• A crank pulley, waterpump pulley, alternator pulley, and power steering pulley
• A complete alternator, power steering and A/C compressor bracket set

The Single-Belt Advantage

Serpentines use a single, wide belt to drive all the accessories instead of thinner V-belts. Additionally, they require less space to operate and produce higher tension, which also reduces slip. Consequently, less slip means longer belt life, extending your initial investment.

For fit and finish, Concept One made sure to take their Serpentine kit one step further. They've made sure to add in beauty caps to their belt-driven accessories. They're easy to install, too. Simply snap them into place and you're done.

What’s more, serpentine systems are also much easier to maintain and replace. Their tight, clean, and simplistic design makes it the perfect addition to free up engine bay real estate and power, and the perfect opportunity to turn our bland engine into a modern-day runner.

With a completed, ready-to-fire Dart 440ci small-block awaiting installation into our project car, we were after a more modern approach.

Sure, the standard V-belt design would have sufficed but we were after something that could take the punishment of high horsepower and the occasional abuse from open track days and test & tune nights.

After calling Concept ONE, owner Kevin Redd dialed us in. Redd turned us onto their Victory Series pulley system that contains everything needed to mount the three most common accessories like the power steering pump, A/C compressor, and the alternator. Of course, it’s all spun by one belt in one seamless kit. Redd explained, “We really focus on how the systems fit and have worked really  hard to make sure our kits fit without having to make modifications and assure each kit is clean and neat.”

Each Concept ONE Victory Series kit includes an Ultra small polished Sanden SD-7 compressor with billet manifold, and new Delphi aluminum power steering pump. An Edelbrock waterpump is also included as well as a heavy-duty 105 amp polished Powermaster one-wire alternator. Of course, the kit wouldn't be complete without the crank pulley, waterpump pulley, alternator pulley, and power steering pulley. Not done yet, Concept One also includes a complete bracket set for the alternator A/C compressor, and power steering as well as the alternator pulley cover compressor nose cover. Goodyear Gatorback belts and tensioner with chrome hardware completes the kit.

Concept ONE even offers up two more finishing choices and include the option for a machined finish or the opportunity to have all of the hardware and brackets delivered in a black or clear anodized finish.

Although we began with the front of our small-black already bare, the removal process is easily completed with basic hand tools. At powerTV headquarters, under the technical hands of Sean Goude, we installed the entire Victory Series onto our Dart 440ci small-block before midday. Our final touch was adding the serpentine Gates belt to complete the package. Of course, you’ll have to stay tuned for when we drop the new powerplant into the car and test the system.

Installing The Concept One Kit

Our in house tech-guru, Sean Goude, took the reigns on our Concept ONE Conversion install and got right to work. Using the supplied studs, he applied a small dab of Loc-Tite (Blue) to the ends of each thread. This would prevent the threads from backing out of the water ports and ensure the studs stayed in place.

Following the supplied instructions, Goude installed three of the studs into the water ports, and installed the longest stud in the passenger side water port.

We made sure to add all the necessary highly-polished pulley's and installed the alternator fan to the accessories. Concept One has left no stone unturned.

From there, Goude went ahead by installing the main brackets for the serpentine kit. The “Y” shaped bracket hangs onto the passenger side studs with the rectangular-shaped bracket hanging off of the driver side studs. It’s also important to note that each bracket must have the O-rings installed on  both sides.

A small amount of white grease may help to keep the O-rings in place as you install the brackets. With the studs in place, and O-rings set into the brackets, we could install the waterpump onto the front of the block.

The brackets simply slide over the studs and are held in place with the supplied hardware. We used a 7/32-inch Allen socket to lock each bracket into place onto the block.

Up next were the four individual spacers, which thread onto the studs coming out of the block. The ends of each spacer have also been machined with threads, too, so additional brackets can be mounted. We’ll get to those later, for now, we went ahead and installed the lower crank pulley with the supplied hardware and locked it all down with a 1/4-inch socket.

Just add a couple of the included polished bolts and the entire bracket with alternator can be installed in no time flat.

Concept ONE has done all their homework on these ingenious serpentine setups. Each component works seamlessly with one another and attaches with all the supplied hardware.

The power steering pump installs on the lower side of the drivers side bracket. Using the supplied spacer (round-shaped) we lined up the holes and set it into place. To install the pump, we used a 1/2-inch socket and locked it down for final assembly.

Next item in the kit is the driver’s side bracket, which supports the alternator. It’s been cleverly designed to look great underneath the hood of your project car. Moreover, all the bolt holes have been clearanced and ready for install. This means all it takes to get this bracket onto your motor is adding the supplied hardware.

Goude went ahead and used a 5/16-inch Allen socket and locked the bracket into place. Then, Goude installed the supplied Powermaster Alternator with additional hardware.

The best part, once the accessories are installed, they don’t have to be adjusted for slack in the serpentine belt.

In all, this means the entire setup can be entirely bolted on, installed, and ready to run.

With the drivers side accessories mounted, Goude moved over the passenger side and went right ahead and installed the A/C Condenser accessory bracket. This bracket holds and supports the A/C condenser. It, too, installs with the supplied hardware.

Goude threaded in the necessary bolts and locked that bracket down with a 5/16-inch Allen socket. Once that was complete, he installed the required spacer, which is placed below the condenser and sent the bolt through for completion.

Utilizing the spacers we installed previously to secure the waterpump, Goude lined up the accessory A/C bracket and bolted it into place. On the right, Goude locks in the manifold.

These trick spacers from Concept ONE do more than just look cool. They properly space the A/C and Alternator brackets away from the water pump. They've also been machined to fit a 5/8-inch open-end wrench, which makes install a breeze.

Concept ONE has made sure to include all the necessary components with their Victory Series serpentine kit. Case in point, the Goodyear Gatorback belt. One of the benefits from running a serpentine kit is having the advantage of using just one belt.

Goodyear Gatorback belts provide a longer service life with less noise than the traditional Poly-V belt design.

By absorbing the shock and vibration transmitted from the crank pulley, the belts can help your harmonic damper to better reduce harmful vibrations. Needless to say, we couldn’t wait to get the belt on to view the final product.

However, first Goude had to install the serpentine belt tensioner. With just one bolt, the tensioner is quickly added to the entire setup. Then, Goude wrapped the belt around the upper accessories and over the bottom crank pulley.

Then, using the 1/2-inch adapter end of a ratchet, torqued the tensioner (loading the internal spring) and slipped the new belt into place for final-that’s it! There’s no tinkering with the final adjustment with a system that uses a belt tensioner. The tension is automatically adjusted with the internal spring.

The included A/C manifold was a breeze to install. Simply remove the factory cap from the A/C condenser and bolt the highly-polished Concept One unit on using the supplied hardware.

With a quick flick of the wrist, Goude installed the tensioner bolt and then used the open end of a ratchet to swing the tensioner down and allowed the Gatorback to sit correctly on the pulley.

Although not sporting the belt at this point, it's easy to distinguish the quality in these components.

Once the belt was in place, its clear through the final product that Concept ONE make some seriously-nice serpentine components.

So far, we’ve had nothing but good things to hear from people walking by our install. We can’t wait to get this entire engine with its new serpentine kit planted into the car. Stay tuned, we’ll have a complete install of this engine soon enough.

For more information, be sure to click on Concept One for availability, options and pricing. Concept ONE has got a ton of kits to choose from!

A complete set of highly-engineered components has turned our bland Dart 440ci small-block into a real head-turner.

When building a low 9-second drag car everything must be considered; not just suspension, transmission and ridiculously powerful engine. Everything must work together to enhance the overall goal of running the desired ET without having a ton of issues. One area of great importance in any race application is the cooling system; this is something that cannot be ignored on the street, road course or the case of All Air, the local drag strip. With the naturally aspirated LS between the fenders of the former anemic ’00 V6 Camaro, the cooling system needs to be up to the challenge – all-motor combinations are especially sensitive to heat soak, and we need to keep the weight down while still rejecting sufficient heat from the system. Two major names stepped up to the plate for assisting in the cooling needs of our project car: Meziere and AFCO.

Meziere is a San Marcos, California based company that is well known in the industry for making some of the finest high-flow electric water pumps on the market. Along with water pumps, Meziere manufactures cooling system accessories, thermostat necks, recovery tanks, expansion tanks, radiators and billet flexplates. With their vast experience and knowledge, Meziere is a solid choice for high-flow electric water pumps.

The Meziere pump mounts to the radiator's lower hose connection using the supplied flange, keeping the entire assembly simple and compact.

For All-Air’s purposes, Meziere suggested using part number WP362, which is a dual-outlet radiator mounted water pump. Space is always at a premium underneath the hood of the 4^th generation F-bodies – during the engine installation mock-up, our shop manager Sean had to cut out a section of the cowl and windshield to make room for the carbureted LS. In cases like our Camaro or other applications where space is limited, using a radiator-mounted water pump may be a lifesaver. In cases where an engine mounted pump or a remote pump in the chassis seems impossible, radiator mounting is an excellent option.

Included with the WP362 water pump are all of the necessary components to complete the installation along with a detailed set of directions.

Meziere Dual Outlet Radiator Mounted Water Pump

• Part Number WP362
• Total weight: 6.2 pounds
• 3000+ hour life expectancy for street or drag use
• 55 gallons per minute free flow rating
• Normal draw of between 11-12 amps
• Compatible with 16V electrical systems
• Radiator mount weld plate included
• Stainless steel large diameter main shaft with high performance ceramic seal
• Dual outlet ports accept -16 AN fittings

Meziere's Dual Outlet Radiator Mounted Water Pump offers racers with space constraints the opportunity to mount their water pump directly to the radiator. The pump comes supplied with a weld-on mounting plate to convert your own radiator, or you can do like we did and get an AFCO radiator already set up to mount this type of pump.

As part of the installation instructions, Meziere recommends having a qualified welder weld the mounting flange into place on the radiator. This flange should replace the lower hose connection on the radiator tank. Once the flange is placed with the flat side facing out and the larger rounded part is facing the inside, the qualified welded should carefully weld the perimeter of the flange. Once everything has cooled, Meziere recommends checking the welds just in case there are any leaks.

Once it has been determined that there are no leaks, the pump can be installed using the supplied hardware.  In our case, the AFCO radiator we selected was already modified to accept the Meziere pump, making this part of the assembly a cakewalk.

Electric Versus Belt-Driven

High-flow electric water-pumps offer many advantages for racers, such as consistent cooling regardless of speed. When compared to a factory mechanical belt-driven pump, the electric pump the same flow rate regardless of speed or RPM, and with a high-flow electric pump the overall volume is increased and keeps the car running cooler. Another added benefit of using an electric pump is being able to cool the car more efficiently in between rounds; the electric water pump can be hooked up to a toggle switch allowing it run without the engine on, unlike factory pumps.

AFCO's Double Pass Radiator is built to withstand the demands of drag racing thanks to its lightweight design, compact size and aluminum construction.

To give our pump a place to live, we sourced an AFCO radiator. Based on the demands of All Air’s intended purpose and space constraints, AFCO recommended using part number 80104NA. This particular offering features the “Scirocco-style” or double pass design, which provides extreme cooling capabilities in a compact size. Thanks to the all-aluminum construction this is a very lightweight unit (just 8 pounds when empty), and weight savings are always beneficial in drag racing applications.

AFCO Radiator

• Part Number 80104NA
• 100% TIG welded – no epoxy
• 2 rows of 1-inch cores
• Stainless hardware included
• 2-inch foot mounts
• Four 1/4″-20 mounting bungs
• 1/4″ brass drain cock included

AFCO's radiators are all TIG welded for added strength. It's more expensive and time consuming than using glue to seal the radiator, but it pays off in durability and longevity.

AFCO’s radiators benefit over two decades of experience and knowledge in the aftermarket performance industry. The AFCO 80104NA radiator is a 2-core unit that is entirely TIG welded, meaning there is no epoxy to fail and cause leaks. All of the included hardware features stainless steel construction for added strength and resistance to corrosion and rust.

Sean begins to install the mounting brackets to the radiator. He has taken care to wrap the radiator core with cardboard to prevent damage during the installation and test fitting processes.

Custom Features From An Off-The-Shelf Design

Since we knew we wanted to radiator-mount our water pump, when we placed our order with AFCO, we started with the 80104NA design, but asked them to omit the lower hose fitting and sent them the Meziere pump and mounting plate to TIG weld to the tank. Thanks to modifying one of their off-the-shelf designs, we got a radiator that fit our needs perfectly, without having to step up to a full custom piece. If there’s nothing in AFCO’s catalog that is exactly what you want, they can do custom cross- or down-flow radiators to the specifications you provide as well.

Once we had our new AFCO radiator in-hands, it was time to fabricate up some mounting brackets to give it a home in All Air’s nose…

The fabricated radiator mounts are welded in place, and all that remains it install the radiator and water pump.

When the mounts were secured in place, Sean test-fit the radiator once again to ensure proper alignment and fit. After it was clear that everything was seamless, the radiator and water pump were mounted into All Air. However, the work was not complete yet; the wiring harness needed to be installed in order for the water pump to function.

Sean begins the installation of the wiring harness for the Meziere Radiator Mounted Water Pump.

The final addition to our cooling combo was an 8-inch electric fan, also from AFCO. Part number 80176 draws 6.9 amps and moves 421 CFM – not a whole lot of air, but for the purpose of drag racing, it’s perfect. We can run the electric fan and water pump together in the pits between rounds to cool the engine down, and we have enough heat rejection capacity to keep the needle in the green during burnout and idle without carrying around a lot of excess weight we don’t absolutely need.

Yes, the fan is small, but small is beautiful in this case. Because this is a drag-race-only car, the fan will do most of its work in the pits between rounds, and the cooling system has plenty of capacity to keep temperatures where they need to be during the burnout and staging.

With our new cooling components installed, we’re ready to run plumbing and finish up the wiring. Thanks to Meziere and AFCO, All Air will keep its cool without lugging around a lot of excess weight, and we know that we’ve got dependable components that won’t require a lot of attention or maintenance; always a plus when you’re hustling in the pits between rounds, or thrashing in the shop to get ready for the next race.

The Meziere pump looks great and saves plenty of space.

With new products being slung left and right, if you’ve got deep pockets, by all means, have at it. If you desire the industry’s latest and greatest, you better have the greenbacks to back it up. On the other hand, if you’ve only got a cheeseburger allowance (like us) to play with, then scoring a swap-meet carburetor for less then what the average tire alignment costs — you’ve scored.

We scored this original 1968 850cfm Holley mechanical double pumper at a local swap meet for a deal. There's thousands of these great carburetors sitting on guys' shelves and beneath their workbenches. You can score one of these too just by looking around.

For us, the tried and true method of fueling our mills is the traditional four-barrel carburetor. Holley, a name so synonymous with performance and heritage it’s no wonder most gearheads choose it to top off their builds over the competition.

Yeah, it may seem old-school in the age of laptop tuning, but some of us would rather swing a flat-blade screwdriver to adjust the idle mixtures rather than tote around a friggin’ computer.

The Holley carb was used so dependably over the last bazillion years, it’s no wonder they began showing up on many Detroit-built vehicles from the assembly lines. They work, are simple to operate, and if taken care of, showed years of trouble-free operation. What’s more, they’re still around! Visit any number of your local swap-meets or pick-a-part yards, and you’re bound to stumble across one; like we did!

Once the screws have been removed, we could go ahead and also remove the baseplate. This would give us better access to the fuel bowls and linkages. Note the old and worn baseplate gasket.

For the most part, bolting on a used Holley would suffice for any mild build.  Then again, with the availability of a complete rebuild kit, which hovers just over a paltry $40, its cheap insurance.

Most renew kits include all the necessary gaskets, O-rings, pump diaphragm, needle and seat, power valves, instructions and hardware for a complete rebuild. For us, this was a no-brainer. Through Holley’s website, we ordered up a complete rebuild kit (4150-style), metering block (PN 134-66), and four corner idle base plate (PN 112-119).

Don’t let the seemingly endless assembly of intricate linkages, springs, and hardware scare you off. We’ll show you exactly how to disassemble a Holley double-pumper and illustrate what it takes to upgrade to a 4-corner idle system with a new Holley base plate. Best part is most of the Holley lineup disassembly and upgrades are all relative. This means no matter which Holley you prefer, all Holley’s carburetors work the same way, just like our double-pumper.

Once the fuel bowls were removed, we could go ahead and peel away the old gasket. We made sure to remove all the gasket material. Any material left on the surface could compromise the new gaskets seal. Through years of use, separating the metering block from the main body may become a chore in itself. If need be, use a small scraper to pry the two apart.

Years of dust, carbon, and grime had built up on the insides of each venturi. We lightly sanded the inner venturi's with a small-piece of Scotch-Brite until each one looked new and fresh. A smooth inner venturi area will help clean up the air flow entering the carburetor. The cleaning solution will most likely leave a small amount of residue on the body. It's important to remove this film. We found a couple cans of Carb Cleaner at a local Napa Auto Parts store. Carb Cleaner also leaves no films or residue; drying completely.

The Teardown

We’ve got some heavy plans for our junkyard gem to go on a completely new engine build. First, we need to get our gem apart! We’ll assume you’ve already gone ahead and disposed of the fuel in the carb responsibly. Next, we turned the carburetor on its side and began to remove the eight Phillips head screws that attach the original baseplate to the main carb body.

Continuing with our disassembly, we moved onto the metering blocks. In order to remove them, we used a little elbow grease. In our case, though, since we’ll be replacing the gaskets, it didn’t concern us if they were damaged. Each Holley rebuild kit includes all new gaskets. The metering block also contains the power valve (primary only), and fuel jets. We’ll get to removing those later on. For now, we’ll focus on removing the years of grime.

Using a small piece of Scotch-Brite can help to loosen and remove any surface debris. In our case, we had some carbon build up in the venturi’s. The Scotch-Brite also helped to remove the baked on metering block gasket.

It’s also important to remember smoothing out any sharp edges that may be present on the main body (metering block area). Any edges could effect the new gaskets ability to seal correctly. We lightly sanded until the area was smooth.

Richter made sure to also mention to, “Inspect all parts for cracks, stripped threads, and any contamination.” Milling any of the components may be necessary, too. As Richter explained, “If the main body where the metering block is installed is warped more than 0.003-inch, it will need to be machined flat.”

Getting the carburetor completely clean is a small task. While not all of us have a cleaning solution to dip a carburetor body into, a couple cans of Carb Cleaner can do the trick, too. Though, we were lucky enough to have a full supply of Berryman’s Chem-Tool on hand. With the carburetor body completely dismantled, we dipped the entire body into the solution and let it sit.

Richter also expressed concern over replacing all gaskets, diaphragms, O-rings, and any rubber parts. Richter added, “Soak all metal parts in a good carb cleaner for up to 24 hours, then blow out all the passages with some compressed air.” The solution will slowly eat away at an excess carbon or grease build up. It’ll also allow the solution to soak into the circuits of the main body. After some time in the solution, we sprayed the entire body with Carb Cleaner. We also made sure to spray Carb Cleaner directly into each circuit to remove any debris.

The accelerator-pump installs fairly quickly. It's located in the bottom of the primary float bowl. Using a small Philips head screwdriver, we removed the pump housing (careful to not lose the spring). Then, we installed the new (supplied) diaphragm from Holley. Holley has a green and black diaphragm. For us, though, we chose the green version. It's safe to use with E85, and Methanol. On the other hand, the black diaphragm is solely used for gasoline only. Next, using the original hardware, we tightened the accelerator-pump housing back together. Note: The accelerator-pump lever arm must be positioned outward.

Access to the needle and seat are found on the ends of each fuel bowl. They're also simple to remove; only requiring a flat head screwdriver and wrench. Unsure of which needles do what? Viton needles are for all gasoline applications, steel needles are used with alcohol or exotic race fuels, and titanium needles are used for their responsiveness during changes in flow rates, as well as for their excellent sealing capabilities.

The Assembly

While most of the rebuild is spent disassembling the unit and thoroughly cleaning the main components, the assembly is much simpler. After each of the components were cleaned, most were left to drip-dry, while others were hand-dried with a shop-towel (keep lint to a minimum). Once the components were dry, we used some compressed air to remove any dust or extra lint. Now, we were ready to begin assembly our Holley double-pumper. We started off with installing the new accelerator pump along with a new diaphragm (green) from the Holley rebuild kit.

Holley’s Tech Tip:
If any cracks are found, replace that part completely. If you find any stripped threads, simply replace that part or Heli-Coil the stripped threads on that particular part.

Keep in mind, our process for assembly may differ than yours. However, all of these steps should be produced at some point during the installation of the new components. Holley’s rebuild kit also includes new needle and seat assemblies, too. Holley offers several needle and seat assemblies seperately for use as replacements or upgrades. They are available in different sizes and materials to suit a wide range of applications.

For the most part, much of the reassembly is replacing many of the smaller gaskets. For example, each adjustment screw for the fuel bowls retains a gasket. Holley provides all new gaskets in their kit. We made sure to swap out all the old ones for the new Holley units. This also included replacing the thin, metal gaskets for each fuel line fitting.

For the street, power valves are a necessity since most street-thumping is handled at part throttle. The importance comes when the throttle is opened up. Additional fuel is needed for a safe air/fuel ratio. In wide-open throttle situations, vacuum in the intake manifold drops to almost zero. At this point the power valve will open and allow more fuel (along with main fuel jets) to the carburetor. The gaskets inside the block can become weak and brittle with years of use. We made sure to play close attention to the power valve in the primary metering block by swapping out the gasket for a new one from Holley.

Each idle mixture screw has a very small cork gasket, which prevents fuel from spilling out onto your hot manifold. A failure here would be catastrophic. We made sure to replace each one with the new gaskets from Holley. To remove, we simply unscrewed them from the metering blocks.

Some of the gaskets in the Holley rebuild kit are small. It's good practice to complete your work in a well-lit area. Also, keep the parts in the same area or in a small dish to prevent losing and of the pieces.

Removal of the power valve is simple. We used a 1-inch box wrench to loosen and then remove the power valve from the block. Then, using a small flat head screw driver, separated the old gasket. Once out, we swapped in the new gasket. Included in the rebuild kit are Holley idle mixture screw gaskets. They are designed to replace your standard idle mixture screw gaskets and are made of cork. The cork will keep your carburetor leak-free when making adjustments to the idle mixture screw.

Another key step in reassembly is installing the new metering block and fuel bowl gaskets. Years of fuel-soak can wreak havoc on the original gaskets that came installed on the carburetors. The small gaskets on each fuel bowl bolt can become weak, too. Each Holley kit comes with a new set for each bowl. We made sure to clean the surface areas before installing the new gaskets.

With majority of the Holley carburetor rebuilt, we could move onto the beauty of our upgrade; Holley’s four-corner idle system base plate. Since our original double-pumper lacked this fucntion, we’ve gone ahead and upgraded to this unit (PN 112-119). What’s more, it comes completely assembled and ready to bolt on to your current main body.

Plus, each Holley rebuild kit comes with a new base plate gasket, too. At around, $110 it was an easy choice. They are manufactured from high-quality cast aluminum and bolt on easily with no modifications. The Holley replacement throttle base plates include a new throttle shaft assembly, throttle blades, and throttle linkage. If you’ve broken off an ear on your base plate, don’t worry—just pick up one of these Holley replacement throttle base plates to solve the problem.

With the assembly through, we were eager to test out our new double-pumper. However, that’ll have to wait. Although we haven’t had the chance to reap the benefits of our labors, we’ve got the perfect mill in mind. We’re slowly preparing for a 440ci Dart engine assembly. Once the motor is complete, we’ll be sure to throw our newly rebuilt Holley double-pumper up top for a full dyno test and tune session. Stay tuned!

The blue gaskets from Holley are constructed from a fiber, which allows them to be reusable. They also won't tear, stick or fall apart after numerous jet changes at the track.

First, we installed the supplied base plate gasket. Then, we set the new Holley four corner idle base plate down and locked it in with the original hardware. We also made sure to reposition the lever under the linkage arm and even added the vacuum caps to the ports we already knew weren't going to be used.

Not too shabby for a couple hours' worth of work, huh? While the stamped numbers don't reveal where this big boy 850cfm hailed from, be it a parts counter sale or it came from Detroit atop a big block-equipped muscle car; either way, we love how our quickie rebuild came out. Now to put it to the test!

]]> http://www.dragzine.com/tech-stories/engine/from-junk-to-champ-rebuilding-a-swap-meet-holley-850-for-cheap/feed/ 0 http://www.dragzine.com/news/feeding-the-engine-product-review-of-holley%e2%80%99s-high-flow-fuel-pumps/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feeding-the-engine-product-review-of-holley%25e2%2580%2599s-high-flow-fuel-pumps http://www.dragzine.com/news/feeding-the-engine-product-review-of-holley%e2%80%99s-high-flow-fuel-pumps/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:05:11 +0000 Bobby Kimbrough http://www.dragzine.com/?p=97471

There is a long running debate on whether a mechanical fuel pump or electrical fuel pump is the best way to feed your big horsepower engine. The debate will always rage, But, If you’ve decided to go with an electric fuel pump to feed your beast, we’ve taken a close look at two new choices from Holley Performance.

Holley's new billet inline electric fuel pumps.

Why You Would Choose An Electric Fuel Pump?

Mechanical fuel pumps have changed since the 60’s and 70’s. They have been redesigned to pump more volume at a higher rate than the stock versions of the muscle car era. With mechanical fuel pumps working so well these days, why would an electrical fuel pump be a good choice for an engine with a carburetor type fuel delivery system?

The most instant answer to that question is explained by Liz Miles, from Holley, “There are a couple reasons to switch from a mechanical fuel pump to an electric one. If we’re talking about Holley’s new billet HP and Dominator in-line pumps, they flow higher volume. This is necessary for high-horsepower applications. Our pumps also operate at a higher pressure, not that it’s necessary for a carbureted application but it can be used with a return-style HP or Dominator regulator,”

The other advantage is seen when you have a project car that sits idle between races. A mechanical pump can require several turns of the engine cranking before fuel pressure is built up.  With an electric fuel pump, you simply turn the key on and the pump begins delivering fresh fuel to the system right away without having the engine turn over a single time.

Location, Location, Location

Imagine you have shoe-horned a monster big block into a cramped engine bay and there is no room for an beefy mechanical fuel pump to supply fuel for your beast. You have a wide range of choices where to mount an inline electric fuel pump. If the area in your engine bay is tight, an inline electric fuel pump may solve the problem for you.

Miles also brought up another point, “It’s also convenient to be able to flip the fuel pump on or off to fill or empty the carburetor’s bowls without cranking the engine or to diagnose ignition problems without the engine firing” she added.

What’s New?

Inline electric fuel pumps are not a new item, so we asked what Holley has done to make the HP and Dominator electric fuel pumps different and unique. “The HP pump is a single gerotor-style pump in a heavy duty anodized billet aluminum housing. It is capable of supporting up to 1,050 horsepower in a naturally aspirated carbureted application,” said Miles.

As for the Dominator electric fuel pump, Miles told us, “The Dominator billet electric fuel pumps feature two independent pumps in a single housing that can be operated simultaneously or individually.”

Holley's HP billet inline electric fuel pump.

OK, why would you need two electric pumps? “One pump can be running all the time while the second pump is triggered by any electronic signal you can think of. It can be triggered by boost, low fuel pressure, nitrous, or a simple toggle switch. This keeps from recirculating an unnecessary amount of fuel before and after racing while providing a backup or booster pump on demand,” Miles explained.

Features of the Holley inline electrical fuel pumps:

• Billet aluminum construction for durability & good looks
• -8 AN o-ring inlet/outlet for high flow and superior sealing
• Excellent for use with carbureted or EFI applications
• Fully submersible in-tank for custom applications, space savings and less plumbing
• Compatible with 12v to 18.5v systems for street or race use
• Compact (7.5” Long x 3” Wide x 2.75” Tall) for easy installation on frame rails or other tight areas
• Proven durability beyond 3,000 hours in gasoline or diesel fuels
• Weighs only 3.1 lbs.
• Current draw at 43 PSI and 13.5 VDC is 8.6 Amps

Holley's Dominator billet inline electric fuel pump.

About The Design

Miles claims that the Holley engineers “modeled the new billet HP and Dominator electric in-line pumps after factory OE fuel pumps.” The goal under these parameters were to run for 100,000 miles or more while providing a consistently high pressure and flow rate. Holley’s engineers took matters a step further in the design of these electric pumps in order to make them operate quieter than electric fuel pumps in the past, “especially rotor and vane style pumps” says Miles.

Miles maintains that the Holley HP and Dominator electric fuel pumps, “last longer, flow higher and sound better than other electric pumps and they have a budget friendly price tag.”

Key to the incredibly quiet design is a positive displacement gerotor type pump. While this type pump is inherently more quiet than other style pumps, it is able to provide constant and even discharge regardless of pressure conditions. gerotor type pumps also tend to have less moving parts which can indicate a long and trouble free pump life.

Both fuel pumps are set up with -8 AN o-ring inlet/outlet ports for high flow and superior sealing.

Final Word

The Holley HP and Dominator electric fuel pumps are indeed a quality high performance piece. Manufactured with a billet housing and incorporating the tried and true gerotor type pump design, these pumps are built for durability and really shine under race conditions.

They can be used for street applications with no worry about fitment or fuel supply issues, although it’s probably a little overkill for your everyday grocery getter, with a rated lifespan of more than 100,000 miles there is an added degree of confidence and piece of mind that you won’t have any fuel supply issues with the Holley billet inline electrical HP and Dominator fuel pumps.

The battle between carburetors and electronic fuel injection for fuel delivery superiority has been raging for years with Carburetor fans backing the tried and true system as being capable of producing high horsepower numbers and performance without all the complicated wiring and computer mapping. Proponents of the EFI systems claim bigger horsepower gains with more fuel efficiency and integrated control of systems ranging from timing to nitrous injection.

Having recently completed a carburetor shootout between street and race carbs on our Dart small block 440cid “Test Mule” engine, we decided to do a carb to EFI upgrade to take a closer look at the differences between the two systems and their dyno numbers in a controlled environment where we could measure the differences. Is it possible to convert the followers of carburetors to EFI or visa versa? Probably not, but we can show how easy the EFI system is to install and the gains that we experienced.

Holley's HP EFI kit is an extremely tunable and complete kit that optimizes an engine's fuel delivery system.

If you’ve always wondered about EFI systems but were afraid of the perceived complicated wiring and tuning, or if you’ve ever wondered if EFI systems actually outperformed a carbureted engine, then this article is for you.

Holley, the same folks that have been making fuel systems since 1903 and whose name is synonymous with muscle car fuel delivery, have worked to simplify fuel injection systems for everyone from hardcore racing enthusiasts to the daily driver “everyman.” With three new Holley EFI systems on the market today that covers just about every application known to man, we decided to make the fuel delivery system swap on our project engine using a Holley HP EFI System.

The Goal

The major difference between EFI and carburetors is the ability to tune specific areas. When you make a change on a carburetor like main jets, you change the fuel curve for all rpm and nearly all load percentages. Holley’s EFI allows you to change the amount of fuel added at a particular rpm and load without changing anything else. This improves performance and driveability by achieving optimal air fuel ratio at all times.

Armed with the knowledge that the EFI type systems have an advantage over carburetor based systems by having the ability to fine tune the fuel curve at all rpm levels we wanted to know how much improvement in fuel efficiency, performance and theoretical driveability that existed in the EFI system. This test would be more about the entire power curve rather than the max top end horsepower number.

Watch The Video Of Our Dyno Testing Here:

About the Holley EFI Systems

Holley’s entry level EFI system, the Avenger EFI, is an easy to use system that has self tuning capability and requires no laptop computer. Simply install the system and drive around while the system tunes itself. According to Doug Flynn, Chief Engineer at Holley, “the Avenger EFI is an easy to use, bolt on system that is perfect for street applications.”

The next step up in Holley’s EFI line is the HP EFI system. It is laptop programmable and loaded with features including four stages of nitrous control, water methanol injection and boost control. The HP EFI has integrated wide band sensors and integrated data logger. This system can also work with any of the GM LS engine series.

Holley's software for the EFI system is very user friendly with drop down menu options for setting up the system. Holley's focus on the software was making it simple enough for a novice user while keeping the high performance "tunability" in the system.

Holley’s top of the line programmable EFI system, the Dominator EFI, can be used on everything from stock street vehicles to high end, hardcore, race engine applications. From coil on plug, drive by wire and even with electronic transmissions, the Dominator EFI provides controls for almost any application. Like the HP EFI system, it handles four stages of Nitrous Oxide, water methanol injection, boost control plus incorporates two wideband sensor inputs, 2 gigabytes of internal data logging and various other user inputs and outputs.

Holley’s Director of Marketing, Bill Tichenor, breaks down their EFI system, “all of the systems feature self learning strategies users who are not EFI experts can be confident knowing their fuel curves will be accurate. They come with wide band control to let the self learning strategies continually adjust for current conditions.”

The HP EFI system comes with some pretty serious components like Holley's EFI intake manifold with fuel injector mounting bosses and billet fuel rails.

Continuous adjustments for conditions is where the EFI systems have a distinct advantage over carburetion. Tuning a carb is more of a exercise in tuning to an average of the air density that a carburetor will be exposed to. Hotter or colder days will increase or decrease the density of the air flowing through the system. Without tuning for these conditions, a carburetor will be set for the condition that the atmosphere was at during tuning. EFI systems will continuously change to meet the ambient air conditions for better efficiency.

If the whole lap top programming still has you wrapped around the axles, Tichenor had this to say; “Our optional 5.7” touch screen is another feature that sets us apart. Once you get the initial set up done with a computer you don’t need it any longer. You can even do your set up on your desktop and then transfer the files to the touch screen through and SD card, so you don’t have to own a laptop.”

Granted, hand held controllers and touch screens are not new in EFI systems, but a hand held controller or touch screen controller that allows the user to manage sophisticated engine controls with “self learning” software is unique.

We had the crew at Westech Proformance Group remove the Holley HP carb and assemble the HP EFI system and perform the dyno runs for our testing.

Add in that the fuel base table is displayed in actual lbs/hr instead of co-efficient calculation value based throttle position and engine speed. The bonus in this is that you can change injector size and enter the desired lbs/hr. into the fuel map and your fuel rate will be pretty close.

The actual vs. rated flow is corrected in the System Setup for specific pressure and dead time response curves vs voltage for each injector tested. What this basically does is tighten the margin of error for the desired input lb/hr vs actual flow.

Our Project Build

Dart Machinery had put together a pretty stout dyno engine for us to use in tests just like this one. Having a dyno mule that was capable of handling anything that we could throw at it, and run countless times on a chassis or engine dyno, is a big plus in conducting research for article topics.

As with any engine coming out of the Dart Machinery engine shop, our SBC 440cid beast was custom built with precise tolerances to give it a performance edge. Before it even left the Dart machine shop, we had already conducted testing for a carburetor shootout between street carbs and race carbs. Now it was time to investigate a fuel injection upgrade and our test mule was the right bullet to measure the difference.

We opted to go with the mid range Holley HP EFI system because of it’s popularity and functionality. Tichenor explained to us the versatility of the system, “The HP EFI was perfect for LSX engine swaps. The HP EFI system will be comfortable for Street, Drag Race, Road Racing, and is hardy enough to handle Off Road and Marine applications with ease. Available in TBI, 4bbl MPFI or Stealth Ram systems, or as a stand alone ECU and harness kit.

The HP EFI kit's ECU is supported with high quality wire harnesses and sensors to ensure that precise measurements are being relayed back to the ECU.

The HP EFI Kit:

While the HP EFI engine management system is a full feature system with laptop tunability, the major feature in the system is the Holley EFI self learn. You start with a vase tune supplied with the tuning software, which is based on engine displacement, camshaft and any power adders you have.

From there the self learning feature will constantly adjust your fuel tables to the air/fuel ratio of your choice. In doing this, Holley EFI will be able to tune for optimum performance and driveability.

In addition to controlling fuel and spark, Holley HP EFI also has progressive nitrous and water methanol control. The HP ECU will also run an LS engine’s coil system and has cooling fan and fuel pump controls built in. If that wasn’t enough, the software allows you to create inputs and outputs for just about anything you might need. For example these outputs can control nitrous bottle heaters, engine shut down control for high temp, low oil pressure or other safeguard controls.

Holley HP EFI Features:

• Works with 4, 6, 8 cylinder engines
• Unique lb/hr based fueling strategy greatly simplify tuning
• Advanced idle, closed loop, and enrichment strategies allow for very stable operation
• ECU is fully potted and can be mounted in the engine compartment or interior
• Sealed automotive and marine grade connectors
• Allows for use of common OEM sensors as well as customer sensor calibration input
• Ignition Plug and Play with GM 24x and 58x LSX engines, GM HEI, Ford TFI, magnetic and hall effect trigger, and other ignition systems. New Plug and Play applications in process. Custom settings can be configured to allow many other applications.
• 1-5 Bar MAP sensor capability
• Two channel knock control sensor Inputs for both one or two wire knock sensors
• Dedicated fuel and oil pressure inputs
• Controls both stepper and PWM Idle Air Control (IAC) motors
• Speed density, Alpha-N, or combination fueling strategies
• 4 Programmable high or low Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) outputs and 4 fully configurable inputs can be configured for use with the following features:
• 4 Stage nitrous oxide control
• Integrated Water/Methanol injection control
• Advanced idle, closed loop, and enrichment strategies
• Fully featured boost control capability eliminates the need for a separate boost control device
• User configurable input and output programming
• Outputs can be programmed as pulse width modulated or switched
• Unique circuitry allows inputs to be programmed as speed/frequency, 0-5V, 0-20V, thermistor, or switched high or low
• Configurable for: dual cooling fans, dual fuel pumps, AC inputs, basic TCC lockup, and multiple timing retard inputs and rev limiters
• Vehicle speed inputs
• User programmable caution and warning outputs for all sensors

Getting A Baseline

We had recently performed a carburetor shootout on our Dart dyno mule engine but using the dyno numbers we collected from that test session would not be representative of the change in atmospheric conditions and location, we opted to perform a completely new baseline carburetor data at the Westech Performance Group testing facility in Mira Loma, California.

Westech Performance Group’s dyno operator Ernie Mena was asked about the differences between carburetors versus fuel injection, “Carburetors are simpler. You put them on, fire ‘em up and away you go. I would rather do the fuel injection stuff because it has a lot more tunability, especially in cruise speed, as the weather changes and altitude changes because all of that is corrected while you’re driving.” This was an important consideration for our testing because the atmospheric and altitude conditions were not going to be changing during the test, and that is where the EFI unit really shows it’s stuff.

Our test platform details for carb dyno run:

• Dart 440cid SBC engine, 10.5:1 Compression Ratio
• Dart Pro 1 215cc heads
• Dart single plane manifold
• COMP Cams Hydraulic roller cam 254/266 .579 -.579
• 1 3/4” Dyno headers with 18” collector
• Timing set at 37 degrees
• Holley HP 1,000 cfm carb with spacer

Plotted graph for the 1000 cfm Holley HP carburetor.

Carburetor dyno run data.

The Results

The Holley HP carb performed exceptionally well throughout the rpm range with no lags between circuits making a smooth power and torque curves in the dyno test environment. These results were pretty much what we were expecting to see from a tried and true fuel delivery performer and set a decent baseline standard to measure against. Peak horsepower of 600.7 occurred at 6,600 RPM with the peak torque of 558.6 at 5,000 RPM. Without the ability to change altitude and weather conditions, the real test of the EFI upgrade was going to be in fuel efficiency. EFI systems tend to calibrate fuel flow more efficiently as a routine, and this is where we expect to see the Holley HP EFI kit to really shine.

After the Westech crew installed the system, ignition timing was checked and set before making the first pull.

A Word About EFI Types And Our Choice

The Holley HP EFI kit is available in throttle body, 4 barrel multiport and what Holley calls the Stealth Ram style EFI.  Throttle body injection is the closest to carburetion in the way that it operates. Fuel is injected above the throttle plates and the mixture of air and fuel travels throughout the entire intake tract before entering each individual combustion chamber upon engine demand.

We chose the Multi-Port Fuel Injection (MPFI) where the fuel is injected at each intake port in the intake manifold, just above the cylinder head. Because air alone travels through the intake tract until the last moment when an atomized fuel spray is injected into the airstream, the potential for using superchargers and turbo chargers is much greater, depending on the application and intake design.

Holley’s Steath Ram EFI system utilizes a ram air tunnel, which is pretty impressive looking, but is designed for higher RPM applications without compromising on the midrange torque and power. For our testing purposes, the MPFI kit represented a very popular street application type of fuel injection with the potential for easily incorporating power adders in the future. There is no doubt that if we were simply shooting for highest top end horsepower numbers, we would have selected the Steath Ram system, but our test is for the most efficient power and torque curves throughout the entire RPM range.

Installing The Kit

Holley’s installation manual for the EFI system is almost foolproof but there are a couple of items that require some thought. Deciding where to mount the fuel pump and filters as well as the system’s ECU should be well thought out before mounting these items. Take into consideration any planned aftermarket upgrades that you may be considering adding at a later date. View Holley’s HP EFI installation manual here.

Other than a two inch hole saw and a laptop or desktop windows based computer to perform the initial setup of the system, the only tools required are common hand tools to install the system.

The Westech crew kept a close eye on the dyno display as the engine made it's power run with the HP EFI system.

Fuel Lines

Fuel line routing is also a consideration because you will be adding a return line to the fuel tank. Unlike a carbureted system where low pressure fuel is delivered “as needed,” the EFI system continuously delivers fuel at a higher pressure in a volume that is greater than the engine requires a maximum load.

The excess fuel that is not consumed immediately by the engine is returned to the fuel tank. Careful routing of the return line to prevent other parts from pinching the line or exhaust heat burning a hole in the line.

Fuel Pump

You will need to obtain an electrical fuel pump and filter. Holley sells in-tank and in-line pumps that suit this purpose ideally. A quick call to Holley’s tech line will ensure that you get the fuel pump that flows sufficiently to support the injector size for your system.

You may need to round up a mechanical fuel pump block off plate because the mechanical fuel pump will be replaced by an electrical fuel pump that can supply the pressure required of an EFI system.

Oxygen Sensor

Most exhaust system come with Oxygen sensor mounting bosses already welded in to the tubing but if yours does not, you will have to get an Oxygen sensor boss welded into the exhaust between the exhaust ports and the catalytic converter. Closer to the engine is better than further away when it comes to sensor location.

Other than these fairly easy procedures, installing the system is as simple as removing the old intake manifold and carburetor and installing the new EFI system components.

Our EFI Dyno Run

Our test platform details for Holley HP EFI dyno run:

• Dart 440cid engine, 10.5:1 compression ratio
• Dart Pro 1 215cc heads
• Holley throttle body on Dart single plane manifold with Holley HP EFI plenum spacer
• COMP Cams hydraulic roller cam 254/266 .579 -.579
• 1 3/4” dyno headers with 18” collector
• Timing set at 37 degrees

Plotted graph for the Holley HP EFI system.

Holley HP EFI dyno run data.

Results

Max horsepower with the Holley HP EFI and base fuel map tuning hit 587.8 at 6,500 RPM and max torque was achieved at 544.8 at 5,100 RPM. Compared to the baseline carb dyno run, there was only slightly over a 13 horsepower difference. The difference in torque was pretty much in the same parameter. As expected, fuel consumption was on the average 15 lbs/hr less throughout the RPM range. A gallon of gasoline weighs about 6.1 pounds and at the current market price, that’s about eight dollars and hour savings.  Saving eight bucks every hour you drive will eventually pay for the EFI conversion in fuel consumption alone.

The point of diminishing returns on the fuel efficiency in our dyno run was at 6,400 RPM when the trend started to reverse and the carburetor became as efficient fuel wise as the EFI system. Keep in mind that this EFI dyno run was conducted using the base fuel map that came with the system and had not “self-learned” or been fine tuned.  The EFI system allows for fine tuning at each RPM level, so it is extremely possible to improve the fuel consumption rate even more than what we experienced. With some additional time spent tuning the system, we would expect to see horsepower numbers in the low six hundreds.

If a drop of 12 peak horsepower is a concern, consider this: the money that you save in fuel with this system can be invested in a turbo charger which will take the EFI system to a whole new power level.

Affordable, cost saving, simple to install, set up and use. What's not to like about the Holley HP EFI kit?

The Bottom Line

When it gets right down to it, the only complaint about EFI systems in the past has been the skill level required to tune them. Holley’s EFI systems have essentially done away with that fear by introducing the self learning system incorporated in their kits. EFI still has the edge over carburetion in drivability when conditions change and full RPM range performance. They are emissions friendly with excellent reliability, great fuel distribution and excellent compatibility with aftermarket power adders. So… what’s not to like about Holley’s EFI systems?

Does your Powerglide get heat-soaked in the pits and staging lanes between runs? Do consistent transmission and converter temperatures sound like a good idea for your bracket racer? Then the ATI SCS-30 cooling system may be just the thing. Designed by ATI Performance president Jim Beattie, the SCS-30 is a standalone cooling system that pumps all that hot ATF through the transmission and cooler, instead of letting it just sit in the case.

In between rounds, the transmission can heat soak because the hot fluid sits stagnant in the case heating all those parts up, much like how the engine temperature will rise after being shut off. For a street car this is not that big of a deal, but when consistency means winning or losing, it is important. Similar to your engine’s cooling system, the fluid functions as the coolant for the transmission; however, where the engine coolant is just a coolant, transmission fluid also provides the hydraulic action for the basic function of the transmission. Furthermore, it is the sole lubrication method.

There are a lot of moving parts inside a transmission and heat is the enemy. ATI’s SCS-30 can help protect your Powerglide.

The transmission often gets overlooked in terms of cooling and lubrication. Having spent a lifetime developing high-performance transmission products, Jim Beattie designed the SCS-30 for the Powerglide to bring consistent temperatures to the mix. “The turbo cars in particular were creating steel bluing heat in the converters, and the super-hot oil was sitting in the converter until they got back to the pits and started a fan blowing on it,” Beattie told us. “We actually could see the fluid level heat stains inside the converter from the hot oil laying in there after a run, and found that it was important to start the cooling process immediately following the run.” This led to the development of the SCS-30.

The Different Options

There are multiple options for the SCS-30, including the dragster version that features the cooler mounted at the top of the case. There are three main versions of the system; factory installed ($695), Tranny Builder package ($1589), and the Dragster package ($1988). The Tranny Builder pack comes with the cooler system, SuperCase, Chevy bellhousing and an OEM extension housing. The Dragster kit includes the SCS-30, SuperCase, cooler and fan, case mount, handles and hoses. Other options include ATI valve bodies with either a transbrake or foot brake, temperature controller and a 12v fan-mount cooler. The SCS-30 is available as a factory installed option for new ATI Powerglide Transmissions and SuperCases, but if you already have a built ‘glide in an ATI SuperCase, the cooler can be retrofitted to your case.

Powered by a heavy-duty 30 GPH pump, the 12v motor mounts to the exterior of the case and uses a 10-mm belt to drive the internal pump.

How it All Works

When the engine is off, the cooler pump kicks in, pumping the trans fluid into the converter, out to the cooler, and back into the transmission at 30 GPH. This requires either an electric fan on the cooler or an ice cooler to provide the heat exchange. The external pump for the cooling system does not replace the function of the internal transmission pump; this is not a high-pressure pump, rather a simple high-volume pump to keep the fluid moving. When used with the optional temperature sensor and a bung heater, the system can be tuned to maintain a specific temperature. Transmissions work best in a specific temperature range, so being able to manage the temperature variation is critical.

Another interesting aspect of the SCS-30 is that the pump maintains the lubrication function of the fluid. When the engine is shut off after a run, the transmission stops pumping fluid, but the internal parts are still moving. With the SCS-30 engaged, the fluid continues to lubricate the transmission, reducing wear and tear on critical parts. This means more runs between rebuilds, saving time and money over the course of a season.

Inside the case, you can see the actual pump (lower right), the stainless braided lines and the modified valve body. You can modify your valve body to accept the lines or use an ATI modified unit.

The SCS-30 cooling system is a serious race piece, designed with a heavy duty, extreme-temperature, all-metal geared pump. A 10mm timing belt runs the HTD toothed pulleys on the exterior of the transmission case. Inside, the Teflon lined, stainless braided lines use AN fittings that attach the internal pump housing to the valve body. The pump runs through the filter, so there are no worries about sucking junk into the inner workings; just good, clean ATF. The exterior lines (Dragster Package) also feature AN fittings, with nylon braided rubber lines for durability. The system requires either the ATI valve body kit or you can drill and tap your existing valve body. All of the electronics are 12-volt.

The SCS-30 should be considered for any serious heads-up or bracket racer that wants consistent transmission performance. This system eliminates the fans and sprayers that are currently being used. That mess is inefficient; the SCS-30 works much better, with just the flick of a switch. As time permits, ATI is looking at developing similar cooling systems for other transmission platforms as well. So now you can stop blowing up transmissions and losing races because of an inconsistent slushbox.

Water/methanol injection has been around since the 1920’s, but really didn’t have much practical use until World War II. As we know today, a fuel-rich mixture produces more power, but it’s not because that extra fuel gets burned during combustion. Rather, the excess acts to cool the mixture as it turns from liquid droplets to vapor with the heat of combustion.

Supercharged engines were common in military aircraft, so that they could fly at higher altitudes, despite the less dense air. But rich mixtures compromise the range that the plane was capable of, so substituting another liquid for aviation fuel would effectively increase the range, or allow for more power by increasing boost which would increase the altitude the plane could fly at. In the automotive world, the technology has not been ignored.

The companies we are talking with:

Snow Performance – Snow Performance is one of the oldest names water/methanol injection in performance applications, and we talked with owner Matt Snow who also campaigns a blown NASCAR engine-powered Fox body Mustang that makes nearly 1000HP. In the fall of 2004, the long standing world record in the quarter mile for diesels was broken twice using the Boost Cooler water/methanol injection system by Snow Performance. Snow currently offers three kit levels – first with a simple pressure switch that activates the injection at a given boost level, stage two adds in a progressive controller box that allows the user to ramp the boost from a start to end point, and the stage three is a fully computerized version of the stage two progressive controller that allows for adjustments on the fly.

AEM – Talking with AEM Marketing Director Lawson Mollica, AEM launched their first system in 2007 that was progressively controlled. Since then, they’ve added a better progressive-rate pump and improved the check valve design. Most of AEM’s technology is in the controller; it has monitoring controls for fluid levels, monitors for system errors or open circuits, and a system test button for leak testing and priming. Their next evolution is their Water/Methanol Fail Safe Device. It has multiple outputs you can hook up to various safety functions, and an internal data logger.

We hook up with Snow Performance to explain everything you need to know about water/methanol injection!

Snow Performance offers their kit in three different stages while AEM utilizes one well-rounded option.

“Formula 1 dabbled in it for a while. They actually banned it because it caused the cars to go too fast and have too much power,” said Matt Snow owner and founder of Snow Performance. “OEMs started using it in vehicles like Corvairs and Oldsmobiles. Buick experimented on the Grand National in the 1980’s and picked up over 40 horsepower on a stock production engine.”

Only in the last decade has the technology of water/methanol injection really taken off in the enthusiast market. With advances in power, safer operation and the ability to get better fuel economy, available products and their sophistication have been on an upswing. For diesel engines, water and methanol injection does all of those things in addition to tremendously improving emissions. “We’ve latched onto the idea and then we put modern electronics onto it. Additionally, robust higher pressure pumps and mechanical parts makes the kits much more reliable,” said Snow. “We modernized the concept but it’s nothing we came up with by any means.”

How It Works

What causes two things you never thought safe to dump into your engine to be powerful and safe? Snow explains, “On a simple level, it’s intercooling and race gas combined. When you inject water and methanol into the intake stream, you cool the air as the liquids evaporate. When you get into the combustion chamber, it slows the flame, acting just like octane.”

When trying to increase power, the hard limit arrives in the form of detonation which, if uncontrolled, will result in physical damage to the engine.  Several external factors contribute to the onset of detonation, including engine operating temperature, intake charge temperature, air to fuel ratio, fuel octane level, overall fuel quality and engine ignition timing.

Beyond these, internal factors like compression ratio and carbon buildup in the combustion chamber or on pistons can have a direct effect as well. “It’s a very good anti-detonation tool for boosted cars. The limitation for how much power you can make, assuming your physical structure is sound, is the octane in your fuel which limits how much boost and the timing you can run in your engine,” said Snow.

In the end, it’s all about cooling. Once you have a cooler combustion process running, you have options available to you. Ideally, you want to increase power again to the point just before the onset of detonation. This can be done several ways, but combining higher boost levels with ignition timing adjustment is the most common route. “We have a video that provides a great description of the ‘what, where, why and how’ of methanol injection in gasoline engines that you can access from our website,” says Lawson Mollica of AEM. “It’s only about three minutes long, and I recommend that anyone who wants to learn more about how these systems work and how they can benefit your car view this video.”

Water/methanol injection can also be used on normally aspirated engines. High compression engines can use a 50/50 mix and see the kinds of benefits we’ve talked about for power adder engines. Even regular engines can benefit, but these most often use water only, with a lot of timing to improve fuel economy.

Finding Methanol and Mixing

Snow's Boost Juice is a pre-mixed one gallon jug of 49% methanol and 51% water.

It’s not that hard to obtain supplies of methanol and water mix. You don’t need to make a deal behind a convenience store on the bad side of town but rather you can order it from suppliers like Snow, VP Fuels, and even use some windshield washer fluids.

The easiest way to get your methanol is a premixed container of Boost Juice from Snow Performance. It contains 49 percent methanol, 51 percent water and can be shipped to you or picked up at a Snow Performance dealer. If you are using the windshield washer fluid container, Boost Juice is a good washer fluid and works as a de-icier. Boost Juice will give you a higher methanol to water rating over windshield washer fluid.

Windshield washer fluid can also be used but it must be blue in color with no additives and rated at -20 degrees F. The washer fluid is 30 percent methanol, 70 percent water but you can bump it up 50 percent mixture by adding three 12 oz. yellow bottles of Heet gas-line-antifreeze to every gallon of washer fluid.

If the methanol is mixed on its own it must always be “neat”, meaning no lubricants or additives in it. Ultimately the best mixture is 50/50 but ratios down to 30 percent methanol and 70 percent water can work well. “We recommend that people purchase straight methanol and mix their own injection fluid to get the best in performance and reliability,” explained Mollica.”The mix is easy; just create a 50/50 mixture of methanol and water. Stay away from methanol with ‘top lube’ additives and ask for M1, which is what straight methanol is commonly called. You can find it in race shops, race tracks… basically anywhere race gas is sold.”

Now where do you get straight methanol if you want to mix yourself? Before you start handling methanol on your own, there’s a couple of things you should know. Methanol is also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits. Like any industrial chemical, it should be handled with due caution and respect.

Washer fluid can be the cheapest and easiest solution, though the -20 F versions can be hard to find in states that don't freeze.

Prior to 2006, Indy Car racing used methanol as a fuel. If you ever saw a pit fire, you’ll know that the flames are invisible, which can make for a nasty situation. Also, this is not the kind of alcohol that makes for drinks of a sociable nature. In point of fact, drinking it can make you blind.

Normal sources for methanol include industrial chemical suppliers and sources of race fuels. Online resources such as www.worldwideracingfuels.com and www.hiperfuels.com may be helpful, but bear in mind that shipping flammable liquids has restrictions.

Methanol that has been unsealed for a long time tends to absorb water from the atmosphere and so degrades as a drag race fuel. Sometimes it can be bought from drag racers, but you’ll probably need your own container unless you’re taking theirs.

Now That You Have The Methanol, How Do You Tune It?

Where to begin? You must start out rich, with the largest valve in your horsepower/displacement bracket and with more flow than you think you need. After that, it’s about finding the “quench” point. Think of it like diving in the pool; you become quenched with too much water. Same idea here, you find the point in which you have too much water/methanol going into an engine.

Per AEM’s tuning guide, “Using a 50/50 mix of water/methanol is recommended for the best combination of air charge cooling and detonation control. With conservative boost and timing, establish a base AFR that is one point higher than your final target AFR. For example, if your final target AFR with water/methanol injection is 11.0:1, set your base AFR to 12.0:1. Once the base AFR has been set, start injecting water/methanol and adjust the injection flow rate to achieve your final target AFR. For example, if before injection your base AFR is 12.0:1 and then during injection your AFR drops to 10.5:1, reduce the water/methanol flow rate until your final target AFR is reached.”

The guide continues, “It is generally recommended that the flow rate of the injection system be changed in order to reach your target AFR and not your primary fueling. Injection flow rate adjustments can be made by changing your nozzle selection or by adjusting the “Start PSI” and “Full PSI” settings.” A properly tuned water/methanol injection system will usually support a typical “race gas” engine tune.

Matt Snow’s personal car is a Fox Body Mustang with a NASCAR type race engine producing over 1,000 horses on pump gas. How does a water/methanol system work on such a high horsepower application? First off, higher horsepower applications require extra nozzles. There are upward of five nozzles on some diesels pushing 1,200 horsepower, though Snow offer six different nozzles for different applications and power ratings from small snow mobile and boat engines to gas and diesel car engines.

Most companies like AEM and Snow both offer three car nozzles: small, medium and large. Typically the largest gas nozzle can handle roughly 600 to 650 horsepower and conservative boost around 15 psi, before the need of an additional nozzle in the kit. Most all kits from different companies come with two to three nozzles to choose from to help dial the application in.

Picking The Right Kit For Your Budget And Application

Certain components are going to be common among all levels of product sophistication, with the main distinction coming from the methods of control that are provided. All products will supply some kind of fluid reservoir, sometimes incorporating a low fluid level switch, and a fuel pump. Years ago, the pumps were barely more than washer fluid pumps with different seals, but they have come a long way since then. Suitable tubing, hardware and nozzles to spray the fluid will also be provided, allowing you to select the spray volume appropriate to your engine.

Snow Performance offers their kits in three different levels. Their Stage 1 kit includes an adjustable pressure switch that senses the boost level in the intake and will spray one continuous level of water/meth. The stage 2 kit has a start boost and final boost settings that are adjusted via a dial knob. The controller changes the speed at which the fluid pump is being driven and ramps the injection over the start/peak boost values. The stage 3 kit offers a controller with a visual display and on-the-fly adjustability. The kit also creates a delivery map based on boost and/or EFI signal from just a few easy set points that you can adjust with the heads up LCD display.

AEM's single kit is similar to Snow's Stage 2. It has a start boost and final boost settings that are adjusted via a dial knob. The controller changes the speed at which the fluid pump is being driven and ramps the injection over the start/peak boost values. AEM offers an additional option that comes standard with their kit called “Boost Safe”. It is a safety system that is integrated into the standard kit and puts the car into a safe mode if there is any electrical failure like an overheated pump, voltage spike or a blown fuse via a trigger switch wire that can be ran to ignition, boost, or computer controllers. We will get more into this in the Engine Safety section.“We launched our progressively controlled system in 2007," said Mollica. "Since then, we’ve added a better progressive-rate pump and improved the check valve design."

Each kit comes with different sized nozzles to best suit the amount of power your engine is producing. The AEM nozzles are seen on the left and include an integrated check valve under the nozzle's screen. Snow Performance utilizes a more compact air brake type fitting with swivel end.

Engine Safety Add Ons For The Above Kits

Snow Performance SafeInjection module keeps track of liquid flow and acts if it falls to low for any reason.

Water/methanol injection allows for a much more aggressive tune. So what if the throttle was stomped and the water/methanol tank was empty? Well that’s not ideal because of the much more aggressive tune with more timing and boost can lead to detonation, so there are many safety features built in to keep an engine from going boom in a big way.

Snow Performance SafeInjection PN 30020 and SafeInjection Pro PN 30025

Snow’s SafeInjection unit monitors the flow of water/methanol in the system. When flow drops below the unit’s set point for a specified period of time, the fault trigger will go to a high state of 12 volt signal wire. In addition to the supplied red LED, it can reduce timing with an ignition/timing controller such as an MSD or other after market ignition box.

Additionally, Snow offers a solenoid used for turbo vehicles equipped with an aftermarket boost controller. In the event the SafeInjection activates, the solenoid will open the vacuum source for the wastegate, immediately dumping the boost pressure. Also for turbo or supercharger applications, Snow provides a solenoid to be used with a blow off valve or diverter valve with the SafeInjection system. In the event the SafeInjection activates, the solenoid will close and the blow off valve will open. The trigger signal can deliver up to 1.5 amps to drive a solenoid or relay.

Snow Performance’s new SafeInjection Pro takes safety to the next level.  It is fully adjustable and measures actual water-methanol flow, not pressure or current draw from the pump.

AEM Water/Methanol ‘Fail Safe’ Injection Monitor PN 30-3020

AEM offers their “Boost Safe” which is a safety system that is integrated into the standard kit and puts the car into a safe mode if there is any electrical failure like an overheated pump, voltage spike or a blown fuse. Most companies have a low level switch that warns you when the fluid is low and for AEM if it becomes too low it will also send the car into a safe mode off a trigger switch wire.

AEM's water/methanol 'Fail Safe' comes with tunable, PC-based software that allows you to set high and low side warnings. These warnings can trigger ignition or standalone devices to adjust your tune accordingly.

While the Snow SafeInjection offers a gauge upgrade, the AEM ‘Fail Safe’ Injection Monitor is an additional safety device comes with a compact flow sensor and gauge in one unit. AEM’s ‘Fail Safe’ actively monitors the entire flow curve. Flow versus injection rate data is continuously collected and any deviation away from an acceptable baseline flow curve will trigger an alarm output. This output can be used to reduce boost, pull timing, switch maps, or any other function to protect an engine from detonation in the event there is an unsafe operating condition.

Check out the video below that shows how AEM’s ‘Fail Safe’ Injection Monitor Works!

The AEM ‘Fail Safe’ features many options, including PC configuration software with USB connectivity, an “Auto Set” feature that automatically provides a best-suggested baseline configuration, an analog display gauge with user adjustable back lighting that can be flashed when an alarm is triggered, and an internal data logger that records injection and alarm status data. It includes one low side (ground) driver and one high side (+12-volt) driver that can be configured to turn on or off during an alarm condition. “We launched this with ‘Injection Monitor’ as its name—which is what it does—but its purpose is as a fail-safe device for these systems so if something should go wrong it can compensate for it and save the engine,” said Mollica. “So, that name will be changing. Our Fail Safe Device offers fully mappable maximum and minimum injection limits, multiple outputs you can hook up to various safety functions, and an internal data logger.”

Conclusion

While the idea of water/methanol injection has its roots deep in history, practical products using advanced technology have made it relevant for today’s performance enthusiasts. There is a little bit of homework involved to make sure you get a kit that is suitable for you and having a reliable tuner that is familiar with water/meth injection.  Whether the search is for more power on the dragstrip or better diesel performance on the open road, the benefits available from water/methanol injection almost add up to a something for nothing proposition. Compared to other methods for achieving the same goals, there are few if any contenders the reach as high on the value scale.

Pure Magic: Hoses and fittings from Aeroquip, a fuel system from FAST, and a trick "bolt-in" fuel tank from Rick's Tanks.

With all of these chores checked off the to-do list, we’re very close to dropping the engine and transmission down into the car and turning our puzzle pieces into a complete picture. But before we can do that, we’ve got the sometimes headache-inducing task of wiring and plumbing the car. In this installment, we’ll be focusing on the plumbing side of things.

Fuel systems are one of the most critical elements of a high horsepower street/strip car, and is also one of the most commonly overlooked aspects of a buildup. If the engine isn’t being supplied with the appropriate amount of fuel, you not only inhibit its overall performance, but run the risk of shortening it’s life significantly.

As we outlined in one of our earlier progress reports on MaxStreet, our plans for the rebuild of our 555 included the addition of forced induction in order to produce some 1,000 horsepower. For that, we turned to our friends at ProCharger, who supplied us with one of their popular and nasty F-2 centrifugal supercharger with a peak efficiency range that will couple nicely with our big block to meet our 1,000 horsepower goal at a safe boost level.

Now that our focus has turned to the fuel system department, it only seemed fitting that we couple the FAST XFI system with a FAST fuel system from it’s own bloodline, this one designed for and capable of handling upwards of 1,200 horsepower. A boosted big block is a thirsty beast, and this kit will deliver with optimum hydration that would make Bobby Boucher proud.

This article is the first of a two-part fuel system buildup, as we first work from the rear of the car forward to the firewall prior to installing the engine. Once that task is complete, we’ll then take a look at the all of the under-the-hood elements that complete the fuel system loop.

Out of the box, the FAST system comes with everything one would need to get their fuel system up and running, minus the hoses and fittings, and for that, we’ll be utilizing Aeroquip’s high quality components for our purposes. And all of that fuel has to come from somewhere, and for that we’ve hooked up with Hector Guerrero and crew over at Rick’s Tanks to supply us with one of their awesome, hand made fuel tanks.

Fuel Delivery With FAST

The fuel system kit supplied by FAST includes a pump, fuel regulator, Y-block, with both pre and post filters. On a forced induction EFI combo such as ours, this kit is capable of handling some 1,400 horsepower.

The FAST fuel system that we’ve chosen for our boosted 555 is built in partnership with Aeromotive, which you’ll see upon inspecting the components with the “Made by Aeromotive” stamped in the machining. The fuel pump is based upon Aeromotive’s Eliminator unit, while the regulator is based on the EFI Pro Series piece. Aeromotive is one the leading fuel system manufacturers in the world, so whether you have a quality piece in your hands isn’t in question.

This particular pump that comes in FAST’s kit is designed for big horsepower, Pro Touring and Pro Street-type road going and street/strip cars like our Chevy II, delivering the fuel that such an engine demands while maintaining superb drivability. The pump is quite flexible, as it’s compatible with both carbureted and fuel injected setups, capable of handling a stout 1,900 HP (naturally aspirated) and 1,400 (forced induction) for EFI combos and 2,300 HP (naturally aspirated) and 1,700 (forced induction) for carburetor setups. The pumps posted fuel flow rating is 1,000 lb/hr.

Based on Aeromotive's Eliminator Series pump, this piece from FAST is designed for big horsepower, Pro Touring and Pro Street-type road going and street/strip cars like our Chevy II, delivering the fuel that such an engine demands while maintaining superb drivability.

“On a supercharged setup, this pump will take 1,400 to 1,500 horsepower; it’s a pretty mean little pump,” proclaimed FAST’s Robin Poole. The pump features a large ORB-10 outlet and ORB-12 inlet ports, and while it is indeed fully submersible for placement within custom-built fuel tanks, our layout will be of the out-of-tank variety. Continued Poole, “It’s a really versatile pump; all kinds of drag racing classes to high horsepower street cars. Pretty well anything you can throw it at, this pump will handle. It’s probably the meanest single electrical pump on the market.”

The FAST regulator, meanwhile, is considered among one of the top tuners options on the market for high horsepower EFI applications, capable of supporting some 2,000 horsepower with very high volume requirements. The base pressure on this unit is adjustable from 20 to 100 psi and it includes two boost line adapters, a dedicated 1/8″ NPT port, and tapered flare ORB and AN fittings. The regulator references vacuum and boost on a 1:1 ratio and includes two boost line adapters that helps to prevent blow-off in high boost applications much like our ProCharger-equipped beast.

The fuel regulator supplied in FAST's kit, also based off of an original Aeromotiver design, is one of the top pieces on the market for big horsepower for EFI combos, capable of handling some 2,000 horsepower with very high fuel volume requirements.

In addition to the fuel pump and regulator, this fuel system kit from FAST includes the Y-block and both the pre and post fuel filters, along with all of high quality O-ring type AN fittings and the necessary wiring and 30 amp relays. Because we’re utilizing a single fuel pump setup, we’ll be using the supplied billet aluminum Y-block in order to split the fuel between the fuel rails on opposing sides of the intake manifold. Installation of the Y-block and the fuel regulator will be part of the second installment of our fuel system buildup.

One question that you may ask in regards to the pairing of the FAST XFI with a FAST fuel system is are there advantages to doing so? The short answer is, yes. Explains Poole, “The XFI has fuel pump control built in. Basically, it’ll connect to the fuel pump and specify how long you want the pump to prime and things like that. The fuel pump control is a really neat feature that many other EFI systems don’t have. The relay that comes in the fuel system kit will wire up to our harness, and the harness will control those features.”

Complete 1,200 HP Fuel system Kit – Part # 307501

• Kit includes fuel pump, pre-filter, post-filter, Y-block and fuel regulator, along with system fittings and wiring harness

Fuel Pump

• Features “dual chamber” pumping mechanism
• Designed for high horsepower EFI or carbureted applications
• Fully submersible for custom in-tank installation
• RB-12 inlet port and ORB-10 outlet port

Regulator

• Base pressure adjustable from 30-60 psi
• Auxiliary ports available for nitrous applications, pressure gauges, and transducers
• Nearly indestructible electroless nickel-plating finish
• Includes two boost line adapters: one barbed for rubber hose, the other for AN-04 braided line

Filling Up With Rick’s Tanks

This hand-fabricated and hand-welded tank from Rick's is a perfect OEM replacement, designed specifcally for the Chevy II and utilizing the stock location and mounting points.

To fulfill our needs for a high quality fuel tank for this particular project, we’ve teamed up with a new name here in the powerTV garage: Rick’s Stainless Tanks. Rick’s is headed up by company owner Hector Guerrero and is a producer of some of the finest, highest quality speciality and custom tanks on the market with tanks designed for many popular muscle car makes and models, including the Nova/Chevy II.

“All of our tanks are specific to the vehicles – it’s not a universal fit,” explains Guerrero. “Our forte is really in the muscle car market. We do a tremendous amount of in-tank fuel pump builds with OE-style and aftermarket pumps with brands such as Walbro, Aeromotive, and Bosch. We’re really quite diversified with that.”

Out of the box, the Rick's Tanks fuel tank is outfitted with high quality -12 outlet and -10 inlet AN fittings.

The tank we’re utilizing is constructed of a food industry grade of 304 stainless steel which isn’t susceptible to rust and, like all of the tanks that come from Rick’s, is hand-fabricated and welded by hand. While Rick’s does perform a large number of in-tank pump builds using some of the highest-flow pump setups on the market for high horsepower applications, for our needs, they’ve supplied us with one of their sump-style tanks sporting -12 AN outlet fittings and -10 inlet fittings.

Rick’s Tank Chevy II Sump-Style Fuel Tank – Part # 4031

• Fabricated and welded by hand
• Constructed from food grade 304 stainless steel that won’t rust
• Sump-style design
• Outfitted with -12 outlet and -10 inlet fittings (1′/2″ fittings are standard)
• 15 gallon, OEM replacement tank uses factory mounting points

Note: this particular tank has been custom-fitted with a sending unit from Rick’s, Part #SU090

Hooking It Up

Aeroquip's Startlite hoses are designed with racing and durability in mind, and is some 45% lighter than comparable steel braided hoses. The black look also gives these a great stealthy look that we think will look great on the car.

In order to complete our fuel system puzzle, we need to tie all of the above mentioned components together, leading from the fuel tank to the fuel rails atop the engine and all the way back. Project MaxStreet is a serious machine making some serious horsepower, and we don’t want to cut any corners that may cause us problems down the road.

And so, for our fuel hose requirements, we’ve called upon the folks at Aeroquip, producers of without a doubt some of the finest hose and fitting products on the market. Aeroquip has supplied us with a set of black AN fittings and their Startlite Racing hose, which isn’t just your run of the mill street car fuel line. This stuff is designed with racing and durability in mind, and is some 45% lighter than comparable steel braided hoses.

To keep the stealth appearance going, Aeroquip has provided us with a host of their black -12 and -10 AN fittings and elbows for our fuel system project.

“The Startlite is a direct replacement for not only OEM fuel hoses, transmission lines, and general purpose lines, but its also a great replacement for steel braided hoses, as well. This product is half the weight of a classic steel braided hose,” explains Aeroquip’s Eric Durrant. “One of the great things about the Starlite hose is that its so easy to work with compared to steel braided hose. You can literally cut it with a knife or a sharp pair of scissors right at the application. You don’t need to tape it up and cut it up with a hacksaw, circular saw, or anything like that. And it also has a superb bend radius for flexibility purposes.”

Another great feature of this hose is aesthetics. The trend in hoses and fittings of late has been headed toward a black appearance, and the Startlite with a red tracer wire is just that. In keeping with that theme, we’re also installing Aeroquip’s black reusable aluminum fittings that sport a one-piece design that allows for great flow and eliminates potential leak points.

Once we had the hoses measured out for the proper lengths and cut accordingly, we used a vice to assist in threading the Aeroquip Startlite hoses to the AN fittings.

States Durrant, “Looks is actually one of the primary reasons that many choose the Startlite and the black AN fitting combination. The OEM look tends to be a little on the dull side, and this hose is sort of flashy with a red tracer wire. It’s a subtle flashy though, just to let you know that it’s an Aeroquip product. As well, OEM vehicles don’t come with AN fittings, and having these attached to a hose ensures a much higher pressure rating than what comes on a factory assembled vehicle.”

Aeroquip Starlite Hose Specifications:

• Black appearance provides a stylish look
• Fireproof, Nomex/Kevlar cover
• 45% lighter than steel braided hoses
• Can be cut with a hand tool for easy plumbing
• Handles up to 20 IN/Hg

Aeroquip Reusable Aluminum Fittings

• One-peice design
• Designed to be re-used without damage to the fitting
• Easier to install than cutter-style fittings
• Compression style designed specifically for performance applications
• No seal is broken between nipple and tube when swiveled due to nipple design

Off And Running

Our fuel system project begins with the installation of the fuel tank, which is lifted up into the factory mounting location under the trunk behind the rear axles.

We'll be mounting the tank in the factory fuel tank location underneath the car, just behind the rear axles and underneath the trunk. The tank ships with all of the bracketry and hardware for installation, including the stainless steel straps that hold the tank in place underneath the car, as shown. The straps, or cradles - whichever you prefer to call them - mount in the factory bolt locations, making installation a snap.

The fuel outlet line is positioned in the rear of the tank, with the -12 line feeding to the pre-filter mounted on the side odf the tank. From there, roughly a foot of hose feeds to the inlet side of the fuel pump that's mounted in front of the tank.

The fuel pump is also mounted on the underside of the car, just in front of the tank and behind the rear sway bar. We’ve cut roughly two feet of -12 size hose to run from the tank to the 10 micron pre filter supplied by FAST, and another foot that runs from the filter to the inlet side of the pump. The post filter is then connected directly to the outlet side of the pump.

From there, we utilize -10 size hose from the post filter to the Y-block that will eventually be mounted within the engine compartment. We’ve channeled the -10 fuel line along the inside of the framerails and subframe connectors to the engine bay. While installation of the Y-block and fuel regulator will have to wait until installment, we did go ahead and route the return line while we were underneath the car. The return is also -10 hose and runs the length of the car inside the framerails in parallel to the delivery line.

To install the fuel pump, we've fabricated a small casing from aluminum to not only mount the pump in front of the fuel tank, but to help protect it from the elements as the car travels down the road.

We’re confident that with this beefy and race-inspired fuel system from FAST, we’ll be able to deliver all the fuel this thirsty monster needs to keep it running in tip-top shape for many tire-roasting miles to come. And to boot, we’ve got a really sinister look with the new all-black hose and fitting network that brings the utmost in quality to the table, making for a win-win on both fronts.

Soon, we’ll be dropping the 555ci bullet into the car, where we’ll bring you the second part of our fuel system buildup with FAST, which will include the mounting of the Y-block and regulator and routing of the fuel line through the rest of the cycle!

In our latest progress report, we took a look at the source of the 1,000-plus horsepower we’re expecting from our 555-inch Edelbrock Big Block Chevrolet powerplant: a big nasty F-2 ProCharger. The engine that formerly powered our Project Grandma Malibu was completely rebuilt and freshened to make way for the new supercharged combination.

The complete fuel system that's being installed in our Project MaxStreet Chevy II that includes primary components from FAST, a fuel tank from Rick's Tanks, and Aeroquip hoses and fittings.

We got the engine and our race-inspired F-2 all mocked up under the hood, along with a monstrous air-to-air intercooler to cool that rushing air and create optimum horsepower. With the engine and ProCharger mounting locations in place, it’s time to fuel that bad boy. Thus, we turn our attention to the fuel system.

As anyone that knows even the basics of high performance engines can attest, it requires a lot of fuel in order to make a lot of horsepower. Because we’re aiming for more than four figures with our new engine combo, the fuel system is certainly no area to skimp on. So we started with our good friends at FAST to help us out.

As you learned in our earlier article outlining our plans for this project, the engine will be topped with FAST’s XFI 2.0 electronic fuel injection system to channel all of the boost and timing, and it only seemed fitting (surely there’s a pun here somewhere) that we take the same direction with our fuel system. After all, there are some benefits, as you will learn.

The Rick's Tanks aftermarket fuel tank being prepared for installation. The hand-fabricated and hand-welded tank bolts right into the factory location, even using the factory mounting points.

The components in the FAST fuel system that we’re utilizing are manufactured by Aeromotive; one of the leading and most respected manufacturers in the racing industry. The kit features a fuel pump capable of some 1,400 horsepower on a boosted EFI combo such as ours, with a maximum potential of 2,300 horses on a naturally aspirated, carburetor-equipped engine. Also in the box is a high-end fuel regulator capable of supporting some 2,000 horsepower with very high fuel volume requirements. FAST also supplies a Y-block for splitting the line between the two fuel rails, and the pre- and post- filters on the inlet line.

The fuel pump will be mounted sump-style outside of a slick looking aftermarket tank that we received from popular muscle car tank manufacturer Rick’s Tanks. The hand-fabricated and hand-welded tank has been designed specifically for the Chevy II and is made of food-grade 304 stainless steel that won’t rust. The tank mounts in the factory location and even bolts up to the factory mounting tabs under the car.

Our FAST fuel pump installed sump-style under the car just forward of the fuel tank.

In order to create the network of fuel line that is the lifeblood of any engine, we turned to Aeroquip, who supplied us with their very popular Startlite racing hoses and fittings. They are not only durable as an ox, but with an all-black finish, they look pretty darn good to boot. These hoses are 45% lighter than comparable stainless steel braided lines and while deemed an OEM replacement, they’re certainly engineered for intense racing.

Starting at the tank mounted behind the rear axle, our fuel system layout begins with a -12 AN hose running to the pre-filter — mounted on the side of the tank — while the pre-filter outlet bends around to the back side of the tank to the pump inlet. The post-filter is mounted directly to the outlet side of the fuel pump and then turns into a -10 AN line. We’ve routed the fuel line along the inner side of the framerails to the engine compartment, where the Y-block and regulator will be installed in the coming days. The return line is routed along the framerails, next to the feed line, and back to the tank. We’ll get into the details of the components and the installation more in-depth in an upcoming two-part tech piece highlighting the fuel system.

With our complete suspension modernization project complete and the fuel system mostly in place, MaxStreet finally got a chance to stand up and stretch her legs a little.

In our next progress update, we’ll drop the engine and the TCI 6X transmission down into the car and re-mount the ProCharger system. Once that’s complete, we’ll round out our plumbing project by mounting the Y-block and fuel regulator and running all the hoses and fitting to and from the engine back to the tank. Stay tuned, as we’ll be bringing you a complete, in-depth look at the first phase of our fuel system installation that we’ve provided a sneak peek at here very shortly. We’re getting close here folks!

There isn't a whole lot to a carburetor from a parts perspective, but knowing how each of the components effect each other is crucial when it comes to tuning a carburetor.

Modern fuel injected engines deliver precise air/fuel ratios which allow for good power and drivability, while at the same time netting impressive gas mileage. A large part of that success is due to modern-day engine management systems, where a variety of sensors inform the computer of current engine operating conditions, so it can make accurate fuel calculations. The same technique can be used to tune a carbureted engine. All that is needed are a few key sensors, and a method of recording their readings over time. Let’s take a look at some basic sensors for this process.

RPM Signal

An engine speed signal can come from the negative side of the coil, a tach output from an aftermarket ignition box or factory ignition module, crank trigger, or an inductive pickup of some sort. Viewing the RPM graph in a datalog gives us a quick visual reference of where we stand.

Wideband O2 Sensor

By detecting the amount of unburned oxygen content in the exhaust after combustion, a wideband sensor is able to indicate the engine’s actual air/fuel ratio. This tells us how rich or lean the engine is from stoichiometric. The stoich air/fuel ratio for standard gasoline is around 14.7:1 (lambda 1.00). Consider this to be the chemically correct air/fuel ratio to completely burn all available oxygen during combustion, leaving no air or fuel left over afterwards.  Though stoich is ideal for many circuits of operation, it is typically too lean at wide open throttle for the vast majority of engines and will be most happy between 12:1-13.5:1.

Don't be persuaded by bad tuning; carburetor-powered vehicles can benefit from EFI-like drivability as well.

Once considered too expensive for the average enthusiast, wideband kits have become surprisingly affordable in recent years. Look for a kit that has good datalogging software, several analog inputs, RPM input, free air calibration, and analog output. An in-car display is also nice, and mandatory if the software does not display the air/fuel ratio in real time. For this example, we used Innovate Motorsports LM-1.  This is the older version to their newly updated LM-2 that is two channel capable and records directly onto the included SD card.

Even Factory-Supplied Sensors Help

Many factory sensors, including those listed below, output a signal ranging from 0 – 5 volts depending on the sensor readings. In order to use these sensors, we have to supply them with a five-volt power source, an engine ground, and a signal wire to one of our datalogger‘s analog inputs. To reduce the vehicle’s 12 volt power down to the required five volts, use an LM7805 voltage regulator. They’re available from electronics stores for a very modest price.

The TPS is a potentiometer that measures rotation of the throttle shaft. The sensor puts out between 0 and 5 volts linearly, depending on throttle position. In reality, these sensors are at their idle position between .5 and 1 volt, and register full throttle around 4.5 volts. We’ll plug the signal wire into one of the wideband’s analog inputs. A clever mind can easily adapt a TPS to the end of a Holley primary throttle shaft.

Measuring manifold pressure will help tuning different parts of the load cycle

GM makes good, inexpensive MAP sensors. They measure the absolute pressure inside the intake manifold. While we normally think of vacuum and boost as being on two different sides of the atmospheric pressure line, the MAP sensor simply sees vacuum as a positive absolute pressure and boost as just a higher positive pressure. MAP sensors are available in one, two or three bar versions. The one bar has the best resolution for a naturally aspirated motor, while a two bar is good for 14 pounds of boost, and a three bar goes up to 29 PSI.

●    GM 1 bar MAP Sensor part# 12569240
●    GM 2 bar MAP Sensor part# 12569241
●    GM 3 bar MAP Sensor part# 12223861

Identifying the Carburetor’s Circuits of Operation

Now that we have a good understanding of the tools available, let’s take a look at what we’re trying to achieve. Holley carburetors have four distinct circuits of operation: idle, off-idle, cruise, and wide open throttle. They also have an accelerator pump to compensate for quick throttle actuation.

Idle – At idle speed, the carb runs solely on the curb idle discharge port. Air/fuel ratio is adjusted by turning the idle mixture screws. Target an air/fuel ratio of stoich (14.7:1 – lambda 1.00) for standard gasoline. Engines with longer duration camshafts may not be able to maintain good combustion this lean. If necessary, you can richen it up to as much as 13.5:1 (lambda .92). Try to achieve the highest manifold vacuum you can, at the leanest ratio that provides stable combustion. Set idle speed as low as reasonably possible to avoid entering the off-idle circuit.

Off Idle – Just above idle at very light throttle positions, the transfer slot now provides the fuel. Idle feed restrictions and idle air bleeds are used to tune this circuit. The elevated RPMs should allow us to maintain a 14.7:1 (lambda 1.00) air/fuel ratio, even with a lopey cam. Engines with very large cams may require a slightly richer mixture. If the cruise circuit comes in too soon, it can overlap the off-idle circuit too much and cause a very rich condition. You can delay the cruise circuit by enlarging the main air bleeds.

The metering block houses the power valve and jets. Primary (front of carburetor) jets are your primary tuning jets for cruising and low throttle use. Moderate and wide open throttle is where the secondaries come into play from a tuning perspective.

Cruise -  Around 2000 – 2500 RPM, the transfer slot circuit begins to fade out and the main jets take over all fuel supply duties. Here’s where gas mileage can really be improved! Jet the carb for an air/fuel ratio between 14.7:1 and 15.3:1 (lambda 1.00 – 1.04) in all cases. But don’t lean it out to the point where the engine begins to stumble.

WOT – Anything over about half throttle reduces manifold vacuum to a point where the power valve should open. This uncovers the PVCR’s (Power Valve Channel Restrictions), allowing additional fuel enrichment under heavy load. To make maximum torque safely, we need to richen the mixture up some. A good target would be an air/fuel ratio of 12.5:1 (lambda .85). Modify the PVCR size until your target lambda is achieved. This typically means enlargement. Boosted cars will want to run considerably richer, such as 11.5:1 (lambda .78) or more.

Power valves are rated by the amount of manifold vacuum required to close them. Any vacuum amount below this level opens them. The trick here is to size the power valve roughly 1.5-inches below the minimum amount of vacuum your engine produces at idle.

Final Word on Power Valve and Accelerator Pumps

Adjustable metering blocks often have changeable PVCR jets. If using regular metering blocks, adjustment is done by modifying the PVCR diameter. Proper WOT air/fuel ratios could be achieved by enlarging the main jets instead, but that would richen up the cruise circuit beyond ideal. Poor gas mileage and plug fowling will result.

Power valves are rated by the amount of manifold vacuum (in inches of mercury) required to close them. Any vacuum amount below this level opens them. The trick here is to size the power valve roughly 1.5-inches below the minimum amount of vacuum your engine produces at idle. This ensures the power valve will not open prematurely. At the same time, you want the valve to open any time you’re much over half throttle. Comparing MAP and TPS readings will help you find that balance.

Accelerator pumps come with a cam adjustment slot for controlling the timing of the accelerator pump and sit right behind the "1, 2" adjustment screw. Pump cam kits can be purchased to change the rate in which the accelerator pump will ramp in the additional fuel.

Accelerator Pump – Anytime the throttle is opened rapidly, manifold vacuum drops and the car momentarily runs lean. Pumping an extra shot of fuel in prevents this lean condition, and instead creates a  torque-producing slight rich condition. The air/fuel ratio should richen up for a second or two, and then quickly fade back to your desired ratio without ever going lean. Shoot for a light acceleration air/fuel ratio of 13.8:1 (lambda .94). Full throttle acceleration should produce and maintain your total WOT enrichment ratio (12.5:1 or lambda .85 on a naturally aspirated engine). Change accelerator pump squirter size, pump cam, and pump cam position to tune this circuit.

Once you install the sensors and build a simple wiring harness for them, set up your laptop for datalogging. For best results, tune the circuits one at a time in the order listed. After using a wideband sensor to tune your carb, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without one. Before you know it, you’ll be tuning like a pro!

A cabin mounted air/fuel ratio gauges allows you to read what the car is doing in real time through a variety of driving styles

The Aeromotive fuel system

Switching from an EFI system to a carburetor is not as easy as just pulling off the throttle body and slapping on the 1050. There are many other components that need to be changed out as well, including the fuel system. The fuel system in an EFI application needs to supply gas at 75 psi or higher, a far cry from the single-digit pressures required by our carburetor. Keeping the EFI pump would mean regulating it so far down that the majority of the fuel would be bypassing the carb and returning to the tank, building heat and killing the pump in short order. To avoid all of that, we installed a new Aeromotive fuel system designed to supply fuel at an appropriate pressure and volume.

Having the correct components for your application is critical to how it performs, and this Aeromotive system was matched to Project Grandma’s needs. The Eliminator fuel pump (p/n 11104) is able to support a 2300 HP naturally aspirated engine, which will be more than enough for our 970 HP needs. A 100 micron stainless steel element pre-filter screws straight into the suction side of the pump, and a -12 fitting connects the pre-filter to the fuel cell.

The pressure side of the fuel pump drops down to a -10 fitting and from there goes through a 10 micron paper filter, then forward under the car to the fuel log. The Aeromotive fuel log (p/n 14201) has a cool feature added to it – where each side of the log attaches to the carburetor, there are swivel points that allows the user to position the log up or down up to 20 degrees for clearance of throttle stops, nitrous plates, spacers, or other components.

From the opposite side of the log a -10 line runs back to the regulator. The two-port bypass regulator (p/n 13212) is fully adjustable from 2-20 psi, which is perfect for our carbureted application. A -10 line was used as the return line from the bottom of the regulator back to the fuel cell.

Even though installing the fuel system was very straightforward, there is one important rule to remember that can mean the difference between life and death for the fuel pump. Using the wrong filter, or not putting them in the correct order can harm the system. Jesse Powell of Aeromotive explains, “One of the single greatest issues we take phone calls on are filters being in the wrong location, or the wrong size filters that will cause the same problems.” The free-flowing 100 micron stainless steel filter that goes before the pump is designed to catch the large contaminants that would harm the pump. The 10 micron paper filter is what will catch all of the remaining debris that would plug up the carburetor. Mixing the two up can have serious consequences. “The reason the system needs to be set up this way is because the Eliminator fuel pump, or just about any other fuel pump out there, can push fuel out a lot easier than it can suck in,” says Powell. Putting the fine, 10-micron filter on the inlet side will damage the pump by overstressing it as it fights to pull instead of push. The rule to remember is, “Stainless = Suction, Paper = Pressure”.

Our All Air Project Camaro is up in the air on the lift, so that can mean only one thing – more progress is imminent! Our naturally-aspirated 2000 Camaro is an ambitious build; we want to run single digits on the motor without any super-exotic parts, and though the engine is built and the suspension is done, we’ve been in a holding pattern for a while we got little details sorted out like, oh, the transmission and fuel system…

We’ve gotten back on track now and wrenches are about to turn, but we don’t want to keep you waiting too long for the update so we thought we’d tease you with some shots of what we’ll be working on next. Readers with keen memories may remember that we’re going to be running a 454 Warhawk under the hood, and to back up that monster 802-horsepower mill, we need an equally stout transmission.

Automatic Transmission Factory came through for us in the gearbox department with their Stage IV High Horsepower Powerglide. This is one serious ‘Glide – rated for up to 2,500 horsepower, it’s got an SFI-spec case and bellhousing for safety, a 9310 chromoly 1.80-ratio straight cut gearset, and fully-built internals. It’s literally one of the very best racing automatics you can buy, and should be totally bulletproof behind our 454.

Of course, to make that power in the first place, we need fuel and plenty of it. MagnaFuel’s QuickStar 300 is rated for 950 horsepower naturally-aspirated applications running on gas, making it a perfect match for our Warhawk. Fuel pumps are one component where you truly can have too much of a good thing; a grossly oversized pump just ends up fighting the regulator and can lead to erratic fuel pressure at idle and under load, so it pays off to get exactly what you need in this particular department. Our MP-4650 is preset to 25psi, draws 10 amps, features an integrated filter, and has -10 AN inlet/outlet connections with a -8 bypass.

Speaking of regulators, we also have Magnafuel’s Hi-Flo 2 port regulator (part number MP-9833) to take the pump’s 25psi output down to the 6-8psi necessary at the carb. It’s all part of Magnafuel’s MP-4817 Quick Star 300 kit, which also includes AN fittings for the pump, regulator, fuel cell, and carb float bowls, and a dual relay harness to make wiring the pump easier. About the only thing missing is the fuel line…

For the fuel line plumbing, we turned to our friends at Earl’s, and ordered up a big box of Perform-O-Flex braided stainless line and Swivel-Seal ends. Perform-O-Flex is the standard by which all braided stainless is judged, and the Swivel-Seal ends are designed to make hose assembly easy, and still allow the lines to rotate even after the couplings are secured. In addition to plumbing up All Air, we’re also going to be taking a look at all the different types of hose and fittings Earl’s offers – sometimes trying to figure out the right plumbing for your application can be a little bit confusing, so we’re going to break it all down and make it simple with a how-to article and video that covers this popular DIY task.

Soon, all this empty space will be filled with our 454 and Powerglide, and we’ll be another big step closer to taking All Air down the track for the very first time. Stay tuned for all the thrilling details…

Your author is a former INEX Legends Car racer (5/8th scale ’34 Ford Coupe powered by 1250cc Yamaha motors, racing on ¼ to ½ mile ovals), and knows the importance of having the right fuel in the fuel cell. Champion Legends racer Kevin Yeatts explains it this way, “Let me just say that VP Fuels did an excellent job of making U4 and VP006 (formerly VP600). These oxygenated fuels quite literally make non-oxygenated fuels obsolete. If I show up at a speed track (like Kenly or South Boston or Shenandoah or Caraway) with Brand-X Fuel and there are guys there running oxygenated VP006 I am literally giving up as much as half a second a lap’s worth of horsepower”.

Steve Burns looks on as Duane Minazzi, VP's chief chemist, analyzes fuel using a gas chromatograph.

Yeatts continued, “As an example, I showed up at Kenly two weeks ago with Brand-X Fuel in my car from the race the previous week at Shenandoah and I was over half a second off the pace. I was ready to load the car up and head home! Fortunately, I had a 5 gallon pail of VP006. I drained the tank on my car and filled it with the VP006 and headed back out for the second round. With no other changes, I picked up half a second and I was right there with the lead pack. A few other changes before the race made the car a little more comfortable and competitive, but no other change I made was nearly as significant. It was not even close”. Racers kill and/or sell their first born for a half second on the track! That’s the importance of the right fuel.

Most racing sanctioning bodies regulate the types of fuels you can run. They’ll use terms like: Octane (both Motor & Research), Specific Gravity, Oxidation Stability, Distillation, Reid Vapor Pressure and E.P. Knowing what your rules are before you pick a fuel, will save the embarrassment and shame of disqualification!

VP uses test engines to determine octane ratings for fuels.

Octane: This rating is a measure of the resistance of fuel to auto-ignition (spontaneously ignite, premature detonation, knocking or ping) in spark-ignition internal combustion engines. The higher the number, the more resistant the fuel is to auto-ignition. It might seem odd that fuels with higher octane ratings are used in more powerful engines, since the fuel ignites less easily. However, an uncontrolled ignition is a BAD THING! A fuel with a higher octane rating can be run at a higher compression ratio without causing detonation and we know compression or boost is directly related to power. You’ll see two common methods for measuring octane: Research Octane Number (RON) and Motor Octane Number (MON).

RON is a measure of how resistant gasoline is to premature detonation, i.e., knocking. It is measured relative to a mixture of 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (an octane) and n- heptane. So an 87-octane gasoline has the same knock resistance as a mixture of 87% isooctane and 13% n-heptane. Its definition is also based on the mixture of isooctane and n-heptane that has the same performance. Depending on the composition of the fuel, the MON of a modern gasoline will be about 10 points lower than the RON octane. Normally fuel specifications require both a minimum RON and a minimum MON.

On gas pumps in United States the octane number is the average of the RON and the MON, sometimes called the “roaD Octane Number” or DON, or (R+M)/2. Because of the 10 point difference noted above this means that the octane in the US will be about 5 points lower than the same fuel elsewhere: 87 octane fuel, the “normal” gasoline in the US and Canada, would be 92 in Europe. Both RON & MON are measured by running the fuel thru a test engine with variable compression ratio, but MON is a better indicator of octane when under load as it is done at 900 rpm instead of the 600 rpm of the RON test. So for racing, the MON is of more importance since the conditions more closely represent racing conditions than that of the RON.

Minazzi tests for specific gravity using a digital meter to ensure the the fuel is in compliance with specifications.

Specific Gravity: This is the relative density of the fuel compared to that of water when measured at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Imagine a gallon bottle filled with water, a second filled with feathers, a third filled with lead weights. There are equal volumes of material present, but the bottle with the feathers will weigh less than that containing water; the bottle with lead weights will weigh the most. Energy content is measured in British Thermal Units (BTU) per gallon and is related to the fuel’s specific gravity and the temperature range at which it vaporizes. The BTU content per unit volume increases as the specific gravity increases. For example, the BTU content of a gallon of diesel fuel is higher than that of gasoline and fuels with a higher specific gravity will provide improved power and fuel economy.

The relative density can be measured by several methods. One of these methods (ASTM D1298) utilizes a glass bulb (hydrometer) that will float a particular height above the surface of the fuel contained in a cylinder at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The higher the hydrometer floats, the higher the specific gravity of the fuel. Typically, the specific gravity decreases as the temperature of the fuel increases and increases as the temperature of the fuel decreases.

Oxidation Stability: This measures a fuel’s resistance to form gums by recording the time it takes for a fuel to break down with oxygen, pressure and heat. A higher time value would indicate a more chemically stable fuel. The method uses a fuel sample pressurized to 100 psi with oxygen and heated to 100 degrees Celcius (212F) until a significant oxygen uptake is measured.

Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP): Fuels can contain components that yield high amounts of vapors, which may affect starting, warm-up, and tendency to vapor lock with high operating temperatures or high altitudes. One method for checking a fuel’s vapor forming tendency is by the Reid Vapor Pressure Method. This method uses a chilled sample of fuel that is put inside a vapor pressure apparatus and heated to 100 degrees Fahrenheit in a bath. The pressure inside the vapor pressure apparatus is monitored until a constant pressure is observed.

Distillation: This is the process of heating a fuel until it completely evaporates. A sample of fuel is put into a flask of the distillation apparatus and heated accordingly. As the fuel is heated, various fractions are evaporated and then recollected and recorded. Since racing fuel is made of several components it will evaporate over a range of temperatures and not just at one point.

A gas chromatograph is used by Minazzi to verify blended fuels contain the correct composition prior to drumming and shipping.

E.P.: This is an acronym for the end point of a distillation. When a fuel is distilled, the initial boiling point (IBP), 10%, 50%, 90% distilled, and end point (E.P.) at which the fuel is finished distilling are typically measured to show the fuels ability to evaporate under different temperature conditions.

Here at powerTV Command Central, we use three of the most popular VP Fuels: C14 and VP100 for Street/Strip projects and for the dirt track we use VP’s CHP designed for crate engines. Jason Rueckert from VP described VP100, “This is a street legal unleaded performance fuel, specifically engineered for high-performance street cars, exotics, sport compacts, muscle cars, street rods and vehicles requiring premium fuels in excess of 91 octane. Oxygenated with ethanol, VP100 is environmentally friendly, meets California Air Resource Board (CARB) requirements and is street legal throughout the U.S”. Rueckert continued, “At 100 octane (R+M/2), it generates substantial power increases over pump gas. A test with a turbocharged application proved VP100 will generate up to 14% more power than a premium grade 91 octane unleaded gasoline.”

Jason also told us, “VP100 is safe for use in cast-iron head engines with compression ratios up to 12:1 and aluminum heads up to 14:1 and reduces the fear of detonation in power enhanced vehicles. It contains no metal compounds and will not harm catalytic converters or oxygen sensors. It’s designed to enhance performance in the latest generations of turbo- and supercharged engines. In turbocharged or supercharged applications, it allows an increase in boost without fear of detonation and Nitrous users can also leverage their higher octane ratings to step up to a more powerful nitrous oxide system.”

Duane Minazzi, uses coulemetric titration to detect the presence of water in solution, an important test particularly for oxygenates introduced to fuel blends.

In areas where premium fuels such as 93 octane are unavailable, VP100 is the perfect solution. Over 200 cars currently in production suggest premium fuel for optimum performance. “You can also blend VP100 with your local premium fuel to give you the desired octane number to meet the maximum performance standards of your vehicle”, Jason said.

VP’s C14 is a leaded (not for use with catalytic converters!) racing gas with a Motor Octane of 114. Jason said, “We recommended this one for naturally aspirated engines operating at over 8000 RPMs with compression ratios of 14:1 and higher. It’s the spec fuel for NHRA Comp Eliminator, NMRA and NMCA”.

For blown engines (turbo- or super-charged) and nitrous applications, Jason lauds the new Q16, “This is a leaded fuel that can be used in compression ratios up to 17:1. The MON Octane is 116. It’s highly oxygenated, requiring a 4-6% increase in fuel flow and makes 3-5% more power than competitors’ 116 octane fuels and provides better protection against detonation. Oxygenation expands the range of air/fuel ratio acceptability, offering more consistent performance from run to run and it won’t vary as much with altitude or density changes.”

Jason recommends VP’s NO2 for nitrous users, “This is another leaded fuel specifically for fogger or three-stage nitrous oxide applications with CRs up to 18:1. It has higher octane (MON 120+) and lower specific gravity than most nitrous fuels. It may require enriching fuel mixture more than C16 would require. C16 is our MON 117 Octane fuel for turbocharged engines, blown engines and nitrous applications with CRs up to 17:1. It’s recommended by the top nitrous oxide companies and is the Spec Fuel for NHRA Comp Eliminator”.

For Circle track fuel, Freddie Turza described VP’s CHP fuel, “CHP, which stands for ‘Crate HorsePower’, and is leaded. It will make 15-20 more horse power than premium pump gas, but perhaps the biggest benefit the racer will see is the ‘wide’ tuning window. Over the last several years VP’s MS109 has become the fuel of choice for serious crate late model racers, but CHP will not only make 1.5% more HP than MS109, it actually costs less. CHP will also outperform E85 by 4-6% in HP, and significantly, requires carrying about 50% less weight in fuel compared to E85”.

Lynn Geisler, National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer claims the VP Racing Fuel is the best gain vs. cost.

We asked Freddie, why CHP outperforms the standard MS109, “The key to CHP’s performance is better fuel vaporization, which improves fuel distribution and burning speed. Due to its oxygenation, CHP has to run 4-7% richer than non-oxygenated fuels. Running richer with better fuel distribution effectively adds 2-3 octane numbers and provides even more on-track protection against detonation than its standard ASTM motor octane rating would indicate. We do not recommend it for boost or nitrous applications, or for applications with compression ratios over 12.5:1 though”.

We then asked Turza for the details on MS109: “In engines that can run on pump gas, MS109 is a direct replacement that produces more power than any other unleaded fuel – up to 5% more than premium unleaded. Recommended for applications with up to 25 pounds of boost and naturally aspirated engines with CRs up to 15:1. When compared to other unleaded fuels, it offers better detonation protection as well. It’s still excellent in crate engine applications”.

Freddie told us the story of Lynn Geisler, winner of 200+ feature races and member of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame, who tried CHP and liked it, “MS109 made 8-10 more HP compared to anything else we tried, and CHP gave us 8 more HP on top of that. Besides that, both MS109 and CHP burn cleaner and keeps the water temperature low so it saves wear and tear on my engine. In my mind, CHP gives me the best gain vs. cost of any performance part I could put on the car.”

VP Racing Fuel's premier fuel for circle track applications.

Turza gave a ringing endorsement for C12, “This is a leaded fuel with better vaporization and greater energy value. C12 makes 4-5 more horsepower than competitive fuels with comparable octane ratings”. Freddie has heard from Craig Von Dohren, a top Northeast winner in big block Modified competition with more than 200 career feature wins. “C12 makes more power than other fuels, but its cooling effect is even more critical. Big block engines are expensive and can really be hurt by overheating. By running cooler, C12 protects my engine and helps ensure I’ll make it to the finish”. C12 is for use in naturally aspirated engines with CRs up to 15:1.

VP’s premier fuel for circle track applications, is Late Model Plus. Explained Freddie, “It’s recommended for use on 3/8 mile or greater dirt and asphalt circle tracks in engines bigger than 400 ci and compression ratios up to 15:1. Late Model Plus is more effective than any fuel on the market at making more power while suppressing engine operating temperatures. Its motor octane (MON) is 113, the highest of any comparable competitive fuel. As a result, it offers what Larry Clark, of Custom Race Engines, describes as ‘a wider tolerance range in tuning, a greater safety blanket for detonation and it’s more forgiving in extreme conditions.’ With a relatively low RVP rating, Late Model Plus also prevents problems associated with vapor lock. It’s preferred by other top engine builders including Pro Power Racing and many others. It’s the fuel of choice for top drivers including Scott Bloomquist, Steve Francis, Tim McCreadie and many others”.

VP Racing Fuels has been around for more than 30 years and its strength has been its dedication to technological innovation through R&D, making VP Racing Fuels an industry leader. Turza told us, “We started with the philosophy that the only thing that counts is winning and that continues today”. Jason continued, “We work directly with racers at the track and on their dynos. It’s how we started and continues to be our M.O. today, with most of our R&D accomplished in this manner. True champions leave no stone unturned in their drive to win”. If you’re unsure of the right fuel for your application, help and increased performance is available from VP for those bold enough to ask.

The Aeromotive fuel system

Switching from an EFI system to a carburetor is not as easy as just pulling off the throttle body and slapping on the 1050. There are many other components that need to be changed out as well, including the fuel system. The fuel system in an EFI application needs to supply gas at 75 psi or higher, a far cry from the single-digit pressures required by our carburetor. Keeping the EFI pump would mean regulating it so far down that the majority of the fuel would be bypassing the carb and returning to the tank, building heat and killing the pump in short order. To avoid all of that, we installed a new Aeromotive fuel system designed to supply fuel at an appropriate pressure and volume.

Having the correct components for your application is critical to how it performs, and this Aeromotive system was matched to Project Grandma’s needs. The Eliminator fuel pump (p/n 11104) is able to support a 2300 HP naturally aspirated engine, which will be more than enough for our 970 HP needs. A 100 micron stainless steel element pre-filter screws straight into the suction side of the pump, and a -12 fitting connects the pre-filter to the fuel cell.

The pressure side of the fuel pump drops down to a -10 fitting and from there goes through a 10 micron paper filter, then forward under the car to the fuel log. The Aeromotive fuel log (p/n 14201) has a cool feature added to it – where each side of the log attaches to the carburetor, there are swivel points that allows the user to position the log up or down up to 20 degrees for clearance of throttle stops, nitrous plates, spacers, or other components.

From the opposite side of the log a -10 line runs back to the regulator. The two-port bypass regulator (p/n 13212) is fully adjustable from 2-20 psi, which is perfect for our carbureted application. A -10 line was used as the return line from the bottom of the regulator back to the fuel cell.

Even though installing the fuel system was very straightforward, there is one important rule to remember that can mean the difference between life and death for the fuel pump. Using the wrong filter, or not putting them in the correct order can harm the system. Jesse Powell of Aeromotive explains, “One of the single greatest issues we take phone calls on are filters being in the wrong location, or the wrong size filters that will cause the same problems.” The free-flowing 100 micron stainless steel filter that goes before the pump is designed to catch the large contaminants that would harm the pump. The 10 micron paper filter is what will catch all of the remaining debris that would plug up the carburetor. Mixing the two up can have serious consequences. “The reason the system needs to be set up this way is because the Eliminator fuel pump, or just about any other fuel pump out there, can push fuel out a lot easier than it can suck in,” says Powell. Putting the fine, 10-micron filter on the inlet side will damage the pump by overstressing it as it fights to pull instead of push. The rule to remember is, “Stainless = Suction, Paper = Pressure”.

The most recent upgrade we have been working on involves improving the cooling of our Project 666 — with an upgraded Flex-a-lite Radiator/Fan combination and a Meziere Water Pump. At the time, we decided to pick up some horsepower and reduce engine clutter by installing a complete March Performance 5.0L Pulley/Bracket system since we were already ditching the stock water pump and engine driven fan.

Check out the video we shot covering our cooling system upgrade, then read all the details below!

Our Project

As a reminder, the Project 666 build is a 1986 Ford Mustang LX 5.0L that we will build out as a street/strip car with a projected horsepower of over 650 horses to the rear wheels (hence the moniker 666). That requires a serious cooling sytem that can cool on a stupidly hot Riverside day.

The ’79-93 Fox bodied Ford Mustangs have a large following among the street performer and drag strip devotees. One of the more desirable models of our ’86 LX Mustang is that it is a bare bones version often referred to as a “stripper” model. As attractive as that tag sounds (no, the car did not belong to a Vegas showgirl), it is desirable because of the manual windows, door locks, seats, etc. No luxury power accessories of any kind. This absence of bulky electric actuation motors reduces the total weight even further. In short, our “stripper” Mustang was built for speed.

Currently our Fox Bodied “Stripper” Mustang is awaiting a new power plant, and the time is right to start preparing for this enhanced power package. Seeking to squeeze every once of horsepower out of our coupe, we will forgo some of the power robbing parasites that are engine driven and replace them with components that offer better performance than the stock parts.

The stock engine and cooling system. Lots of help needed here!

Why upgrade?

The new engine will be subjected to a harsher operating environment than the stock cooling system were intended to operate in. Because we are going to push this power plant for higher performance, we felt that the cooling system was a logical place to start our upgrades. Higher horse power motors generate more heat. Typical cooling systems on a stock Mustang operate in the 200 degree range and the internal pressure should be near 20 pounds.

Running hotter than these parameters tend to result in power loss, or worse, blown head gaskets and cracked cylinder heads. Therefore, it’s always a wise idea to upgrade your cooling system when you step up your motor performance. Good aluminum radiators can provide up to twenty five percent better cooling, and because we we’re planning on increasing our horsepower to 3 times the stock amount, it was a no-brainer to replace stock cooling system.

The Solution:

We installed the following components on Project 666:

• Meziere Water Pump, PN #WP111R
• Flex-a-lite Radiator/Fan Combination, PN #52185
• March Performance 5.0L Fox Pulley Drive Kit, PN #30061

Enter the companies of Flex-a-lite, March Performance and Meziere.

As luck would have it, March manufactures a pulley drive system specifically for the Ford 5.0 (Part #30061), that removes the power steering, A/C, water pump, and idler and replaces it with a complete custom March adjustable system. Perfect.

The March pulley drive kit was designed to work with almost any electric water pump on the market but we had knowledge that the Meziere electric water pump kit (part #WP111) worked extremely well with the March drive kit. We checked out Meziere and were pleased to find that their support & tech department was very knowledgeable with this particular application.

Then next step was to find an aluminum radiator that would provide us with the higher cooling needs of a high performance engine. Flex-a-lite is a well known brand that has established a good reputation in fans and cooling systems. Another quick phone call and we had the answers that we wanted. Flex-a-lite makes an application specific Radiator and Fan combo that fits the Mustang Fox Body platform, part # 52185.

We’ll walk you through the entire installation and also talk a little about the features of each of the parts that we installed and why.

Getting started.

We started by removing the smog pump and plumbing. While the pump may not be as power robbing as some of the other accessories, the weight of the pump and all of the associated lines, valves and canisters added up to a considerable amount. Simply removing all the lines made the engine bay look a lot neater. The next step was getting rid of the power steering pump. We had already changed out the steering rack for a rack and pinion steering system, so the power steering pump and reservoir were just along for the ride. These parts were considerably heavier than their size would indicate. Yet again, once the parts were gone, the front of the engine bay took on a less congested appearance.

By now it was apparent that our coupe was undergoing a serious weight watchers program. This became infectious. The more we removed, the more we wanted to take off. It had already been decided to change out the water pump to improve cooling, and we knew that the radiator needed to be upgraded, it was only natural that the engine driven cooling fan fell into our cross hairs. Just for good measure, we removed the air conditioning compressor and all of the A/C lines. Our “stripper” had dropped so much weight that I envisioned the bright red coupe in a Jenny Craig commercial with Kirstie Alley.

Our “stripper” on Jenny Craig. Less weight in the engine bay.

Installation of the Flex-a-lite Radiator & Fan unit.

Installation of the components was very easy. We simply installed the components in the reverse order of the removal process. Starting with the Radiator and Fan kit, we opened the instructions and were pleasantly surprised to find that we were half way done with the task. Moving down the instructions past the initial 12 steps because the stock radiator was removed, we resisted the urge to take a “half-way” break. Assembling the radiator components took no time, as the electric fan is an integral part of the assembly. Only the overflow bottle needed to be attached to the radiator.

The Overflow Container

We were surprised at how lightweight the flex-a-lite radiator was compared to the overall size of the unit. It looked much thicker than the stock radiator and the flat side tank had a real impressive machined look where the stock radiator had rounded side tanks. It was easy to spot the larger core surface area and the twin rows of tubing running through the cooling fins. The core size alone measured 22 inches wide by 18 inches tall and 2 ½ inches deep. Even with my limited understanding of thermodynamics, I understood that a larger core area was going to dissipate heat faster and more efficiently than the stock radiator’s smaller core area.

We finalized the radiator installation by sliding it into the area where the stock radiator was mounted, then attached the supplied brackets to hold the radiator in place. This took a total of 10 minutes and our new radiator and electric cooling fan were installed with only a couple of wires and the variable speed control yet to install. Bypassing the electrical for the time being, we started installation of the electric water pump.

A couple of cool things I wanted to mention about the Flex-a-lite Radiator and Black Magic Extreme fan combination:

• The Flex-a-lite radiator features internal and external fins. The way this design works is that internal fins absorb the heat, and the external fins radiate it away.
• The external fins allow easy mounting of fans and accessories.
• The radiator is a cross-flow design with (2) 1-inch diameter tubes.
• The radiator comes with a Black Magic Extreme fan, which is probably the most popular aftermarket fan in the history of the Mustang aftermarket. This has a great mounting system, and includes a Variable Speed control which integrates an adjustable thermostat, A/C controller, and manual on/off switch.
• Best part, includes all brackets, wires, and bolts!

Sliding the Radiator in place.

Installing the Meziere Electric Water pump

The Meziere water pump was almost too perfect to install on a used block. The pump itself is svelte and much sleeker than the heavy cast metal stock centrifugal pump. The Meziere water pump for the 5.0 engines can be ordered in 35 gallons per minute (GPM) or 55 GPM high flow model. It does not come with provisions for heater or bypass hose, which was fine for our street/strip car. We ordered the WP311R which comes in Red, polished and waxed.

The nice thing about the Meziere pump is that it’s built right here in the US, and has a reputation for being a serious workhorse. It even comes with a 2 year unlimited mileage guarantee and Meziere told us that it can handle daily driver, high-horsepower applications without breaking a sweat.

Here is some information on our Meziere electric water pump:

• Fits small block Ford 302 & 351 (perfect for our new 9.5 deck motor)
• 3,000+ hour life for street or drag use
• 55 gal/minute flow
• Stainless Steel Hardware w/ Stainless Steel Main Shaft
• This pump is supplied complete with gaskets, hardware and fittings. No additional items should be necessary.

In terms of choosing the “right” pump for your application, Meziere told us, “The standard 35 GPM pump is suitable for normally aspirated engines up to 650 horsepower. Supercharged, turbocharged and high compression, and high horsepower applications should use the 55 GPM high flow pump.

Installing the Backing Plate.

If you must have the heater and bypass hose provisions, they can be ordered from the factory when you order the pump. Of course, you will have to block off the heater and bypass hose outlets at the source if you didn’t order the provisions. The back plate mounted up easily to the engine block and the pump mounts directly to the back plate. Gaskets for the pump to the back plate come with the kit. We recommend gasket sealer when installing the gaskets.

The Meziere electric water pump.

The engine bay was really beginning to look like it had some room for the bigger motor. To finish the upgrade, we needed to install the March pulley drive system. We had removed every drive pulley from the motor with the single exception of the alternator drive pulley. Our project car still needed the alternator because we wanted to be able to drive it on the streets for extended periods of time (like driving to the race track and back home after making a few passes).

The March Performance Underdrive Crankshaft Pulley.

The factory mounting position for the alternator made it very difficult, if not impossible to mount a serpentine belt from the crankshaft drive pulley to the alternator pulley and still have clearance for the electric water pump housing. There are a few pulley kits on the market that you can buy to help solve the belt routing problem, but we chose the March kit (part # 30061) because of the completeness of the kit. We knew that the drive system would work with our other components, the existing engine and the new engine when it was installed.

The Alternator Positioning Bracket.

Although the pulley drive looked pretty intimidating, the instructions were very complete. They even included a couple of drawings, which helped this barely literate retired Marine understand the installation process (a picture is still worth a thousand words in my book). What I found interesting about the drive kit was, even though we were using the existing stock alternator, March included a pulley for the alternator. May not sound like much, but having the crankshaft pulley, idler pulley and the alternator pulley all look the same really improved the look of the engine block. The kit can easily be installed in 20 minutes, which includes time for coffee breaks.

Once installed, we had to get ourselves a 41-inch 6-rib serpentine belt and adjust the adjustable support link to properly space the alternator and put the correct amount of tension on the belt. It was really easy and simple, not to mention the horsepower increase and weight loss.

Alternator Pulley installation.

The Final Steps

All that was left in our installation was wiring. Flex-a-lite and Meziere both include a complete wiring harness and fuses, including a complete variable speed control (VSC) that helps with a daily driver. We chose to not install the VSC because our car was going to see such little street driving, and instead installed a simpler on/off switch and 30 amp relay. However, we recommend the VSC if you are going to drive on the street regularly no matter your application.

In recapping this upgrade, we managed to upgrade our cooling system in preparation of installing a bigger engine in our street/strip project car. We were able to replace a lot of the heavy stock components with stronger lightweight parts, and we eliminated the dispensable accessory drives. We estimated a total weight loss of 40 pounds and recaptured 23 to 40 of lost horsepower. Everyone in the shop was pretty excited about the lightweight “stripper” with more power.

Check out the final “after” photo showing the complete March pulley system, Meziere pump, and Flex-a-lite Radiator/Fan combination. We’re going to drive it around in the next few weeks and give you a full cooling system performance report – tested exclusively in our oppressive Riverside heat!

The completed cooling system and accessory drive.