Fuel System Remodel. Complete tech article show you how!

Classic Performance Products 378 E Orangethorpe Ave., Placentia CA 92870

Classic Performance Products

Fuel System Remodel

By Grant Peterson
If you've ever owned an old truck with a gas tank in the cab behind the seat, you know how much fun they are. For one, there's the constant smell of gas two, the lack of storage space; and three, just the idea of driving around with upwards of 20 gallons of fuel immediately behind your kidneys isn't too thrilling. On top of all of that, there's usually some amount of junk and/or gunk in the old tank that's been plaguing the rest of your fuel system from your pump to the carb. We've all tried to get by with band-aid "fixes" thinking it'll go away. I myself have carried an air tank around with me before to backflush the fuel line when the crud got to be too much. Yeah, I'm not proud of that one, but let's all learn our lesson now! There's a plethora of products you can buy to assemble a fuel system nowadays, so how do you pick what you really need? Sure, there are those super duper hi-flow race pumps and fuel cells, but that's overkill for anything practical and street driven. Aeromotive makes some of those high zoot products, but they've now brought the technology of all the best race pumps and filters and scaled them down into something you and I can use on our trucks. In fact, Aeromotive put it like this, it's rocket science brought down to earth. From design to testing and finally production, they do it all in house, including building and running a company drag car. All their pumps and filters are made with CNC precision and tested before leaving their building in Lenexa, Kansas. Aeromotive's new HO Series fuel system is made to be used with a carburetor and provides everything between the gas tank and carb. Its pump has a built in regulator set at 7 psi which is where it should be for most systems today and the billet inline filter has a 100 micron, cleanable, stainless steel element inside so you can stop buying those ugly canisters at the parts store. All this comes black-anodized, a new color choice, so it'll blend into any vehicle's surrounding and not stick out like a sore thumb. The HO kit also includes AN fittings, braided stainless hose, pump relays, solderless terminals, and wire ties. They also offer a post-pump with a 10 micron paper filter just to be on the safe side. Well, we have a truck, an engine, and the Aeromotive HO kit, so now we just need a gas tank. Classic Performance Parts (CPP) has a 26 gallon monster tank to mount under the '57-60 F-100's bed. Their tanks are made from aluminum, fully baffled, TIG welded, and made in the USA. They come ready to be used with fuel injection or carburetors, and they can also be ordered with the filler on the top or side depending on your needs. CPP can even custom make a tank if you need one. They do require a little reorganizing of the stock rear crossmember, but it can be done without using a welder, and it'll get that smelly old tank out from behind the seat.  So if you've been thinking about updating the fuel system in your truck., follow, along, and get on the horn to get some help today.

1...Here's the HID Series kit from Aeromotive (PN 17245). They've compiled their extensive knowledge of the race and marine industry to put together a kit for street-driven carbureted cars and trucks that meets the requirements of both stock and high-performance applications. They've also added a black finish to most of the parts so they blend in with whatever might be under your hood or going through your chassis. The kit comes with virtually everything you need to get gas from your tank to your carburetor aside from a carb fitting, since there are so many variables there.

2...Of course, we need a place to mount the Aeromotive pump that's as close to the tank as possible and out of the way of moving things like suspension and road obstacles. Try to mount the pump slightly lower than the fuel tank you've just emptied after disconnecting the battery. You'll need two 1/4-inch bolts to mount the fuel pump bracket when you've chosen your spot.

3...With the pump upright like so, tighten the clamp, being careful not to overtighten it, which could damage the pump.

4...Between the pump and the filter is a 3/8-NPT hex nipple that connects the two. Put a small amount of thread sealant on each side and thread it into place. Remember that the filter goes between the fuel tank and the pump, and double check that the inlet side of the filter is on the side coming from the tank.

5...On the carb side of the pump and the tank side of the filler, you'll install a 3/8 NPT to 8 AN adapter filling, again with thread sealant. This filling will allow the 8 AN filling that'll go on the ends of the braided stainless lines to be hooked up to the pump and filler.

6...Cutting braided stainless hose can be a tricky situation if it's not done right. Luckily, Aeromotive includes a good how to guide with the instructions, and they also have very comprehensive directions on their Web site, which is a bonus. Measure the hose's cut without being too long, wrap the area in tape, and cut your mark with a cutoff wheel or fine tooth hacksaw.

7...Next, with a twisting motion, push on the socket (the part in the vise) until it's seated all the way down, and make a little mark on the hose, Put a little bit of oil on the hose end and carefully thread it into the hose, Make sure the hose doesn't push out the other side of the socket When you're done, tighten the fitting together.

8...Now the 8 AN fittings join together. If you don't have an AN wrench, use a wrench that fits tightly. Be careful not to round the fitting off, or it could start getting expensive.

9...Hook the line up to your carburetor fitting. For consistency, if nothing else, it would be a good idea to have an AN fitting here, too.

10...Anywhere the hose could move around, secure it with a clamp.

11...CPP has a wide variety of aluminum tanks that mount under the bed, like this 26 gallon tank that fits '57 F-100s. All their tanks are fully baffled and work with both carbureted or fuel injected engines, and are available as either a bed fill or side fill. Custom tanks are also available. Call CPP for more details.

12...It would probably be possible to install the tank with the bed on the truck, but the few minutes it took to lift the bed off were well spent and made the installation much easier.

13...On the back side of the crossmember just behind the rearend are these gussets riveted in place. The gussets on the bottom are removed to make way for the new monster tank.

14...The tank will mount with these labs. Nuts are welded to them to hold them in place since the tank will take up all the extra room between the rails that your fingers might otherwise get into.

15... Remove the rear crossmember, flip it upside down and backward, and reinstall it at the rear of the frame. It can be bolted into place if need be. Notice the arrow to the right this is where the crossmember used to be.

16...Next, the upper gusset on the right side needs to be notched so there's clearance for the tank vent fitting. About 3 feet of fuel safe hose is hooked to this and coiled on top of the tank so it doesn't cavitate.

17...Install the correct fuel sending unit for the gauges you plan on using check with the manufacturer if you're not sure. Don't forget to use antiseize on the threads of the sending unit bolts going into the aluminum tank.

18...Since CPP's tanks come ready for fuel-injection or carbureted applications, we plugged the return hole and installed a 90-degree fitting to connect to the rest of the system.

19...Here's a side shot of the tank where you can see how it mounts to the bottom of the frame. On side fill tanks, the filler would come out here en route to a filler in the side of the bed or fender.

20...To top it all off, we put a polished stainless steel Cool Cap from Air Ride Technologies in the bed to fill the thirsty tank. The flush cap is actuated with a stainless interface key that unscrews the cap from its D-ring seal-cool!

It's always best to have shop and assembly manuals on hand to make sure your installation is correct and to make the project as easy as possible. We recommend factory manuals, available at Greg's Automotive

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