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Classic Performance Products |
Fuel System Remodel |
By Grant Peterson |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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3...With the pump upright like so, tighten the clamp, being
careful not to overtighten it, which could damage the pump. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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10...Anywhere the hose could move around, secure it with a
clamp. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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