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EFI without a fuel swirl pot.... possible ?
Major Stare - 10/3/07 at 08:24 AM

Fitted the MegaSquirt and all fuel plumbing but the boot area looks like a spagetti junction...Swirl pot, two pumps, two filters, pipework.

Im not happy with this so has anyone run an EFI car with just an HP pump and filter but without a swirl pot???

I understand HP pumps dont "suck" very well, so it will be mounted below the tank outlet.

Anyone ??


graememk - 10/3/07 at 08:26 AM

i'm using the donors in tank fuel pump (nissan) and piped it straight to the injectors, works ok for me........ so far


martyn_16v - 10/3/07 at 08:31 AM

mk3 golf gti's also have a single in tank pump


RazMan - 10/3/07 at 09:03 AM

I used a Landrover internal pump complete with sender unit - it fits inside the tank (immersed) It saves a heck of a lot of space (and plumbing) and no messing around with fuel gauge sender units either. Works a treat.

[Edited on 10-3-07 by RazMan]


Humbug - 10/3/07 at 09:58 AM

I have had no fuel problems with my K-series - the outlet is right at the bottom of the tank then I've got a filter and a pump then pipe straight to the engine.


blakep82 - 10/3/07 at 10:41 AM

I don't think the swirlpot would work, because it would have air in it (i assume, i'm not too good on fuel systems) and therefore cause problems with the pressure


stevebubs - 10/3/07 at 11:06 AM

So long as you can ensure the EFI pump is fully submerged all of the time then you won't have issues.

Many of these pumps won't run dry for more than 3-4 seconds which is why swirl pots are recommended.


nitram38 - 10/3/07 at 11:27 AM

I am using a bosch bmw injection pump that sits just below the tank. The pump is fed from a plastic oval racer tank (rally design). The outlet is at the top of the tank with an internal pipe that reaches the bottom.
In other words my pump draws fuel upwards as well as through to the engine.
Not ideal, but saves any leaks from tank unions.
Once you prime the pump the first time, the fuel stays in the pipe.
Never had a problem. Fuel pumps generally supply more fuel than you need and that is why mine has a return pipe to the tank.
A little tip though, ensure your tank has a two way breather valve or the tank will pressurize because of air being drawn in to replace the pumped fuel on a one way valve.
This is because the fuel returning to the tank now cannot force any air out of the one way valve.
I made this mistake and the tank pressurized and then fooked the pump!



[Edited on 10/3/2007 by nitram38]


ibakes - 10/3/07 at 12:02 PM

I was on the phone to southern carbs the other day who reccomended having a feed from both sides of the tank, that way you should get a feed which ever corner you go around... not sure about air tho?


britishtrident - 10/3/07 at 02:23 PM

You can fit the pump, inside the tank or you can go a stage further and fit the pump and a combined filter & pressure regulator inside the tank, many recent models do this to avoid reduce fire risk in the event of major accident as it removes the need for a return line.

The Rover 600/Honda has neat inside the tank fuel pump assembly that flange mounts and is roughly the correct height for a Locost tank. It is also very easy to remove from the donor as it is accesed via a hatch from the rear seat area.


Major Stare - 10/3/07 at 11:24 PM

Cheers guys.

The fuel tank is a Westfield item with the fuel outlet on the side of the tank and at the bottom.
The fuel filter is mounted externally as is the Jaguar pump, it is not mounted internally !!

Basically, dont run less than 1/4 of a tank ?


MkIndy7 - 11/3/07 at 12:50 PM

quote:
Originally posted by ibakes
I was on the phone to southern carbs the other day who reccomended having a feed from both sides of the tank, that way you should get a feed which ever corner you go around... not sure about air tho?


That sounded a clever idea at first.... But wouldn't the fuel pump just suck on the side that had run short of fuel as it would be easier to suck the air than the fuel?


stevebubs - 11/3/07 at 12:57 PM

I think the theory is that gravity will pull the "heavier" petrol into the feed pipe...means the pipes must go down for a period (i.e. don't route upwards straight from the tank)


MkIndy7 - 11/3/07 at 02:38 PM

Hmm maybe then...

We were thinking of using quite a large fitting screwed into the tank... say like 1-2" and then reducing down to the 10mm or whatever fuel pump inlet.. like a mini resevoir thats lower than the rest on the tank.


britishtrident - 11/3/07 at 07:13 PM

Two inlets it will be worse than a single central suction, unless two lp lift pumps & a swirl pot are used.

As for mounting an especially low inlet of some kind, the problem is it will just act as a collector for water and sediment. Water will get into the tank via condensation even if the fuel is 100% dry to start with.

Degassing the tank and fitting a flange mounted in tank HP pump is probably the easiest neatest low cost option.


britishtrident - 11/3/07 at 07:32 PM

quote:
Originally posted by RazMan
I used a Landrover internal pump complete with sender unit - it fits inside the tank (immersed) It saves a heck of a lot of space (and plumbing) and no messing around with fuel gauge sender units either. Works a treat.

[Edited on 10-3-07 by RazMan]


You want to see the system Rover used on the petrol 75. all BMW VDO parts but crazy stuff. The tank is a saddle tank to allow for the RWD V8 propshaft.

The pump and one level sender are in the right side of the tank, this pumps fuel over to the regulator and filter which are in the left section (also fitted with another level sender), fuel exits from here to the engine feed line. The return fuel from the regulator goes back to the right side pump swirl pot via an edductor which sucks some additional fuel from the left side of the tank over to the right. All the extra plumbing and wiring is internal to the tank.

Works fine except the fuel filter is fitted with a bayonet fitting that has a nasty habit of undoing itself after 3 or 4 years -- result no fuel out put the fuel pump just pumps fuel from the right of the tank to the left. Result a non starting Rover which can cause an a amazing amount of head scratching unless you have encountered one before.


joscorstjens - 12/3/07 at 11:29 PM

could the solution of the attached drawing bring a solution? Rescued attachment fuelaccum.gif
Rescued attachment fuelaccum.gif


BKLOCO - 13/3/07 at 07:39 PM

For what it's worth my solution to this problem was to build a "swirl pot" into the tank.
I made a cup shaped pot approx 200mm high and 100mm dia.
The 12mm outlet to the HP pump was taken from the bottom of this pot. There were two 25mm holes cut in the sides half way up the pot which was then welded into the tank with the 25mm holes 5mm above the bottom of the tank base.
The pot was filled with tank foam and a strainer fitted to the outlet.
The return pipe from the fuel rail was welded into the top of the tank so that it enters the top of the pot. This gives me a small reservoir (100mm deep X 100mm dia) that is being re-plenished with returning fuel should the fuel in the tank surge on corners.
This has worked without any problems both on the road and some "spirited" driving on a disused airfield.
Hope you can work out what I am talking about from the above description.


Russiow - 13/3/07 at 10:59 PM

ATL do internal collectors which sit in the bottom of the tank.

They have 3 trap doors which only let fuel into the centre so when you corner hard the fuel can't get out??

Also they do them with internal fuel pump mounts.

Have a look on there website..

http://www.atlinc.com/US/racing.html


Russ