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Which direction does the fuel pump strainer go?

djsroknrol

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 12, 2010
Messages
247
Location
Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Corvette
1984 L83/MD8 red coupe
I changed my fuel pump about 6 months ago along with a new sock/strainer. Within the last couple of months I noticed that when I get down to 1/4 tank, it acts like its going to run out of gas on accelleration or turning a corner. I'm wondering if the sock is mounted in the wrong direction....is it supposted to be left to right or front to back? I don't know if this is the problem, but I thought I'd ask.
 
Common problem..the strainer is NOT the problem...the lack of a windage tray is what causes it to starve for gas at below 1/2 tank. This will also ruin the pump too...sucking air even briefly runs it with no lubrication.

There IS a simple cure.

Give me a few minutes and I'm going to copy the solution that I've passed on to some auto-cross guys that have been very successful with my "invention". I use this and no longer have starvation issues...none what so ever. Cheap and easy. If you're willing to pull the pump out...you can do this...

BRB.
 
ok, here ya go. This is a good saturday project.
BTW...I turn the strainer to the right when its inserted thru the "well" bottom so its flat and not rolled up on the tank front wall/bottom since that slopes upward.

This is a reply that I gave to someobne from another forum where the same starvation issue was addressed.

Hope this helps..:thumb



........No, but it was quite easy once the concept was thought out...

I realized that the return line was pouring fuel in the tank constantly and at the same time the pump was starving when going around corners and even under hard accelleration. When you loose the fuel pressure you also loose the return...so one problem created the other and so did solving one problem fix the other.
The factory windage "tray" (now used to hold pocket change on my dresser) broke away from the tank bottom as do most...I was having a horrible windage problem. I couldn't corner under power at all if the tank was below 1/2.

Not satisfied that the little 1" deep tray was much use AND a PITA to replace back in the tank, I wanted to stick something back in there that would hold enough fuel for at least 3-4 seconds running under power at freeway speeds and above...enough for a long sweeping curve at high speed without slinging the fuel off the pump. 3 seconds is forever at 90 mph in a decreasing radius turn...hitting the gas coming out of a turn like that and getting nothing....just sucks for lack of a better term.
I picked the LUCAS bottle (oil treatment) because it was the right diameter, (about 3-4")round, deep (need 5-7"), and petroleum resistant. A common qt oil bottle also works well. (rectangular)

I cut the top off so the "well" portion was tall and equal. I cut a slot in a bottom rt edge for the pump strainer to fit thru since that is 3-4" long and will need to sit left-right in the tank. Then I marked approx where the bottle would rest against the return tube assy and stay clear of the float arm. I cut slits at 2 levels and used stainless steel safety wire to tie the side of the bottle onto the return tube and frame. Do not try to go around the whole bottle....just cut it so you're securing the left side to the tube .
This has to hold the bottle over against the tube so the float can never hook an edge or hang in its travel in any way. You might have to cut a slice off the top left edge of the well for float arm clearence if it swings too close. Once started, you'll see exactly what I'm trying to describe...

Then I took a small drill bit, 1/8 maybe, and drilled a couple holes in what would be the rear of the bottle at the bottom so fuel could flow in/out and seek its own level. Insert the whole pump/strainer/float mess in the bottle, making sure the strainer end fits thru the slot cut in the bottle bottom so the end of the strainer is sitting outside the bottle. Secure with the stainless wire thru the bottle and around the return line tube. Orient the bottle to clear the float. Get it tied tight so it does not float around or be moved by sloshing fuel.

I made NO holes in the left or right sides since the lateral forces of cornering might help drain it faster and that defeated the purpose of the design. The holes in the bottom rear allow for the level to equalize slowly. I did not want rapid equalizing anyway,....I would prefer that the 'well' always be deeper than the tank as long as the engine is running. This also serves to keep the bigger trash from getting to the whole strainer...since the strainers end (outside the well) can pull fuel in as well as the portion thats inside the well with the pump. Look at this and try to visualize the way it will be when mounted because the bottle with the strainer sticking out the right edge will be resting on the tank bottom, so you do not want to cause the strainer to be crushed or pinched off when its all bolted down. If done properly the 'well' will be right on the tank bottom and need just a very little pressure to get the tank cover plate bolted down...

Oh yeah, the round LUCAS bottle is easier to get back in the tank than the rectangular qt oil bottle...thats why I went with the round well this time....

Drop the whole thing in the tank after double checking the float arm for clearence and secure the pump assembly plate with a new gasket.

I have run hard into a corner with the reserve lite ON and not had the engine stumble from fuel starvation...I installed a new sender assy a few months back, and have not run out of fuel yet, but I have pushed it to where it was reading down to 15 miles left and I put over 19 gal back in the tank...so I am CERTAIN that I am keeping a deeper fuel level in the "well" than the rest of the tank and that is uneffected by G-forces so far. This well is part of the fuel pump assy instead of having to attach to the tank bottom where access is difficult and damage cannot be repaired easily.

I am not sure why I'm talking about this....I should be looking for the $5000 to file a patent....
lol.gif


Bottom line, it works.

If you want to build one and have any questions that this does not answer, ask me. Glad to help.
cheers2.gif

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Boom, you come to the rescue again for me! The tray on mine was intact when I changed out the pump (actually checked it by reaching in and trying to move it), which is why I thought the orientation of the strainer was to blame. I will give your "invention" a shot this coming weekend and see what it does.

BTW, I just filed a patent for a hand tool recently. It was under $500.00 and I did it all myself....quite the endevor and a royal PITA, but I'm hoping for the best on it.:thumb
 
According to the 1989 FSM , the fuel strainer runs parallel with the float, with the longer side on the same side as the the float. Check strainer length on any aftermarket non Delco strainers. You don't want the strainer to catch on the tank tray and interfere with fuel flow.
 
Boom, you come to the rescue again for me! The tray on mine was intact when I changed out the pump (actually checked it by reaching in and trying to move it), which is why I thought the orientation of the strainer was to blame. I will give your "invention" a shot this coming weekend and see what it does.

BTW, I just filed a patent for a hand tool recently. It was under $500.00 and I did it all myself....quite the endevor and a royal PITA, but I'm hoping for the best on it.:thumb

Thats rare!

Those trays are just glued to the tank bottom and come off all the time....
Its baffling to me and other folks...why these cars seem to be fine when new, but after some yrs they start this starvation stuff. Mine (3rd one) would read to the last mile and not sputter until that tank was dry. later it started the loosing pressure in turns and even hard accelleration.
Thats how I came up with the "well" concept...something to hold fuel better than the little tray that isn't very deep to begin with and once it breaks off its...toast.

Yessir, file those patents asap when you have the idea ! I recently saw craftman introduce a new tool that I have drawings of something almost identicle...in my notepad from 5 yrs ago.....:duh I just never got around to it and didn't think the idea would catch on that much....oh well.
 

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