Fuel Pump Placement

[Carter Powell]

Iam getting ready to install a new 26 gallon aluminum fuel tank and was wondering about something. It seems that keeping a fuel pump primed on an EFI motor is very important so would it be feasible to have the pump pick up fuel from a bottom location instead of from the top that is installed on most tanks.
I realize that you would have to use a valve on the spigot so as to be able to shut the fuel off as needed but it seems that this would eliminate the problem of fuel prime! Could you just have a new spigot installed on the lower portion of the tank and therfore the fuel pump would always have fuel on the intake side of the pump? Any ideas on this would be appreciated.

Best Wishes, Carter

[Techno]

The pumps can pull the suction from the top. The only way a low fitting helps a pump is if the pump is right next to it or low down with the tank.
From the C.G.s view its not exceptable to have a fitting on the bottom of the tank. It also doesn't matter if there is a valve or not. if it leaks then your screwed.


My '68 Vette has a bottom fitting off the tank. the problem with this is any type of leak and the whole tank is emptying. At some time they eliminated this on all cars too. One slight difference is on a car, the fuel line runs below the tank most of the way.

[Rickracer]

If you really want to keep the fuel pump primed, put it in the fuel. 98% of all fuel injected cars use this type of pump. I'm sure you could match the pressure and volume specs you need with a submerged aftermarket pump. :cool:

[Jeff_G]

Bottom feed fuel tanks are illegal in boats and are not CG approved. There are no marine approved in tank fuel pumps. You could be running into some very sticky legal problems.