Thread: Fuel system plumbing schematic

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All, I am looking for a plumbing diagram of a typical street rod fuel system. Small block, normally aspirated, stock fuel tank nothing fancy. Typical configurations.

• fuel filter?
• vent requirements?
• no return line?
• electric fuel pump?
• roll-over value?

http://images.google.com/images?q=fu...num=1&ct=title

Shawnlee28, Thanks for the response but I am with 29arod in seeking a simple picture. I think I have been pretty inventive adapting stuff to fiberglass but the fuel system is given me fits mainly because I have great respect for flammable liquids. I have a Rockville 13 gallon tank in the shape and position of the '29 rumble seat which I have shown before and yesterday I chatted with one of the helpful tech guys at Speedway who has a highboy with a ten gallon tank behind the seat and uses simple tubing from the top of the tank down to the fuel pump. I want a cutoff valve so I guess I have to bend some hard line. If anyone has pictures of the fitting from the tank to a SBC fuel pump I would also like to see them.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Check here for some great pics of Deuce's project, very good pics of fuel line, filter, etc. Hope this helps. Be sure to thank Deuce for the pics.



Mike

Thanks, that helps.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Wow, quite a few diagrams...thanks. One question do I need a return line? The gas tank I am using does not have a location for one.

If you have a carb, you usually do not need a return fuel line. You do need one if you have fuel injection.

If you run a fuel filter between the tank and pump, don't forget to install a shutoff valve before the filter so you can service the filter!!!!

I readily admit I am going slow not always knowing what I am doing but I bet I could do the stuff I already did a lot faster a second time. Anyway I am doing what Dave just said with a cutoff valve from Earl's and a spin-on filter from Speedway. But for what it is worth I am using steel brake line and to my surprise the 3/8" fittings are different from 3/8" pipe threads so what that means is that every link to the tank, on both sides of the valve and both sides of the filter I need the brass adapter fittings between the brakeline and the pipe threads. No big deal since the brass fittings are less than $4 each but it was a surprise to me that there is more than one type of 3/8" fittings, but I guess most of you know that. Like 29arod I just want a simple safe line from the tank to the fuel pump. I do have a tip-over valve with a vent hose that I got from Speedway and it fit the bung in the tank with no problem. I do have an electric solenoid cutoff valve but I think I will leave that for a possible insertion in the line between the fuel pump and the carb if necessary. Along the way I have had several discussions with the tech guy at Rockville about the fill tube in my tank which is welded to the bottom of the tank and comes out on the top. He says that makes it less likely to set up a siphon since the tube goes to the bottom and comes out the top as compared to a bung coming right out of the bottom but to me that is what a siphon does. As long as the outlet is lower than the inlet a siphon should work as long as there is no bubble in the tube but maybe there is a limit to how how high the hump is in between? I do see that if the outlet comes straight out of the bottom the weight of the fuel will tend to push fuel down the line and if the carb is lower it will overflow so if the outlet tube sucks at the bottom but comes out the top the fuel flow will be determined by the draw of the fuel pump but maybe there can be siphoning even when the outlet is at the top if the level in the tank is above the carb inlet? I suppose it comes down to the check valves in the carb. For simplicity I will leave out the solenoid cutoff valve but if I get siphoning I can insert the solenoid valve between the fuel pump and the carb. I recall some discussion about aluminum versus steel fuel line but for me it is easiest to to use steel brake line and the local Car Quest shop said a lot of folks use brake line for fuel line, but as I said above that means using the 3/8"-to-3/8" adapters. By the way the steel lines are NOT easy to bend, would aluminum tubing be easier for the necessary bends? Sorry to pester you guys with my inexperience but thanks for all the help I have received so far.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Aluminum tubing is much easier to bend and to flare.....