4.3 TBI in wagon?

[SRD art]

Ben, the "IROC wagon project" page 10 might be interesting to you.

Doug

Hey Doug, I saw the one Bulldawg did with the Monte Nosa but he didn't give any detail on how they modified the sending unit and he told me that they had problems with the pump assy on the power tour. I'd like to avoid that.

I didn't see an Iroc wagon thread, am I looking in the wrong place?

 

[87 GN]

Or has anyone done an in tank electric pump conversion on a wagon?

I made my own in a rush out if a grand national sending unit. Was not pretty gas gauge didn't work to well but it served its purpose at the time



I do not have any pictures of the new set up but after the restorations complete it will have a 94 chevy astro sender in it with an electric pump. Its the perfect hanger to work with the depth, gas gauge, elect pump. I had to clock it a bit on the trial installation but its easy to do. Locked in is faces a different position then the wagons sender but it clocks with no problems. The issue I had is the astro has an extra 5/8" evap line in the sender. I am not yet sure how I am going to get around it I'll probably knock it off an weld up the hole. This has to be removed it hits the floor due to its size other then that its a pretty painless set up works like factory...

 

[motorheadmike]

http://ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-h ... st17922394

 

[SRD art]

http://ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-hybrids/1670693-1980-pontiac-lemans-station-wagon-2.html#post17922394

Thanks everyone for the input.

That's exactly what the Dr. Ordered Mike! Bad butt wagon you've got by the way!

I found the sending unit on ebay for as low as $48. Couple of questions-

Is the largest tube for a fuel filler drain back and the one you welded shut?

Almost looks like you simply used a cutter disc on a 4" grinder to make the hole for the return line? (circled in green)

So basically everything was the right length as is to get the mesh screen close to the bottom of the tank?

How's it working out, is the car running and all?

Thanks again for posting this is great info.

 

[oldtinsmith]

Here you go Ben:
https://gbodyforum.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... CFugW3Qup0

Doug

 

[clean8485]

I believe that there is another member on this site, that goes by the name of AndrewMrChevy, or something similiar, who performed a 4.3CPI swap into a Malibu wagon. I believe that he used an Astro van tank unit on the station wagon fuel tank, and adjusted how the tank unit is positioned in the tank, so that the fuel lines would line up correctly to the car. If I remember correctly, he was stationed in Korea. Hope this helps.

 

[ssn696]

Time to 'fess up - I have small kids, dreams, and no time except to surf and set my Visa card on fire. Here is the $250 photo set to help you on your way:

Spectra wagon fuel tank (Made in Canada - yaay!) for a 1980 Malibu wagon Part # GM704A $155.79 (with filler neck)
Airtex fuel pump - TBI (40psi) or TPI (65 psi) these are the same shape so should be interchangeable
Airtex fuel 'sock'
Spectra fuel sending unit (box says 'Keystone' - Made in China - booo!) for a 1994 Astro 4.3L V6 #FG8A $ 48.79

Looking down at the top of the tank, the filler neck is about the 10 o'clock position. There are two locating tabs on the sending unit. There are two matching slots in the tank ring. If you 'obey', the sender is aligned with the plumbing pointing towards 5 o'clock. If, however, you cut off the locating tab closest to the giant 5/8" vent hose (this is where the tank vents through a hose back up to the filler neck in the Astro) you can rotate the sender 60 degrees counter-clockwise and drop the other tab into the locking slot. Now the plumbing points toward the front of the car, as with the OEM sender. There is still plenty of room for the fuel level float in this position. There is a rubber O-ring and a locking collar included in the tank and sender boxes. I suspect one tab will be enough to hold the sender in place. The two tubes with O-rings are for the fuel supply and return (fuel cycles in a loop in EFI apps to handle variations in fuel demand - excess fuel goes back to the tank). The 'normal' looking small tube is goes to the evaporative charcoal canister (that thing you tore off years ago from the left front fenderwell.) The 5/8" vent connection can probably just be capped off with no impact.

Inside the tank, there is an anti-siphon baffle - this could be a useful place to drill two holes and rivet in a short perforated box under the sender to act as a baffle to keep sloshing fuel from uncovering the pump inlet at low tank levels.

Oh, and if you're still reading, I've read several postings about replacement tanks where the filler neck does not line up. The neck on my tank stuck out of the top of the shipping box - a convenient carrying handle for those overworked UPS drivers - I suspect that is how they rarely align properly without 'persuasion'.

I bought this whole setup after reading about it on the Forum. Now I am undecided about putting the Ram Jet 350 in the coupe or the wagon. I have EFI senders for both options.

 

[ssn696]

Forget to add that the parts came from RockAuto.com.

 

[SRD art]

Thanks a ton for the detailed description! I bought a new tank a couple years ago so this should be an easy install, no 30 years of junk built up on everything.

My filler neck didn't line up but I simply pulled on it a couple times in the direction it needed to go and it lined up perfect.

I'm going with a low pressure TBI pump for now with my carb'd traditional small block. I can use a regulator to dial it down to 7 lbs. and on doen the road if I want to go ahead and swap an LS all I do is swap the pump.

I'm seeing about 35 gph on tbi pumps. Anybody have any fun ideas for a brand of factory style in tank pump that has low pressure and high volume?

 

[ssn696]

TBIchips.com has some good data.