Wanting recommendation on which Fuel Pump to use with a EFI 351/Ranchero

[canadian_ranchero]

The pump is from aeromotive , one of their phantom in tank units. The sender is from classic intsterments , it's one of the tube senders not a swing arm type of sender and they come in different lengths and ohms . The only issue and it really isn't a issue is you have to remove the pick up tube in the tank and remove the the bulkhead fitting on the side of the tank . Once you cut off the top you will spread the sides of the tank out , this will give you more flat area for the pump module . There is room to install the fuel lines with the tank installed but it's easier to install with the tank down . The wagons vent from the gas cap so you really don't need to use the vent on the pump module . I did install a secondary vent rollover valve in the fuel filler tube. There is no problem with fuel line routing and with the wagon tank this is the only place you can install the pump. This is not a inexpensive route to go but it is less than a custom tank and WAY better than a external pump . I know because I have been there and done that

what was wrong with the external pump?i may have to rethink my pump set up

[pepfalcon]

external pumps are prone to overheating with extended use and will sometimes fail. the in tank pumps are considered better, because they are cooled by the fuel in the tank.

[dgasman]

The vent and rollover valve is the same piece and is mounted straight up high in the fender well. there is room to use the vent hole on the module with a 90 an fitting , I did not use it because I already had the fitting in the filler tube . look at tanks inc web sight and you will se the type of valve I used

There should be two bulkhead fittings on your tank ,this is the fitting that the factory fuel line attaches to. the bulkhead fitting on the outer side of the tank need to be removed , if you look closely at the picture you can see the plug that was welded on the side of the tank were the fitting was.

look at your tank and you will see that it kind of tapers to the top , all I did after cutting the top off was to spread the two long sides of the tank top out and made them more square and I just used my hands .

external pumps do work just not as well

1. they do tend to overheat and make noise

2. they do not really pull a vacuum  that is why the need to be close to the tank and mounted low

3. when the fuel level gets below 2/3  full there is more chance that they will starve for fuel because most fuel tanks do not have baffles so there is more fuel slosh and if your going up hills this will make the engine run lean and or stall .

4. if the car is parked for a while with our new blended fuels the pumps will gum up from fuel evaporation and not work any more .

this is just my opinion on external pumps as I have had all of these thing happen to me   

[RICH MUISE]

Excellent detail...thanks for posting all the info.

[KYBlueOval]

Excellent detail...thanks for posting all the info.

What Rich said................X2
Thanks........great detail. You have been a lot of help, and I appreciate it.
John

[KYBlueOval]

This is what I did with a wagon tank

dgasman.......again thank you for sharing this information. I'm leaning towards doing this modification and have a couple of additional questions. As I look inside my reproduction tank through the sender opening, I can see the tubing going from the bulkhead fitting, just below the sender opening, over to the pick up tube connection on the lower front of the tank. When I cut the tank open as you did, could I just cut that tubing out and fill the two hole with a  threaded plug...........thereby avoiding cutting out the threaded openings and welding in a filler patch? My concern is untreated metal ( The two patches and the required welding ) and the rust that I would expect to form in the foreseeable future. Same concern with the panel I'll create to mount the pump and the sender at the top of the tank. Did you treat the inside of the tank after you finished the welding? If so, what did you use?
Thanks
John

[RICH MUISE]

John...I POR-15'd the outside welded areas. Do not por-15 the inside though...the surface is too slick for the por-15 to stick.

[Ford Blue blood]

John,  There are several pretreatments for paint prep that will work very well.  I use a rust "transformer" from Lowes, it is designed to treat rust and mixed 4 - 1 as a pretreatment.  Seal up all the openings in the tank, pour the mixture in, shake, rattle, and roll the tank.  Drain and wash really well with Dawn and rinse again.  I use the wife's OLD blow drier to dry the tank insides as fast as possible.

The replacement panels that I put in the Ranchero need to have the edges sanded back to clean steel before they would weld up cleanly.  They have been subjected to numerous washings and drying cycles with only the treatment on them with not the first sign of rust.

Now having said all of that I expect the insides of the tank will be as resistant to rust as the exposed sheet metal has been.  The Edsel tank is still clean after a year and it had the treatment.

[KYBlueOval]

John...I POR-15'd the outside welded areas. Do not por-15 the inside though...the surface is too slick for the por-15 to stick.

Thanks Rich.............I'll do that to the outside as you suggest.

[KYBlueOval]

John,  There are several pretreatments for paint prep that will work very well.  I use a rust "transformer" from Lowes, it is designed to treat rust and mixed 4 - 1 as a pretreatment.  Seal up all the openings in the tank, pour the mixture in, shake, rattle, and roll the tank.  Drain and wash really well with Dawn and rinse again.  I use the wife's OLD blow drier to dry the tank insides as fast as possible.

The replacement panels that I put in the Ranchero need to have the edges sanded back to clean steel before they would weld up cleanly.  They have been subjected to numerous washings and drying cycles with only the treatment on them with not the first sign of rust.

Now having said all of that I expect the insides of the tank will be as resistant to rust as the exposed sheet metal has been.  The Edsel tank is still clean after a year and it had the treatment.

Thanks for the advice. I have one experience cleaning and painting the inside of the tank on another car I own. The product I used in that tank is from Bill Hirsch and it has done just fine............and that was 20 years ago. Bill Hirsch states that his product is compatible with 100% ethanol or 100% alcohol.........not that I would be using either.
But, I'm always looking for a better product or a better way to do things, so I ask the Forum and always get informative responses like yours and Rich's and dgasman's
Thanks
John

[Ford Blue blood]

His tank sealer is an excellent product.  When I was working cars for other people I used it to seal four tanks with great success. 

I sealed the tank on my 36 in 1980.  Don't remember who's product it was (I think Eastwood) but the tank has been trouble free for all these years.

Given the "lessons learned" over the years I recommend using a metal etching product first, drying the tank with alcohol, and then sealing.