5/16” fuel line HP limits?

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enigma57
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Re: 5/16” fuel line HP limits?

Post by enigma57 »

This is the Pontiac engine I built in '78 - '79 after my GTO ragtop was totaled. Swapped it into a '56 Chevy along with the Muncie 4-speed from my goat. '56 Chevies have 5/16" dia. fuel line as OEM......

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Engine was a 400 Pontiac running reworked 428 big valve heads, Sig Erson cam.

In '79, added a '66 tri-power intake modified to mount larger 440 Dodge 6-Pack Holley carbs. These were the performance replacement carbs sold by Dodge dealers over the counter to replace the factory installed vacuum secondary carbs. These carbs had the smaller square fuel bowls and unlike the OEM tri-power, all 3 carbs had metering pates and accelerator pumps. Essentially, it was the same as a mechanical secondary 4bbl carb versus a vacuum secondary 4bbl, except that in this case, the 2 end carbs acted as mechanical secondaries and each of them were 500 cfm, whilst the primary center carb was 355 cfm (1355 cfm at 2bbl rating or 958 cfm at 4bbl rating).

After these photos were taken...... Solved a fuel starvation problem when the end carbs were kicked open...... Pulled the fuel lines to the carbs and made up a long fuel log from 3/4" dia. stainless tubing similar to the ones used on early '60s 406 Ford tri-power engines with similar carburettors......

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Ford FE Tri-power

...... And replaced the 5/16" fuel line from the fuel tank with 3/8" along with adding a 3/8" fuel pickup and float assembly for a '57 Chevy dual quad or FI engine. Retained stock Pontiac mechanical fuel pump...... No more fuel delivery problems.

Happy Motoring,

Harry
cjperformance
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Re: 5/16” fuel line HP limits?

Post by cjperformance »

Reliably for WOT runs to max rpm thru 1st & 2nd on the street (so long as the speed limit allows !! :lol: ) Imo its around 300/320hp. This would be in the average vehicle with rear mount tank and all the twists and bends associated with that and running only a stock type mech fuel pump typical to most early carbed V8 engines.

Often 'little' tuning 'issues' that people have will come back to not holding correct bowl level and they dont even realise!

Yes some system/pump combos will do better.
BUT , so many times around that HP or higher you will get most way thru 2nd gear or maybe just into 3rd and the carb runs out of fuel, then miss, detonation, white smoke, etc. No good!

A better mech pump may improve it but in hot weather (vapour bubbles) or just a few more rpm the problem is still there.

A small quiet pusher pump at the tank end can help a lot also. Usually moreso than a bigger mech pump in the case of a small line.

A 3/8" line makes a big difference and even if you cant/dont upgrade the pickup pipe in the tank, stepping up the worst of the bent/curved pipe to 3/8" will do the trick if your 5/16" 'only just' cant manage.

That said, in the time it takes you to ponder this thread , you could have upgraded the entire line to 3/8" or whatever and have no issue at all !
Craig.
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Re: 5/16” fuel line HP limits?

Post by kimosabi »

BOOT wrote: Mon Jan 01, 2018 3:02 pm Need to know the style of pump. An option would be a surge tank.
Works wonders. A surge tank with an electric submerged pump inside I have no problems feeding a 500hp engine. Still using the stock 5/16 fuel lines from tank to engine bay. Been flat out for way longer than a 1/4 mile and no problems.
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Re: 5/16” fuel line HP limits?

Post by mag2555 »

Can't really put a answer to this question with out knowing how many bends there are in your stock fuel line and what level of G forces you can attain at launch and what sizecid motor that line is feeding!
If it where me and I was making 425 hp or more I would be concerned!
You can cut a man's tongue from his mouth, but that does not mean he’s a liar, it just shows that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
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Re: 5/16” fuel line HP limits?

Post by amc fan »

Steel and copper tubing size indicates the outside diameter. To find the actual inside diameter,subtract two times the wall thickness from the tube size quoted. AN wire braided hose corresponds to tubing in nominal size, i.e.-3/4"tube=#12 hose,but has an i.d.of 3/4". Flow velocity through a tube varies as the square of the inside diameter.Doubling the inside diameter increases the area four times. Placing the AN number over 16 gives you the size of the i.d. of the hose. example 10 AN = 10/16 or 5/8" id, 12 AN= 12/16 =3/4" and so on.
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