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Blazer - Carb to TPI (Pics and Questions Inside)

noahrob

noahrob

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OK, this was my first question, but since I will inevitably have more, I thought I would at least pay the brotherhood a little respect and provide some pics...as always, any and all input is greatly appreciated.

Hi,

I am in the process of putting a 1987 TPI engine into my 1973 Blazer. I am going to run a new 3/8 inch hard line for the fuel and use high pressure soft line where I need to connect it. I was going to use my old sending line as my retrun line since it is not under the high pressure (I will replace all the soft line as good measure). I was originally just going to run an external fuel pump on the frame rail and use my exisiting tank and sending unit and tap the return line into the gas filler tube neck, but then I came across this...has anybody used it? I talked to Lee over there and he was really cool. I like the idea of the tray on the bottom to keep the fuel from running away since there are no baffles...any input?

http://www.tanksinc.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=84/category_id=61/home_id=61/mode=prod/prd84.htm

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That's interesting! Will it be low enough in your tank? Running the return into the filler neck may cause a lot of airiation of the fuel which may be a problem when you run low on fuel.
 
Looks intriguiging(SP?) to me. If it truly takes no tank mods, I don't see a downside, except if the pumps are non-standard (not common OEM, are Walbro's at every corner?) and you had to replace one.

In too much of a hurry to do much more looking at it, but price seems reasonable compared to the stock senders and pumps.
 
The neck is adjustable from 7" to 10.5" so it will fit in my 25 gallon tank at 10.75". Ther eis some modificaiton to that tank, you need to cut a 4.5" hole in the top of the tank and drill 16 holes, but that's not that big of a deal. The original sending unit stays in the tank so that the gas gauge works but the sending and vent lines can just be crimped. Also, I think you can get an AC Delco pump instead of the Walbro (which the Thirdgen.org guys seem to like)...

In the end, I think I will either do this or just run an external Airtrix pump for now and see how that works out...Could always build a cool little surge tank...

As always, any feedback is welcome!
 
I installed a TPI setup about 7 years ago on a 1976 blazer and i used the factory tank an added a fuel return line that went all the way to the bottom of the tank and was directly over the pickup sock on the pump. I could run the tank past empty with no troubles at all of fuel starvation. It didn't matter if i was going up hill, down hill, or making a hard turn in either direction it never once stalled on me from fuel starvation. I used a frame mounted fuel pump as close to the tank as possible. I actually had it mount between the frame and the tank on the passeneger side frame rail. I would have done it differently if i had to do it all over again because if the pump goes bad then i would have to pull the tank. Other than that it worked perfectly.
 
Thanks man, you are a plethera of useful information, thanks for always taking the time to post your experience.
 
No problem brother. That's what this site is supposed to be all about. I may not always be correct or completely correct but most of the time when i post a response it is fairly accurate. Kinda helps that i've been playing with vehicles for 28 years nows and mostly all Chevy's
 
Ok, so for the sake of simplicity, I am going to run an Airtex external pump and retun the fuel to the filler neck. I will use a 90 down tube like this in the filler neck...

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=MOR%2D65385&N=700+%2D169253+115&autoview=sku


but make my own as I can add a little bung and a 3/8 tube without much effort...

My tank already has two vent tubes, one to the filler neck and one to the carcoal canister (although the canister has disappeared). I will run new hard line for the sending line and use my old sending line as the return line.
 
If i were you i would drop the tank and have someone weld a return line into the tank (or sender) that goes all the way to the bottom and returns the fuel directly at the pick-up sock. This is what will help or virtually eliminate any fuel starvation on a low tank of fuel or on hard corners or off camber situations.

There's nothing better than returning the fuel to the exact point of fuel pick-up. I had a camaro TPI gas tank that i was working with and they don't have any baffles in them and this is exactly how GM did it in the camaro tank.
 
I can see how having the return line go down to the sock would help, but if the return line were welded into the tank, say on the top, or side, in my mind it would be the same as fuel running down the filler neck to the tank.
 
noahrob said:
I can see how having the return line go down to the sock would help, but if the return line were welded into the tank, say on the top, or side, in my mind it would be the same as fuel running down the filler neck to the tank.
Click to expand...

No, i think you're missing my point. Figure out where exactly in the tank the pick-up sock is then drill a hole for a return line then insert a fuel line that goes ALL the way down until it almost touches the sock then weld it to the tank. This way the return fuel is dropping back right ON the sock.
 
Is the vacuum ftting on the bottom side of the top plenum in the back...#2 picture, but not that easy to see...Measured my headers today and I think I will use the long tube headers even though I have to weld in a bung for the o2 sensor...
 
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In the #2 pic what you're looking at there is the manifold air temp sensor. The brake booster fitting is point toward the firewall and down slightly on the driver side rear of the top plenum. There is a possibilty that someone has plugged it but most cars run power brakes so maybe the fitting is missing and there is an open hole back there.
 
I swaer, I am not usually this retarded...well, ok, maybe I am usually this retarded, but this is still pretty freakin embarrasing...
 
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I would normally take a pic for you but i don't currently have a top plenum for a TPI. Any possibility of putting a mirror behind the plenum and taking a pic for me? You could see it easily then.
 
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