FD fuel pickup - solutions?
 

Around 1/4-1/2 tank I end up getting all kinds of starvation on the course as most 3rd gen drivers do. I was wondering if anyone has really solved the problem? Another owner told me to just run with 3/4 all the time and there was nothing I could do about it. Now that doesn't seem like any fun. So has anyone beat this?


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'93 R1

Only way I know is to:

A) keep the tank full
or
B) use a surge tank
or
C) use a foam filled fuel cell

yeah with what I'm willing to spend I guess I'll just keep running close to full tank.

The surge idea sounds interesting though, I might look into that.

Thanks man

The only problem with surge tank is it might change the class you are in and u might have to run in MOD, at least that's the way up here in Canada.

94's have different fuel tank baffles, you could try one. Also some people have had better luck with different pumps or changing the location of the pump. My slosh problems got much better when I installed a Walbro pump and lowered it a bit. Do you use the stock pump?

Wade

I know in Erik Strelnieks's case, the 94 tank with different baffles did not solve his pickup problem.

Yeah the fuel system is all stock, was thinking of going to a better pump but figured that alone wouldn't really help. Did you lower the whole pump itself or the pickup?

Fuel slosh sucks. I just had it today going around a hard left at around 40% of a tank. Every time it happens I think I've blown my motor!

I was thinking of putting in a 94 tank also, but after reading DamonB's comments, I'm not sure what to do now :(

Would it be possible to make some sort of baffle that goes around the whole pump assembly to trap fuel in there?

Brian

I have a 94 Stock fuel tank in my 94FD and I have sloshing problems. Don't waste your time with a 94 tank. Look into a fuel cell, foam or a surge tank. Or do what I do, run with a full tank. The extra weight hasn't hurt my times autocrossing at all. In fact some of my best times have been with a passenger.

Yeah, running with full tank doesn't seem to be hurting my times all that much, but i just like the way the car sets under braking when the tank is around a 1/4 full. Feels llike the car rotates better on entry with the rear lightened up a little.

Oh well, thanks for the advice, I'll let you know if i find anything new.

Im surprised you get fuel slosh in a R1. They have a different tank design then the rest of the models. Only sure fire way to be safe is to run as much fuel as you can.

Ernie: I don't know if your R1 comment was for Buzzfish or me... but mine is an R1 too, and I have gotten the fuel slosh problem about 3 times so far... :(

B

I don't think that switching to a 94 tank will fix slosh problems, I just think it is worth looking into, esp in combination with a different pump location or pickup.

Someone talk to Lou Young, last I heard he wasn't having fuel pickup problems any more after switching to the Walbro pump and making sure it sits as low as possible in the tank. He had major pickup problems with the Bosch pump. If he still isn't having problems, doing what he did might be the easiest solution.

This is something else to consider, I'm sure there are others who have pickup problems caused by an upgrade pump having a bad pickup or not sitting low enough.

Wade

Another thing, I recently heard from a guy who starting having worse and worse fuel slosh problems in his stock fuel system FD. He later found out the stock sock was collapsing when fuel was lower, he cleaned it well and it fixed his problems.

Also, at one point turbojeff was working on a new baffle solution. His Turbo II race car never had pickup problems so I think he was going to design an FD baffle that was more like the Turbo II baffle.

Wade