[TAQuest]

Originally Posted by Skip Fix

Yea my 14 sec 81 TA with a low compression 400 and a Summit 2801 and a Q jet is OK with a stock type fuel pump, but my 78 with a similar 400 only a slightly larger cam was not, and no aftermarket(preRobbMc) mechanicals did the job either. Very combination specific I think.

Right.
That's how I figured it out, had the same combo years ago.
If I can run with one pump so can the OP.
You need to be determined around here or you get drowned out by all the background noise even if you are in the best position of strength to diagnose.

[TAQuest]

Originally Posted by ta man

How fast? Low 13's 100mph?

I have piles and piles of slips from a few tracks here in Michigan.
Only remember the one. The best one.
12.57. 112 mph Street Class
Have most all of my passes on VHS tape.
I want that 428 back!

[Tom Vaught]

Best I ever did in Michigan was 11.57 at 117.
I have driven faster cars and have driven slower cars.
Bill Klausing, in Michigan, years ago had a 4400 pound 1963 station wagon that could run 12.06 with 1.6 60 ft times at Milan Dragway all day long. The car was stolen and I believe never found. That car surprised a lot of Trans Ams and other makes.

Tom V.

[TAQuest]

Originally Posted by Tom Vaught

Best I ever did in Michigan was 11.57 at 117.
I have driven faster cars and have driven slower cars.
Bill Klausing, in Michigan, years ago had a 4400 pound 1963 station wagon that could run 12.06 with 1.6 60 ft times at Milan Dragway all day long. The car was stolen and I believe never found. That car surprised a lot of Trans Ams and other makes.

Tom V.

Street tire class. Makes a difference.

I lined up in pro stock one time. Raced the outfit called HillBilly. Pit crew with uniforms. Semi and trailer with real painted on graphics. He had quite the delay as you can imagine(bracket racing). 69 Chevelle against my 69 Firebird.
I won! The driver came over and shook my hand. Said I made a great run pedaling at the end. I was just a kid. What a rush. That was at the mom and pop track in Lapeer.

[slowbird]

Just fwiw, we've been mid/low 11s at close to 120mph with a mechanical fuel, put an electric pump on and made no difference. BUT the tank was sumped and we had 1/2 fuel line all the way.

[Tom Vaught]

If you have a properly designed sump at the rear of the gas tank, common sense would tell you that on a launch with a 120 mph vehicle you should have quite a slug of fuel helping move that fuel from the tank thru the 1/2" line to the fuel pump at the engine.

What vehicle was this on? Brian

Tom V.

[slowbird]

Originally Posted by Tom Vaught

What vehicle was this on? Brian

Tom V.

The Ventura in sig.

[Formulajones]

I've found with my own racing experiences using stock stuff, that Cliff and the others are pretty much right.

With an OEM fuel system, stock everything, the fastest I've gone is mid 12's at 108-109 mph. Faster than that and I found that upgrades in the fuel system are needed. Fuel pressure starts doing funky things.

Some of the bigger mechanical pumps and bigger lines do help and can work to some degree, but even that can run into a brick wall. Here is a buddy of mine running his bird. RobbMC mechanical pump, 1/2" lines and sumped tank.
Problem he was having at this power level is that from half track onward fuel pressure was dropping to 3 lbs. So even this fuel system wasn't cutting it. This is just a very mild 455 with iron d-port heads self ported, and 9:1 compression with a solid flat tappet cam.

https://youtu.be/TWZBq9aM1bs

He later upgraded to a big electric pump at the rear, removing the mechanical all together to help the situation, Which is pretty much what I found is needed when you start running in this range.

Nowadays I just spend the money and use the Tanks Inc setups with bigger pumps to support the power level in the tank and 1/2" lines to and from and be done with it. It'll support anything you throw at it and have OEM type reliability and quiet operation with no need to piggy back anything.

[Bruce Meyer]

Originally Posted by Formulajones

I've found with my own racing experiences using stock stuff, that Cliff and the others are pretty much right.

With an OEM fuel system, stock everything, the fastest I've gone is mid 12's at 108-109 mph. Faster than that and I found that upgrades in the fuel system are needed. Fuel pressure starts doing funky things.

Some of the bigger mechanical pumps and bigger lines do help and can work to some degree, but even that can run into a brick wall. Here is a buddy of mine running his bird. RobbMC mechanical pump, 1/2" lines and sumped tank.
Problem he was having at this power level is that from half track onward fuel pressure was dropping to 3 lbs. So even this fuel system wasn't cutting it. This is just a very mild 455 with iron d-port heads self ported, and 9:1 compression with a solid flat tappet cam.

https://youtu.be/TWZBq9aM1bs

He later upgraded to a big electric pump at the rear, removing the mechanical all together to help the situation, Which is pretty much what I found is needed when you start running in this range.

Nowadays I just spend the money and use the Tanks Inc setups with bigger pumps to support the power level in the tank and 1/2" lines to and from and be done with it. It'll support anything you throw at it and have OEM type reliability and quiet operation with no need to piggy back anything.

What carb was he using?

[77 TRASHCAN]

Originally Posted by Tom Vaught

Best I ever did in Michigan was 11.57 at 117.
I have driven faster cars and have driven slower cars.
Bill Klausing, in Michigan, years ago had a 4400 pound 1963 station wagon that could run 12.06 with 1.6 60 ft times at Milan Dragway all day long. The car was stolen and I believe never found. That car surprised a lot of Trans Ams and other makes.

Tom V.

Tom,
Tell us a little more about Bill Klausing and his wagon...

[78w72]

Originally Posted by slowbird

Just fwiw, we've been mid/low 11s at close to 120mph with a mechanical fuel, put an electric pump on and made no difference. BUT the tank was sumped and we had 1/2 fuel line all the way.

curious what mech pump was used & what carb? any other basic info, cam, heads, car weight?

["QUICK-SILVER"]

Originally Posted by 77 TRASHCAN

Tell us a little more about Bill Klausing and his wagon...

A little info (very little) and three pics here.
http://www.stationwagon.com/gallery/..._Catalina.html

Clay

[Cliff R]

"Nowadays I just spend the money and use the Tanks Inc setups with bigger pumps to support the power level in the tank and 1/2" lines to and from and be done with it. It'll support anything you throw at it and have OEM type reliability and quiet operation with no need to piggy back anything"

Very good plan there....IMHO.

Sure beats an added fuel cell, or sumping a stock type tank, them mounting a filter/pump behind the tank, and 8AN lines/fittings everywhere with a full return. Why not put the pump in tank where it belongs and push ALL the fuel.......Cliff

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by Bruce Meyer

What carb was he using?

He was running a dominator on it at that time.

Start of the run was fine. If I remember right he set fuel pressure at 7 lbs. But by half track it was 3 lbs. and kind of fluctuating there. So the Robb MC pump wasn't really keeping up, even with 1/2" lines. Kind of surprised the car ran as well as it did with the fuel pressure issue he was having.

He's completely revamped that fuel system now.

[slowbird]

Originally Posted by 78w72

curious what mech pump was used & what carb? any other basic info, cam, heads, car weight?

Carter pump for awhile then Robbmc pump (saw no difference), 850 holley carb. 62 iron heads, 240ish-250ish cam 3550-3600lbs