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Fueling MaxStreet Part II: Creating The Infinite Loop

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It’s been a busy year in the powerTV garage, what with several ongoing project cars and even a couple of new additions to the shop, but rest assured muscle car fans that we’re still plugging away with our wicked Project MaxStreet ’67 Chevy II [2]. When we last checked in on our progress on MaxStreet, we introduced you to our complete aftermarket fuel system, utilizing components from manufacturers including FAST [3], Aeroquip [4], and Rick’s Tanks [5] to complete the first phase of our fuel system installation [6]. Today, we’re going to deliver you the second part of the fuel system install, as we complete the loop and get one step closer to filling the tank and rolling our Chevy II out the back door.

Taking A look Back

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Our complete fuel system laid out prior to the first part of our installation process, including a stainless tank from Rick’s Tanks, and entire fuel system (pump, Y-block, regulator, pre filter and post filter) from FAST, and Startlite hoses and fitting from Aeroquip.

For a little refresher or to get our newer readers up to speed on where we stand with the fuel system on MaxStreet, let’s take a look back at the first half of the buildup and what’s left to complete the system.

Going between the framerails of the Chevy II is a 555 cubic inch bullet, originally built by renowned engine builder and drag racing champion Pat Musi, as part of a Musi/Edelbrock conglomerate. With internal components such as low compression JE Pistons, a custom grind camshaft from COMP Cams [8], Edelbrock’s [9] new XT heads, and an F2 ProCharger [10] added the mix, we’re looking to produce in the neighborhood of 1,000 horsepower from this beast. That kind of power takes some serious hydration, and so our good friends at FAST supplied us with a complete fuel system kit, including a fuel pump, fuel regulator, Y-block, and both pre and post filters.

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This time around, we’ll be focusing our attention on the Y-block and fuel regulator that come as part of the FAST 1,200 HP fuel system kit. Both of these parts are based on original designs from the team at Aeromotive.

Complete 1,200 HP Fuel system Kit – Part # 307501
• Kit includes fuel pump, pre-filter, post-filter, Y-block and fuel regulator, along with system fittings and wiring harness

Fuel Pump
• Features “dual chamber” pumping mechanism
• Designed for high horsepower EFI or carbureted applications
• Fully submersible for custom in-tank installation
• RB-12 inlet port and ORB-10 outlet port
• Based on Aeromotive’s popular “Eliminator” pump

Regulator
• Base pressure adjustable from 30-60 psi
• Auxiliary ports available for nitrous applications, pressure gauges, and transducers
• Nearly indestructible electroless nickel-plating finish
• Includes two boost line adapters: one barbed for rubber hose, the other for AN-04 braided line

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In part one of our fuel system install, we showed you our brand new fuel tank from Rick’s Tanks, which bolts into the stock location using the stock hangars. We’ve run -12 hose to the pre filter mounted to the side of the tank, then -12 to the pump and from the pump to the post filter. We concluded that article by routing our -10 supply and return lines down the length of the undercarriage of the car.

Of course, you can’t have a fuel system without a fuel tank, and for that, we teamed up with Hector Guerrero and the team at Rick’s Stainless Tanks to set us up with an incredibly slick-looking and high quality hand-fabricated tank designed specifically for the Nova/Chevy II.

Rick’s Tank Chevy II Sump-Style Fuel Tank – Part # 4031
• Fabricated and welded by hand
• Constructed from food grade 304 stainless steel that won’t rust
• Sump-style design
• Outfitted with -12 outlet and -10 inlet fittings (1/2″ fittings are standard)
• 15 gallon, OEM replacement tank uses factory mounting points
Note: this particular tank has been custom-fitted with a sending unit from Rick’s, Part #SU090

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As you learned in our previous article on MaxStreet's fuel system, we're utilizing these sharp-looking black Startlite hoses and fittings from Aeroquip to give our Chevy II a great appearance under the hood. To complete our fuel system install, we'll be utilizing -8 line and fittings from our Y-block to the fuel rails and from the fuel rails back to the regulator.

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Aeroquip Reusable Aluminum Fittings:
• One-piece design
• Designed to be re-used without damage to the fitting
• Easier to install than cutter-style fittings
• Compression style designed specifically for performance applications
• No seal is broken between nipple and tube when swiveled due to nipple design

Finally, we have to route all of this fuel somehow, and for that, we called upon Aeroquip for a set of their black AN fittings and Startlite Racing hose. Designed with racing and durability in mind, these hoses are 45% lighter than comparable steel braided hoses. Add to that, the aesthetics of the hose and fittings are superb, with a sinister, all-black look.

“The Startlite is a direct replacement for not only OEM fuel hoses, transmission lines, and general purpose lines, but it’s also a great replacement for steel braided hoses, as well. This product is half the weight of a classic steel braided hose,” explains Aeroquip’s Eric Durrant. “One of the great things about the Starlite hose is that it’s so easy to work with compared to steel braided hose. You can literally cut it with a knife or a sharp pair of scissors right at the application. You don’t need to tape it up and cut it up with a hacksaw, circular saw, or anything like that. And it also has a superb bend radius for flexibility purposes.”

Aeroquip Starlite Hose Specifications:
• Black appearance provides a stylish look
• Fireproof, Nomex/Kevlar cover
• 45% lighter than steel braided hoses
• Can be cut with a hand tool for easy plumbing
• Handles up to 20 In/Hg

When we performed the first phase of our fuel system installation, the Musi/Edelbrock 555 was still being re-built at Pacific Performance [19] for boosted EFI conversion, and so without an engine, we had to stop short of installing the complete system.

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To get started, we need to do a little prep work to size and assemble all of our hoses and fittings from Aeroquip. After measuring our Startlite hose to make sure we have the desired length, we cleanly cut and trim the line. From there, we fit the hose snugly to the AN fitting collar and use the proper lubricant when screwing the AN fitting to the collar. If you wish, you can also soak the hoses in hot water for several minutes before connecting them to the fittings, helping to expand line. The water can then serve as a lubricant. As always, WD-40 works, as well.

In that previous update, we removed the OEM fuel tank and bolted the new tank from Rick’s up into the factory location. Then, we mounted the FAST fuel pump under the car, between the fuel tank and the rear sway bar, with -12 hose running from the tank to the 10 micron pre filter mounted to the side of the tank and -12 to the inlet of the fuel pump. From there, we utilized -10 line from the pump along the passenger’s side frame rail to the engine compartment, where it would eventually be connected to the Y-block. While under the car, we also went ahead and saved ourselves time at a later date by routing the return line, also along the right frame rail and subframe connectors back to the inlet on the front side of the fuel tank.

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Sidebar title

Y-Blocked Out

Both in the name of using space wisely and maintaining a neat, clean appearance, we chose to mount our FAST Y-block on the wheel well wide of the Chassisworks inner fender panels and then routed the lines through a pair of bulkheads to the fuel rails.

Coming Full Circle

Our 555 recently returned from Pacific Performance [19] ready to stretch its legs, and once dropped down into place in the engine bay and the the headers and other components installed, we were able to get a much better idea of the overall layout and available space under the hood to position our Y-block, fuel regulator, and supply and return lines. Of course along with space, you want to make sure the lines won’t contact any moving or hot parts, so we had to put the whole process on hold until the engine was in the car.

In another of our previous articles on Project MaxStreet [25], we walked you through the entire installation process of our new G-machine subframe kit from Chris Alston’s Chassisworks, complete with a pair of aluminum inner fender panels that really gave the engine compartment a nice, clean look that seals everything away from the suspension, wheels, and brakes. To keep that clean look in effect, we chose to mount the Y-block on the outside (wheel well side) of the inner fender panels on the passenger side of the car.

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To run our -8 feed lines into the engine compartment, we cut a pair of holes in the Chassisworks inner fender panels and fitted a pair of straight bulkheads. The lines connect from the Y-block to the outer side of these bulkheads and from the inner side to the front of the Edelbrock fuel rails.

From there, two holes were cut in the aluminum inner fender panel to feed the two lines from the Y-block through via a pair of bulkheads that we made to fit snugly into the panels. As you can see in the images, we currently have two straight bulkheads, both of which will be swapped out for a pair of 90-degree pieces before we button this project up. Two -8 Aeroquip lines then run from our bulkheads in the inner fender panel to the fuel rails that are situated atop our Edelbrock Victor Jr. manifold.

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In the above photos, you can see the FAST fuel regulator mounted to a tab that was fabricated and welded to the upper strut bar. The two -8 lines from the rear of the fuel rails run to the opposing regulator inlets. The regulator reduces our return line down a single -10, which you can see exiting out of the inner fender panel (bottom right) on its path back to the fuel return inlet on the fuel tank.

The fuel regulator has also been mounted on the passenger side of MaxStreet, inside the engine compartment on the front strut bar. A bracket was fabricated and tig-welded onto the strut bar to create the rigid mount for the regulator. With that in place, the two -8 lines exiting out the rear of the fuel rails are routed to the regulator inlets. From that point, the regulator reduces the return down to the single -10 line that we had previously installed that runs back out through a third hole in the inner fender panel, through the firewall, and down through the firewall to the return inlet on the tank, routed along the passenger side framerail.

Thus, our long-awaited fuel system installation has come full circle. We’ve still got a lot of work to do to get Project MaxStreet in fighting condition, but the completion of our fuel system checks one of our larger tasks off the list and brings us another step closer to signing off on this project that’s been a ball to be a part of.

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Here you can see the end product of our work on the fuel system for MaxStreet, with our fuel lines cleanly routed into and out of the engine compartment and out of the way of moving or hot components.