Fuel Flow requirements?

Steve Polhill

Well-Known Member
Jan 31, 2006
1,213
31
48
London Ontario
Our current BG Fuel pump is getting old, So I'm looking for a replacement, But looking around The flow rates of different pumps are all over the place. Whats a good rule of thumb. I've seen Holley pumps the say they will support up to 700 HP but only flow 70 GPH and others that Flow enough to fill a swimming pool. Don't want to buy more pump than I need, but want to make sure I get enough.

The car only runs for 2 minutes at a time, and burns a little under a gallon a run. so by that standard a 30 GPH pump should work, but somehow I have my doubts.
 
Use this equation as a start, then add an appropiate "fudge factor".


Engine HP x BSFC (lb/HP hr) / Fuel Wt (lb/gal)

The fudge factor is used to account for the flow loss due to acceleration (only if your fuel pump is located behind the carb).

Example:

(400 HP x 0.45 BSFC) / (6.5 lb/Gal) = 27.7 gal/hr

In this application I would use a fuel pump that flowed 40-50 gallons per hour AT THE CARB.
 
Aeromotive is a great pump,they support many drag racers too. I have thier pump on my car. Weldon is also a top of the line pump,they mainly build aircraft pumps so they know how to build a good quality,reliable product that lasts a long time.
 
I have been seeing a lot of electric drag cars lately . So I guess we won`t need any pumps . At the rate we are headed now dragracing will be just a memory of the good old days . But for now we need to support the companys that supports us .
 
Fuel pumps have come a long way from the old blue Holley pumps that would not last a whole season. I bet we bought 10 of those. 12 years ago we were testing fuel injection systems , every system that was available , to stop the fuel pressure from dropping when WOT was hit , we had 5 fuel pumps in series which cured it. Ken Dutweiller was working with us through all of the testing , we told him we had multiple pumps and he said he was testing a pump on the dyno , as we speak , it's a Weldon. He was doing work on Hurley's motor (Mark's car) turbo gone mad project , and it worked. Ken sent us one and it is still on the car today , they don't make this model anymore. We have the new model as a spare , but have yet to need it .......it doesn't get much better than that.