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Aeromotive Stealth System Install - Fueling The RiotWe fuel the Purp’s fire, adding a Stealth system from Aeromotive and a one-of-a-kind install from ProFab Performance From the May, 2011 issue of GM High-Tech Performance By Justin Cesler Photography by Courtesy of the Manufacturer, Justin Cesler
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No matter which way you slice it, horsepower ultimately comes from fuel. All of the trick camshafts, cylinder heads, intake manifolds, and stroker kits in the world can’t do anything for you without fuel, as it is the crucial part of the combustion process that actually brings any energy to the equation. Without fuel, we’re just pumping air and sitting still, which is no fun at all. Why is it then that fuel systems are usually one of the last things enthusiasts consider during a build? We hear it all the time, guys running cars with $10,000 worth of forced induction bits and 100 bucks worth of hacked up fuel pumps sourced from junkyards or the lowest seller on Craigslist. When it came time to address the fuel system in the Purp, we definitely didn’t want to fall into the trap of patching a system together, fighting it for months, and then finally giving up and starting all over--a scenario all of us can relate to in one way or another and one which always ends up costing twice as much in the long run when compared to just doing it right the first time. With our all-or-nothing approach, we decided to give the fuel experts at Aeromotive a call to see what they had in mind for our project. As you know, making huge power is nothing new to Aeromotive, a company who has been in this game for years and builds everything in-house, right here in the United States, but what you may not know is how far the company has come since the good old days of the original A1000 pump. First and foremost, Aeromotive needed to know our goals and our current combination. If you recall, the Purp’s 451 cubic-inch LSX made 720 hp on the engine dyno, which tells us that it can easily make close to 1,000 hp in the future, if and when Editor Parker mans up and decides to actually spray it. So, to be safe, we told Jesse Powell at Aeromotive we needed enough fuel pump to support 1,200 hp (hey, we told you we don’t want to do this twice!), to which he replied, "no problem." A couple of days later, we had a plethora of fuel system parts in hand, including Aeromotive’s 6-gallon Stealth fuel cell, which features a trick in-tank Eliminator fuel pump and all of the feed, return, and vent fittings we would need to install it easily and safely. To bring fuel from the rear of the Purp to the front, Aeromotive sent a variety of fittings and braided hose, along with a Pro-Series regulator capable of supporting up to 2,000 hp thanks to its large -10AN and -8AN orifices. To make everything work, we booked a trip to see Matt LaRue at ProFab Performance, who has been our lead fabricator and builder on the Purp since day one. Little did we know that Matt had some really innovative ideas planned for the fuel system install, many of which you can see on the following pages. In the end, we managed to get a little closer to finally hearing the Purp fire up and we left confident that once it does finally run, it wouldn’t have any issues making it down the track under full power!  [1]Fuel is the lifeblood of...  [1]Fuel is the lifeblood of any project, although it is often one of the most neglected systems in any build. For the Purp, we went all out and ordered a complete system from the masters of fuel at Aeromotive. What you see here is the company’s new Stealth Eliminator fuel cell, a Pro-Series regulator, a pair of LS7 fuel rails, and just some of the -10AN line required to hook everything up.  [2]While the Purp certainly...  [2]While the Purp certainly needs a lot of fuel flow, it doesn’t need a large capacity, since it won’t see a lot of street time. To help save weight and space, we chose to run a 6-gallon Stealth fuel cell (PN 18667) from Aeromotive, which features an internally mounted Eliminator pump, a 100-micron filter, two -8AN vents, a -8AN return, and a large -10AN feed.  [3]That’s right, the Eliminator...  [3]That’s right, the Eliminator fuel pump is actually built right into the Stealth fuel cell, which simplifies the installation and gives racers and builders no excuse for shoddy fuel system installs or questionable pump/filter mounting locations.  [4]Here you can see the internal...  [4]Here you can see the internal structure of the Stealth fuel cell, which is intelligently designed with integral baffling to keep fuel directly under the filtered pickup point, eliminating fuel slosh and reducing the likelihood of fuel pump starvation under acceleration.  [5]The Eliminator is a serious...  [5]The Eliminator is a serious pump, and a quick look at its flow chart reveals why we chose it for this application. Running at 58 psi, the Eliminator flows roughly 820 lbs/hr at 12 volts, which is more than enough to support our 720hp, 451 cubic-inch LSX, even if (when) we decide to hit it with some nitrous later on ...  [6]To control all of this...  [6]To control all of this fuel flow, we need a serious regulator. Enter the Pro-Series EFI regulator from Aeromotive (PN 13110), which is capable of supporting up to 2,000 hp and is fully adjustable from 30 to 60 psi. As you can see, it has three -8 inlet ports, one -10 inlet port, and one -10 return, which gives us the option to run both rails to the regulator separately and add a separate nitrous system feed port, with room to spare.  [7]Clean fuel is good fuel!...  [7]Clean fuel is good fuel! Aeromotive recommends using a quality filter in every system and so do we. While the tank has a 100-micron unit built in, we are also going to run a 100-micron Pro Series -12 filter (PN 12302). Like almost everything else in this system, the filter is good to 2,000-plus horsepower and uses replaceable elements, to help keep our system clean for years to come.  [8]Whether you have built...  [8]Whether you have built a hundred fuel systems or you are planning your very first one, understand this golden rule: You will never, ever have enough fittings. There will, no doubt, always be at least one missing, incorrect, or just plain wrong fitting, so plan accordingly. We planned ahead, ordered extra, and still had to overnight a couple to get us going, so don’t feel bad when it happens to you!  [9]OK, so you’ve seen the...  [9]OK, so you’ve seen the system, now let’s get to the install. Originally, we had planned to use the T-top well in the Purp but weren’t sure if any cell, even a small one, would fit without modifications...
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