Racetronix Pump

[AleroB888]

I'm going to repost this, since there seems to be some interest:

(2-18-2009)
After a couple of “limp-home” episodes, I finally got around to installing the Racetronix kit. This one is part # RX-F99-FPA (99-02 LS1 F-Body). I got the wiring harness kit with it, part # RX-F99-FPWH-2, which is discounted when bought as a set. However, I had already upgraded the stock pump wiring, so I’ll use that for the time being.

This is a well thought-out product, as close to plug and play as you’re going to get. It comes with the flex hose already attached, an output for the venturi tube built in, and in-tank adapter harness attached. All you do is remove the sending unit terminal wires from the old plug and install them in the new one, they even give you a paper clip tool to use. They supplied an excellent strainer for the pump itself. I picked up a new one for the outside of the module at Napa. Here’s the kit parts next to the stock ’99 unit:




The only thing I had to improvise on was wrapping a piece of aluminum sheet metal (from a 4 x 10 in. .016 sheet sold at Ace Hardware) around the red “pump jig,” in order to get a tight fit in the canister pump holder (the stock rubber pump sleeve would not work). The hardest part was installing the venturi tube, because it had to go on after the strainer and pump were already in the module. The supplied flex hose was a bit larger than stock, and much shorter, so it should be less restrictive.



First test run tonight was most impressive, did what it was supposed to do. It will be a long time before I take a fuel pump for granted again, though.

[sleepyalero]

Nice i was gonna do that, but milzy suggested a different pump for my build.

[Redog]

My questions are this:

You take the guts of your stock pump, and replace it with the red sleeved thingy?

I read another post about running another power wire. Did you have to do that?

[AleroB888]

Originally Posted by Redog

My questions are this:

You take the guts of your stock pump, and replace it with the red sleeved thingy?

I read another post about running another power wire. Did you have to do that?

Right, and not all the canister/housings are the same, so you may have to make adjustments. Some companies sell hard foam rubber supports to slip over the Walbro, but I thought they might dissolve in the tank eventually or trap heat in the pump, so I wrapped additional sheet metal around the red sleeve provided in the kit to get a snug fit.

The power wire mod is fairly easy to do. I ran a heavy gauge wire from the underhood fuse box terminal to the fuel pump harness near the back of the tank. I placed a relay there triggered by the power wire that normally goes to the pump positive terminal, so that the heavy gauge wire is now switched by it. Then installed a heavy gauge ground wire to the chassis close by.

At some point, GM upgraded the stock pump canister wiring harnesses, so you might also make sure you have that upgrade.

ZZP claimed that they did a wiring upgrade with a stock pump, and got better results than the Walbro did without an upgrade.

No question wiring systems are important. A couple weeks ago, my pump sounded like it was about to fail, and finally it wouldn't kick on at all. Turned out that the extra fuse holder I installed under the hood failed, decided to act like a variable resistor. I had voltage at the pump, but as soon as it tried to start, the voltage dropped to zero. Last thing I would have suspected......