EFI Fuel Pumps - Choice ?

[Sandy]

The heat of the solenoid should have little affect depending on the style, think about that most EFI pumps (In tank and External) use the fuel to cool the motor. The SX Performance pump as well as the Aeromotives draw in the 10-12amp range so fuel is getting that heat as well as the round trip latent heat from the manifold, rails, etc. So how much heat does the solenoid create, probabally not all that much in the grand scheme of things. Also depending on which type of solenoid (3way for example) they are only on for one side of the tank (Not true for the singe flow thru types...).

I'm inches away from going with the Andir valve, but still would like to see the Kinsler 3way

2Cents from my end for sure!

Sandy

 

[Chris Duncan]

""Do you have a shot of the 3 Way valve?""

Camera indisposed at the moment and this thing is already buried, won't make a good pic anyway.

The valve is about 3-3/4" long and 1-1/2" around, the body is stainless with 3ct 1/4" female pipe outlets. The solenoid portion is a blue phenolic material, however the valve portion (moving parts) that the solenoid activates is fully internal.This is what makes this thing superior, it has no external seals to wear out and leak. The solenoid portion is clockable so the wire outlet can be pointed any direction.

The wiring is very simple (dependable), just power and ground. It only has two positions. In the on position it diverts to one side and in the off position it diverts to the other. It only pulls 1.5 amps in the on position and has 14ga wires with a weatherpack connector, which is serious overkill, 20ga would be adequate at 1.5amps, so I doubt there's going to be any problem with heat or fire.

A very clean and bulletproof looking unit. The only thing it doesn't have that the Andir does is provisions for mounting. I made a bracket out of billet aluminum.

 

[Sandy]

Kalun -

Thanks for the mental picture of the valve. I shot off a couple of emails to the folks at Andair with some questions and it seems the panel thickness might be a problem (.25" on the RCR bulkhead). The nice folks at Andiar (Owen) said he would see if he could make it work with a change to one of the parts. So if he can, I'm going with the manual value. No difference in prices after a couple of the 3way's and assorted bits. I just really like the look and it is very well made, so in the next few days should have an answer but more then likely it is the Andiar valve. I'm digitial camera-less for the moment as well, my 2 yr boy old found out about the hidden compartment inside the camera and now all the bits inside are missing /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


Sandy

 

[Sandy]

Got the Andair FS2520 fuel valve with -8 fuel and -6 returns. Very nice part. It was about £281 Shipped to the USA. Here are some shots.

Sandy

 

[Sandy]

Another

 

[Sandy]

Last one

 

[Mark Worthington]

That's a cool part, Sandy. Where do you intend to mount it?

Perhaps I don't understand how it operates, but it seems to me that it would have to be manually operated from the cockpit. That would require the routing a lot of fuel lines through the cockpit, which is something I'd be wary of.

 

[Sandy]

No fuel lines are in the cockpit, the valve mounts from behind the drivers bulkhead with the selector knob inside the cockpit, so all the fuel lines are in the engine bay. You would have to reach behind to flip it. It does have a locking feature that will not allow the valve to turn OFF unless the button is lifted, travel is free between the Left and Right setting.

I think one of the images of the original on the site some where shows an orig fuel valve done in a similar way.

The initial plumbing will be a feeder pump sucking through the -8 section of the valve to a swirl pot, then then returns from the swirl pot back to the -6 to tanks.

One feeder pump, one high pressure pump, both on at all times. The only issue may be 'suction' from the feeder pump, but the valve seems to have little restriction on the -8 side. Will just have to give it a try.

Sandy

 

[Mike Christian]

You can get andair and similar stuff at www.aircraftspruce.com. Us airplane builders have smilar issues with multiple tanks and EFI.

Mike

 

[Sandy]

The Spruce didn't have the FS2520, and I think the prices were more then doing it direct with Andair (No tax, but higher ship).

The bigger problem was that the flange on the valve would only work on thin bulkhead's, and on the RCR GT40 the thickness is 1/4" so they did a bit of work on it (to make it useable). Owen at Andiar was very nice and shipping was fast once he made the part up.

The Spruce rocks, they have some nice hard to find parts that can save you. They also ship really fast.

Sandy

 

[Mike Christian]

As they are a distributor on many items, sometimes I will call them to see if they can get the part I need if they carry the line. More often than not, they can get it. I just did that to get a Facet fuel primer pump that wasn't in their catalog or website. They happened to have one in stock and I had it next day.

The andair product line looks top notch. Having just receive it, would you agree?

Regards,
Mike

 

[Tim Kay]

Sandy,


I really like your Andair, I would like the same thing but in an electric valve. Other than the Pollak valve and the marine style valves, have you come across any other 6 port valves that are electronic?

(You may have answered this already, call me lazy but I have not read this whole thread yet /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nono.gif)

 

[Sandy]

The Andair part is excellent, I would say a mil-spec type of part. Nicely anodized, all the bolt on fittings are staked at each of the fastners, very nice.

The informal flow test for the -8 side seems to be pretty unrestricted (Me blowing hard!). The valve would be a good candidate for motorizing, but I think you can get some other duplex valves if you go that route to save some $$. I think the other 2 motorized valves are posted early in this thread (I think) and one looked pretty good, but over $700 for it, the other was about $500 but it is pretty large.

When it really comes down to it I don't think I'll be running a tank dry in any of the events, so having the full electrical switch over is not such a big thing. Like Fran said, "just use one tank, problem solved" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Of course that would be too easy. The Andair valve is a good safe compromise and if it can be mounted within short reach, perfect. For my planned plumbing I'll only have a fuel pump on/off switch not a left/off/right switch so no fuss with that when flipping tanks.

The Valve is a definite well made part!

Sandy

 

Fuel systems just dont need to be this complicated guy's !!! check out new fuel control valve in GT-40 parts section.
Ron