Baptism by fire is often the fastest way to learn, but boy does it get hot! When it comes to knowing what makes modern EFI motors tick, I'm not exactly "with it." Nonetheless, I needed to figure out how to make the '05-08 Ford 4.6L SOHC V-8 in my '68 F-100 get the go juice necessary for good ol' internal combustion.
After a few calls to Ford Racing Performance Parts (FRPP) and Aeromotive, it was apparent that there was light at the end of the tunnel. FRPP was interested in using the fuel system I was soon to compile as a guideline for the customers who purchase one of these three-valve, modular V-8s for their vintage automobiles. Remember, this particular engine is still fairly new and hasn't been used in any non-stock production, late-model vehicles to the best of our knowledge (especially since we just got the first prototype wiring harness from FRPP to control the motor. Stay tuned).After the fuel system experts at Aeromotive mulled over what the engine needed, it was decided that they would make a basic needs kit consisting of their A1000 submersible electric fuel pump, a 13101 fuel pressure regulator, a pre-pump 12304 100-micron fuel filter, a 12301 post-pump 10-micron filter, and all the applicable fittings as well as a special fitting to adapt the Ford fuel rail fitting to a male -8AN fitting. These pieces would be the heart of the fuel system and most other parts would vary from vehicle to vehicle. As for what was required for fuel lines, materials, styles, fittings, and so on, those components will still need to be gathered per application.
The other big variable in an EFI fuel system is the gas tank/pump configuration and whether the pump is mounted inside the tank or outside, presumably on the frame. Both ways can be done depending on your needs and budget, but most people installing a late-model motor in their truck will likely be moving the gas tank from inside the cab to under the rear of the bed. If this is the case, two birds can be killed with one stone by calling Rick's Hot Rod Shop. As luck would have it, Rick's has been working with Aeromotive for many years and has built and sold thousands of tanks set up for EFI using Aeromotive products. They have handcrafted stainless steel tanks for '48-72 Ford and '47-72 Chevy trucks or they can build a custom tank to suit your needs, which is the call I made. I gave Rick's the dimensions I had to fill with a tank since raising the bed floor in my F-100 and gaining lots of extra room. I also told him to prep the tank for an Aeromotive A1000 pump and 100-micron filter, and the tank showed up with all the necessary hard lines to make this happen inside the stunning, fully baffled tank. And remember, stainless is forever.
 |  One of the first things I...  One of the first things I had to do was remove some chassis rivets and move the rear most crossmember back as far as possible to make room for the Rick's stainless gas tank. The crossmember can be bolted or welded back in its new spot. |  Rick's Hot Rod Shop has dimensions...  Rick's Hot Rod Shop has dimensions for many trucks on hand, but they can also make a custom tank to your specs. This is what I needed them to do for me, especially after raising the bed floor and gaining all that extra room for a bigger tank, which wound up being 28(w)x24(l)x12(d) inches. If we multiply all those together, it's 8,064 cubic inches. Divide that by 231 and we'll get the amount in gallons--almost 35! |