Thread: installing a fuel cell

this is the next step with my truck, and im not sure what parts i need to get this done. what are all the parts big and small that are needed to correctly install a fuel cell? it is going in a 4.0 sohc ranger, and i will be ditching all factory stuff so i do not have to deal with that headache.

i will be only doing this once so even if the parts are expensive i would like to do it right. if something has to be setup a certain way to be race legal, feel free to point that out also.

also would like to have a fuel gauge, even if they are not 100% accurate, it will give me an idea.

Call DezertNation ask for Rob. He will hook you up with all the parts, fittings etc you'll need.

Qualitly fuel pump and filter. Sending unit and guage designed for said sending unit. Fuel lines and AN fittings. Somewhere you will have to tie into your stock fuel system which can be simple or you can go exotic. I have only done this twice so I am no expert, but us dummies got it done no problems. Load ass Chevy fuel pump though!

IMO, buy a fuel cell... Pull the sending unit and pump out of your OE fuel tank and retro fit it into the cell!!! Must headache free way of doing it. Going aftermarket fuel pump is my biggest regret on my truck! Although, whenever it doesn't run or it dies on me, I always know what it is!!! LOL

i have heard some people have had problems with using the factory sending unit.

if i went that route, would it be race legal?
i obviously dont care about keeping the truck street legal per CA laws, as it is registered in TX and will still be legal there.

Originally Posted by sirhk100

IMO, buy a fuel cell... Pull the sending unit and pump out of your OE fuel tank and retro fit it into the cell!!! Must headache free way of doing it. Going aftermarket fuel pump is my biggest regret on my truck! Although, whenever it doesn't run or it dies on me, I always know what it is!!! LOL

Thats how I did mine. Also keeps your stock sending unit/gauge working.

In fact I have a 22 gal jazz all setup for this for sale.......

and yes mine was race legal.

i will have to look into that.
i am going to go with a 32gallon cell, would the stock sending unit still read correct with that size tank?

if ditching the factory gauge cluster, would the factory sending unit hook up to an aftermarket gauge also?

Originally Posted by urandaman

i have heard some people have had problems with using the factory sending unit.

if i went that route, would it be race legal?
i obviously dont care about keeping the truck street legal per CA laws, as it is registered in TX and will still be legal there.

All you would possibly have to do is shorten or lengthen the fuel pickup tube and also the sending unit lever. Pull the pump and sending unit out of your tank and look at how they work. It'll be pretty pretty obvious what you need to do to modify them to work.

Then just pop holes in the canister and bladder, make some gaskets and bolt them up!

Way cheaper, way more reliable, a little more work! Wish I had gone this route to be honest!

ull need to modify the stock sending unit. but going with an aftermarket quality pump setup is just as easy, if not easier. Just do it right the first time.

Originally Posted by Red Star

ull need to modify the stock sending unit. but going with an aftermarket quality pump setup is just as easy, if not easier. Just do it right the first time.

ha just trying to determine which way is the "right" way.

Originally Posted by urandaman

if ditching the factory gauge cluster, would the factory sending unit hook up to an aftermarket gauge also?

yeah you just have to get the right ohms range which I forget.

There are pros and cons to each setup. If your on a budget I would definitly use the stock stuff for now. Aftermarket Pumps, filters, lines, regulaters, an fittings etc etc, add up QUICK.

There's a few of us that have had nothing but issues for years with the aftermarket pumps that are available and commonly used. The kartek pump is crap that's for sure! I've tried it mounted above the tank, below the tank, horizontal, vertical, with a pre filter, without a pre filter, It still fucks up on me occasionally. I have no faith in it... Now I'm running an autozone pump that's similar but it still has it's issues. Only way I've been able to get the system reliable is with it mounted horzontal above the tank. The catch with that is it's the highest part of the system in the back and in direct sunlight so during the summer I get to battle vapor lock! Oh boy!

not necessarily on a budget, but dont want to end up spending more to change setups again.

well the stock setup you already have so its virtually free......just buy some rubber line, gasket material, some scrap metal to extend the pickup and a couple hose clamps......

is it hard to modify the fuel cell to accept the factory sending unit?

no. you just have to make a new hole in it for a filler. the stock sending unit just happens to fit perfectly in the jazz filler hole. heres a pic of truelines

I believe this thread had some more pictures, but it should help even though it has some smog stuff too. street lega fuel cell

Originally Posted by sirhk100

There's a few of us that have had nothing but issues for years with the aftermarket pumps that are available and commonly used. The kartek pump is crap that's for sure! I've tried it mounted above the tank, below the tank, horizontal, vertical, with a pre filter, without a pre filter, It still fucks up on me occasionally. I have no faith in it... Now I'm running an autozone pump that's similar but it still has it's issues. Only way I've been able to get the system reliable is with it mounted horzontal above the tank. The catch with that is it's the highest part of the system in the back and in direct sunlight so during the summer I get to battle vapor lock! Oh boy!

bitter party of one. lol

Get an Aeromotive pump and filter, and quality ss line with a/n fittings, thats what I did but minus the Aeromotive stuff. But if I were building another prerunner thats the route I would go, oh and I would run a redundant filter and pump setup. Shit sucks when that stuff goes south when you in the middle of nowhere, especially Mexico.

your truck will require a lot of regulator bs to get the fuel pressure correct unless it has a stock return line from the fuel rail to the tank.

this is what i plan on doing when the time comes for a cell for my truck:

custom cell with fuel safe pickup/breather/fill plate

surge tank that houses stock oem ford sending unit outside of the cell fed by a carb fuel pump (high volume low pressure)

the surge tank is 100% sealed, so the draw from the oem pump is consistantly fed by the cheap high volume pump.

the surge tank/ pump housing will be constructed out of aluminum tube capped on one end and a flange to bolt the oem sending unit to on the other.

the only new fuel lines will be from the new cell to the surge unit, and no new wiring needed.

that sounds like an awesome idea.

not to hijack the thread, but im also in the middle of mounting a cell in my yota right now. would i be able to do the same with my stock yota fuel parts?

Originally Posted by hxckidd

bitter party of one. lol

So!!!

Originally Posted by cam9

not to hijack the thread, but im also in the middle of mounting a cell in my yota right now. would i be able to do the same with my stock yota fuel parts?

Yes

khris is getting close to greg status!i thought the same thing about the stock pump so we tried 2,they both fell apart or stopped working.i used a bosch pump and made the fittings(back then they werent an over the counter thing) and it is still on the truck and working 10 years later.just make sure to put a filter in front of the pump and to try to put it below or as close to below fuel level at its lowest.khris the black truck did the same thing with the vapor lock,we put a piece of aluminum over the pump with better results.what fixed it was a small piece of aluminum under the fuel rail on the engine,i carried a bottle of water and sometimes poured my soda on the rail or bled the rail for a second to get it going it worked.

I have a couple questions to add:
Are there fittings to convert from an to a stock ford fuel pump? If so who sells them?

Is there a trick to removing the filler neck from a jaz cell? I un-bolted the nuts around it but it's still attached some how...

Originally Posted by PigRacing

I have a couple questions to add:
Are there fittings to convert from an to a stock ford fuel pump? If so who sells them?

Is there a trick to removing the filler neck from a jaz cell? I un-bolted the nuts around it but it's still attached some how...

pretty sure(fuel rail for sure, arent they the same? I used regular high pressure line and dual hoseclamps), jegs has the fuel rail fitting.

the bolts are tight, shimmy it off.

I heard somewhere that the bronco II's had an inline pump that some guys were using. If it works I guess it would be cool because you can get one damn near anywhere and they would have a warranty from vatozone or whatever.

Originally Posted by murphco

khris is getting close to greg status!i

LOL, just completely over the stupidity and egos on this forum! That's not commenting on anything in this thread... Just in general!

Originally Posted by sirhk100

LOL, just completely over the stupidity and egos on this forum! That's not commenting on anything in this thread... Just in general!

im right there with you trust me,its out of hand and seems to be getting worse.admins have their hands full,they should have robert help out.

hey eric mine is set up for stock ranger fuel pump that has been modified to plug and play...u can buy mine as i need to get a different cell for my motor set up...call me we will work it out

get me some measurements of your cell paul, im trying to stick it under the tires. may end up putting it behind the cab tho.

Originally Posted by slcpunk74

I heard somewhere that the bronco II's had an inline pump that some guys were using. If it works I guess it would be cool because you can get one damn near anywhere and they would have a warranty from vatozone or whatever.

I could have been misinformed of what it was off of when I bought it at autozone but I think it was from a late 80's fullsize bronco, and was just an inline pump. Maybe everyone already knows that, dunno, but I ran one on my S-10. Like you said the best part was the lifetime warranty and availbility.

Originally Posted by zac

I could have been misinformed of what it was off of when I bought it at autozone but I think it was from a late 80's fullsize bronco, and was just an inline pump. Maybe everyone already knows that, dunno, but I ran one on my S-10. Like you said the best part was the lifetime warranty and availbility.

my 86 bronco had a pump in the tank and one in the frame by the trans,one pusher pump and one for pressure.it made the fuel system lame with the plastic discriminator fuel filter housing.the pump on the frame would probably work on its own but i would put it as close to the cell as possible.

Originally Posted by murphco

my 86 bronco had a pump in the tank and one in the frame by the trans,one pusher pump and one for pressure.it made the fuel system lame with the plastic discriminator fuel filter housing.the pump on the frame would probably work on its own but i would put it as close to the cell as possible.

That's probably the one then, I ran it for 3 years with no problems, but it was never offroad.