1973 Chevy C10 Buildup - Aeromotive A1000 Fuel Pump

Blown Away
It may seem odd to put a carburetor onto a modern engine like the 5.3L LS327, but last summer we did anyway, just to see how it would perform and to simplify an LS engine swap in a '73 Chevy C10. We put about 6,000 miles on the C10 during that time, averaging 17 miles per gallon with a Holley Street Avenger 650 cfm carb, Edelbrock Performer intake manifold, and an MSD 6MLS ignition system firing the spark plugs. The engine put 311 horsepower to the wheels of the C10 through a Gearstar Performance-built 4L65-E overdrive tranny coupled to a stock 12-bolt rear axle with 3.07 gears. It was a smooth and efficient package on the highway, but provided limited excitement when the go-pedal was mashed to the floor.

Certainly, a gear ratio change was in order if we were going to gain anything in the acceleration department, but that might have decreased our fuel efficiency if we got too aggressive with the gear selection. We wondered what would happen if we left the drivetrain alone and simply gave the engine a boost in power. Let's just say we found out what happens and it required a posi unit afterwards! A supercharger was the natural answer to quickly putting more ponies to the ground without diving into the internals of the engine and Whipple Superchargers had just the answer. The company's 2.3L intercooled blower and a fuel-injection system designed for longevity and room to grow later on, gave us much-needed reliability and smooth operation while putting an ass-whooping on our tires.

Since the engine was originally fed fuel and air via a carburetor and the factory fuel system, we'd need to address that issue before going forward with the parts swap. We took the truck to PPC Customs in Clovis, California, to make the complete conversion happen. While we were at it, our old C10 had a pair of saddle gas tanks mounted beneath the cab that we also wanted to eliminate. By installing a No Limit Engineering fuel cell behind the rear axle, we were able to shift some weight to the rear of the truck, where it's needed, for improved handling and traction. To push fuel from the aluminum cell up to the fuel injectors, we installed an Aeromotive A1000 electric continuous-duty fuel pump and two-port bypass regulator. This system provides rock-solid fuel pressure to the injectors by bypassing any unneeded fuel to a return line plumbed back to the fuel cell. Unlike a "dead head"-style regulator, there is no pressure creep when full fuel flow isn't required by the engine. The regulator is also boost-referenced to a MAP sensor, which tells it when the blower has overcome atmospheric pressure inside the intake manifold and when the engine requires additional fuel.

Before we started modifying the engine, we removed both of the old saddle gas tanks from beneath the cab of the C10 and then installed a No Limit fuel cell. This aluminum fuel cell from No Limit Engineering is designed specifically to fit between the framerails of '73-'87 Chevy C10s and features a baffled sump area to keep the sending pickup covered in fuel, even during hard cornering maneuvers.
Before we started modifying the engine, we removed both of the old saddle gas tanks from b
We went with a complete Aeromotive fuel system including the company's A1000 electric fuel pump, which will supply enough fuel for a 1,200 hp blown engine or a 1,500 hp naturally aspirated engine. Should we add more horsepower to our blown LS, it will keep up with no problem.
We went with a complete Aeromotive fuel system including the company's A1000 electric fuel
To protect the fuel pump from any debris in the fuel supply, we added a 100-micron high-flow filter. Another filter, this one a 10-micron unit, filters out even smaller debris after the pump to keep the fuel injectors from getting clogged. Both filters thread right onto the pump using -10 AN fittings.
To protect the fuel pump from any debris in the fuel supply, we added a 100-micron high-fl

The key to making any electric fuel pump live is to maintain the fuel supply to it at all times. The best way to do that is to make sure the pump is mounted below the sump area of the fuel cell. PPC Customs, in Clovis, California, built this trick mount to position the pump low enough that we can get every last ounce of fuel from the tank without starving the pump, but high enough that it won't hit obstacles in the road.
The key to making any electric fuel pump live is to maintain the fuel supply to it at all
The pump was wired to a relay that is fed power directly from the battery via 10-gauge cables.
The pump was wired to a relay that is fed power directly from the battery via 10-gauge cab
The fuel pump was then plumbed using -10 AN fuel line from the tank and then -8 AN line from the outlet side of the pump to the regulator at the front of the truck. A -6 AN return line leads from the fuel pressure regulator back to the sump area of the tank.
The fuel pump was then plumbed using -10 AN fuel line from the tank and then -8 AN line fr

Once the new fuel system was in place, the blower install took a relatively small amount of time. We added the heat exchanger, supercharger, and a new computer and ignition system in the span of a weekend, making this a conversion that anyone could likely do at home. We tapped Bob Radke from MEFIBURN.com to tune our Painless Performance MEFI4-based computer and were astounded at the results. Here's a look at how we injected a new personality into our C10.

Fuel flow will never be a problem with this arrangement.
The 13101 Aeromotive bypass regulator was mounted to the firewall...
...and then plumbed to the fuel injector rails with -8 AN fuel line.

A three-bar MAP sensor references the regulator to the intake manifold so that the regulator allows more fuel pressure to the injectors whenever the supercharger is making boost.
A three-bar MAP sensor references the regulator to the intake manifold so that the regulat
Once the new fuel system plumbing was in order, we set about removing the old carbureted induction system. Our Spectre ram air system wasn't going to work with the air inlet of the supercharger so it was removed in addition to the Edelbrock intake and Holley carburetor.
Once the new fuel system plumbing was in order, we set about removing the old carbureted i
Thankfully LS engines are very easy to work on. There's no silicone or gasket material to scrape off or worry about falling into the lifter valley, because it's sealed off from the intake and the ports feature O-ring seals.
Thankfully LS engines are very easy to work on. There's no silicone or gasket material to

The Whipple blower is about a half-inch taller than the carburetor setup was, but has an overall lower profile once you set an air cleaner atop the Holley. Fitting the new induction system under the factory hood of our C10 will not be a problem.
The Whipple blower is about a half-inch taller than the carburetor setup was, but has an o
The Whipple 2.3L twin screw, positive displacement supercharger is made in the USA and is capable of building 30 psi boost. The lobe and case design builds boost instantly so there's zero lag off idle. It's an efficient package especially with the built-in intercooler between the manifold and blower. We augmented the blower with 60 lb-hour injectors plumbed into Aeromotive fuel rails.
The Whipple 2.3L twin screw, positive displacement supercharger is made in the USA and is
New O-rings came with the intake manifold. PPC Customs likes to coat them in marine-grade silicone lubricant to hold them in place while the manifold is installed.
New O-rings came with the intake manifold. PPC Customs likes to coat them in marine-grade

Richard, from PPC, placed the Whipple blower/manifold in between the aluminum heads. New 10mm hardware was provided in the kit to attach the blower and intake manifold to the 5.3L cathedral port cylinder heads.
Richard, from PPC, placed the Whipple blower/manifold in between the aluminum heads. New 1
On the left is the factory 86mm throttle body. On the right is Fuel Air Spark Technology's (FAST) new Big Mouth 92mm throttle body.
On the left is the factory 86mm throttle body. On the right is Fuel Air Spark Technology's
It will flow more air thanks to a larger inlet and the throttle blades are also more stable thanks to thicker material. The factory throttle position sensor bolted right onto the new metering device.
It will flow more air thanks to a larger inlet and the throttle blades are also more stabl

A massive air-to-water heat exchanger fit snugly behind the grille of the C10.
The coolant lines were plumbed through a pair of holes we drilled through the core support right below the air inlet of our old intake system.
The coolant lines were plumbed through a pair of holes we drilled through the core support
A Bosch 12-volt electric pump sends the coolant from...

...a remote-mounted reservoir to the heat exchanger and then onto the intercooler above the intake manifold. It's an efficient system and has no problem keeping the air inlet temperatures in check on hot days or during hard runs.
...a remote-mounted reservoir to the heat exchanger and then onto the intercooler above th
The Whipple air bypass valve is the key to excellent fuel economy with a blower. It's plumbed between the supercharger and the throttle body and it opens and closes quickly to equalize the pressure in the system. When high vacuum is present (during idle and part-throttle cruising), the valve is open and no boost is made. As soon as the vacuum level drops under hard acceleration, the valve closes and the boost comes up instantly. We've seen as much as 19 mpg with our boosted 5.3L LS engine in this truck.
The Whipple air bypass valve is the key to excellent fuel economy with a blower. It's plum
We added a Lokar throttle cable to control the FAST throttle body. It connected directly to the stock pedal in the cab.
We added a Lokar throttle cable to control the FAST throttle body. It connected directly t

Painless Performance' MEFI 4B fuel injection management system was quite simple to work with. The wiring harness plugged into all of the factory sensors, ignition coil packs and computer. The only real wiring you'll do is to provide power and ground and signal to your gauges. Even the O2 sensors plugged in.
Painless Performance' MEFI 4B fuel injection management system was quite simple to work wi
The system included a relay bank to run an electric fuel pump and fans as well.
PPC Customs welded a pair of bungs into our Flowmaster exhaust system and then installed a pair of narrow band O2 sensors so that the management computer could read the air/fuel ratio of each bank of cylinders.
PPC Customs welded a pair of bungs into our Flowmaster exhaust system and then installed a

On the right is the projected-tip spark plugs we were running. On the left are the NGK plugs we installed along with the supercharger. These plugs have a colder heat range, which is necessary because all that extra cylinder pressure and fuel we are adding to the engine will create more heat.
On the right is the projected-tip spark plugs we were running. On the left are the NGK plu
One of the last steps before we could start the engine was to add the accessory drive belt. Our engine was equipped with a Street and Performance chrome accessory system and we were mightily relieved to find that changing the belt routing path and grabbing a longer belt off the parts shelf was all we had to do to get everything spinning again. The pulleys lined up perfectly with the new blower pulley.
One of the last steps before we could start the engine was to add the accessory drive belt
Here's a look at the completed installation. It looks mean!

We ventured to Westech Performance Group, in Mira Loma, California, to tune our truck on its chassis dyno.
We ventured to Westech Performance Group, in Mira Loma, California, to tune our truck on i
Very few people speak fuel injection the way Bob Radke from MEFIBURN.com does. He put a tune in our computer that laid down some impressive numbers. Then we hit the highway with his laptop to adjust the fuel maps for maximum fuel economy.
Very few people speak fuel injection the way Bob Radke from MEFIBURN.com does. He put a tu
The numbers speak for themselves: over 500 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels at 4,200 rpm. This monster will also tow like a champ thanks to the 400 lb-ft of torque available at 2,900 rpm. Peak power came in at 465 hp at 5,300 rpm.
The numbers speak for themselves: over 500 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels at 4,200 rpm

SOURCE
Westech Performance Group 11098 Venture Drive Unit C Mira Loma CA 91752 951-685-4767 www.westechperformance.com	PPC Customs 1063 Brookhaven Drive Suite 103 Clovis CA 93612 559-281-8484 www.ppcbest.com
Flowmaster Inc. 100 Stony Point Road Suite 125 Santa Rosa CA 95401 800-544-4761 www.flowmastermufflers.com	Whipple Superchargers 3292 N. Weber Fresno CA 93722 559-442-1261 www.whipplesuperchargers.com
Aeromotive, Inc 7805 Barton Street Lenexa KS 66214 913-647-7300 www.aeromotiveinc.com	MEFI Burn PO Box 2002 Redondo Beach CA 90278 310-793-2410 www.mefiburn.com
No Limit Engineering 455 S. D Street San Bernardino CA 92401 909-386-7637 www.nolimitengineering.com