Fuel. It's the one source of energy every engine needs to make power. It doesn't matter if you want to make 100 or 1,000 hp, it all starts with a consistent fuel supply. Traditionally, that fuel is stored in a tank under the rear of the car and pumped forward to the engine. Yet how well that fuel gets sucked out of the tank and delivered to the pump is one of the most challenging aspects of all fuel-system design.
Whether you've swapped in a fuel-injected engine that requires a high-pressure fuel supply, are launching hard on the dragstrip, or pulling high-g's on the track, you know how tricky and expensive it can be to keep your fuel-delivery system supplying consistent fuel pressure. In the past, you had to dump upward of $1,000 into a custom fuel tank or run at least half a tank of gas to prevent fuel starvation and getting air in the system-until now. Holley has come up with a solution to this problem in the form of its HydraMat fuel pickup.
The HydraMat comes in numerous sizes to fit any stock or aftermarket gas tank. It works like a widespread sponge, absorbing fuel from every corner of the tank and eliminating the issues of fuel starvation or air entering the fuel system. The surface tension of the fuel seals off any area of the HydraMat that's not immersed in liquid, while its fluid-wicking technology absorbs any fuel that comes in contact with the mat. Magnets keep the mat in contact with the bottom of the tank at all times. This makes it possible for the HydraMat to pick up any amount of fuel from anywhere in the tank and transfer it directly into the fuel system without the introduction of any unwanted air. Whether you're accelerating, braking, or cornering, fuel will be in contact with the HydraMat and supplied to your fuel pump-instead of sloshing away like it would in a traditional setup.
Holley offers the HydraMat in numerous rectangular and cross shapes and sizes to effectively fit most gas tanks. Prices vary based on size, ranging from $140 for an 8x3-inch rectangle to $700 for a 30x14-inch rectangle. Other HydraMat options include fuel-plumbing pickup sizes: 3/8-inch NPT (which is equivalent to ½-inch inside diameter or -8AN), ½-inch NPT (which is equivalent to 5/8-inch inside diameter or -10AN), and -10AN fuel fittings. Multiple fuel pickup fittings are available for motorsport applications and the larger HydraMats.
01 Holley's HydraMat is a fuel pickup technology that sits on the bottom of any fuel tank and efficiently draws fuel. HydraMat connects to the inlet-side of your fuel pump and also acts as a pre-filter.
02 The HydraMat (right) next to a commonly found in-tank GM fuel pump pre-filter. The HyrdaMat uses the same fuel-absorbing technology that's been around since at least 1981 and used in GM EFI cars since 1986, only spread out to maximize its capabilities.
03 The HydraMat spreads out across the bottom of the tank, where it can work most effectively.
04 The HydraMat is able to draw in fuel without any air entering the system with only a corner of the mat immersed in liquid, as evidenced by the clear pickup tube.
05 Holley offers the HydraMat with either 3/8-inch NPT, ½-inch NPT, -8AN, or -10AN pickups with up to three outlets per mat in certain configurations.
06 The HydraMat can be used in fuel cells as well as traditional tanks. The size of mat you choose is determined by how much can be stuffed into the sending-unit hole in the top of the tank or cell.
07 Even if space is available, the effectiveness of the HydraMat means a smaller mat can be used.
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