Electronic fuel injection packages great performance, sharp throttle response, reliability, fuel economy, and striking looks all in one, so it's no wonder hot rodders have flocked to it over the decades. Nevertheless, a significant segment of gearheads shy away from EFI. Some guys still prefer the familiarity and low cost of a carburetor, while others appreciate the vibe of a well turned-out period-correct restoration—the benefits of EFI notwithstanding. We respect that build ethic, and our many carb-based engine buildups and tech stories reflect that. Nevertheless, there are guys who like the idea of EFI, but when faced with the prospect of re-engineering their fuel system, push away from the table.
Edelbrock, a long-time leader in the fuel-injection aftermarket, has addressed this technical roadblock with its line of Universal EFI Sump Fuel Kits, which are available for 58-psi EFI systems as PN 3605, and for 49-psi EFI systems as PN 3607 (Summit pricing: $545.87).
Project Nova is PHR’s 1968 Nova project car, which has a 400ci small-block Chevy with a COMP Cams Big Mother Thumpr hydraulic roller cam, Dart Pro 1 aluminum heads, and a dual-plane intake. At around 520 hp, it was the perfect candidate for Edelbrock’s E-Street throttle-body EFI swap. We didn’t want the hassle of an expensive custom fuel system, so we opted for Edelbrock’s Universal EFI Sump Fuel Kit.
Let's take a look at why these kits exist. An EFI conversion—irrespective of brand or type—typically involves three major operations: installing the EFI hardware and electrical harness, plumbing a fuel system, and programming/tuning the installed system. Recent developments have all but eliminated the hassle of programming and tuning, and Edelbrock's E-Street EFI with self-learning is a shining example here. Moreover, systems like the E-Street have reduced the job of installing the hardware and wiring, reducing the installation to a mere excuse for a weekend garage party. The only blockade: draining and yanking the fuel tank, installing a new pump (or even a new tank), plumbing one or more fuel lines with a pressure regulator, and wiring a power circuit to your new rear-mounted EFI pump. If you plan to go around corners seriously, you'll also have to fabricate a sump to trap fuel for high-g turns, or tap the credit card for a custom sumped tank. Of the operations needed to convert to EFI, the fuel system conversion has been the elephant in the living room. In the past, the aftermarket has simply glossed over the inconvenience, figuring that if you want EFI, you'll simply deal with it head-on. Now, thanks to Edelbrock, this is no longer the case.
Edelbrock's ingenious solution is to move all the plumbing and wiring for an EFI fuel system into the engine compartment. The idea for the Universal EFI Sump Kit started with the rationale that if your carbureted fuel system was strong enough to feed the power of your carbureted engine, then it could also feed your EFI conversion. Edelbrock's kit takes fuel directly from your existing mechanical pump, and fills an intermediate ⅓-gallon sump tank mounted in the engine compartment. Inside the sump is a high-pressure pump that supplies fuel at the appropriate pressure directly to your fuel injection system. Moreover, fuel flow into the sump tank is controlled by a leveling float just like in a carb's float bowl, and the returnless-style pump is internally regulated to make installation a breeze. Because it's a sump that completely immerses the pickup with fuel even under the hardest corners, you'll never experience fuel starvation the way many new EFI conversions do. It's diabolically simple and leaves us wondering why nobody else did it before now. But it gets better.
Although inexpensive, the Universal EFI Sump Kit is not a bare-bones "starter" system. It's got the goods to handle up to 600 hp—more than enough to feed 98 percent of muscle cars out on the street. (Higher power levels would require a return-style race fuel system, which takes you to another level.) Edelbrock also designed it to be compatible with EFI systems from other manufacturers, so you can mix and match with the EFI system of your choosing. (Edelbrock's kit comes with standard -6 AN fittings and an un-terminated wiring harness to connect to your EFI system's fuel pump relay.) You can choose between a traditional 49-psi kit and the 58-psi kit, which has become increasingly popular in returnless throttle-body–style EFI systems, the E-Street being one of them. (For those who want to make up their own fuel lines, Edelbrock also offers kit No. 36052, which contains only the 49-psi sump assembly, harness pigtail, and one 90-degree quick-connect fitting—Summit price $485.87.)
This hookup diagram shows how simple the Universal EFI Sump Kit is to install. It goes on your car without having to touch anything upstream from you car's mechanical fuel pump. Just use your existing fuel tank, pickup, fuel line, and mechanical fuel pump to feed the sump, which gets mounted in your engine compartment.
We walked you through the installation and tuning of Edelbrock's E-Street EFI back in our January issue. Project Nova, which features a 400ci small-block Chevy making approximately 520 hp, was taken to Edelbrock's R&D department, where Edelbrock's Mark Honsowetz had the E-Street EFI up and running in a couple of days. During that time, we documented the installation of the 58-psi Universal EFI Sump Kit for this separate story. If you're not as impressed with this kit's simplicity as we were, there may not be any fuel injection in your future, because it doesn't get any simpler than this!
1. Edelbrock’s Universal EFI Sump Kit is offered in two sizes, 49 psi and 58 psi, to meet the needs of most returnless EFI systems on the market. With the capacity to feed up to 600 hp comfortably, a friendly street price around $546, and the ability to handle high lateral g-forces without fuel starvation, it’s an attractive option even if you ignore its biggest advantage: a slam-dunk easy install.
2. At the core of Edelbrock's sump kit is this high-impact cross-link polyethylene polymer reservoir. In this cutaway, you can see the electric fuel pump, an internal fuel pressure regulator, and the inlet fuel float. Not how the sump completely surrounds the fuel pump pickup so that there is a healthy supply of fuel at all times, even when fuel flow may be intermittently interrupted at the fuel tank.
3. The sump’s size is approximately 5¼ deep at the top, 7¾ wide, and 12 inches tall. You will need to find sufficient real estate in the engine compartment to mount the sump such as on the firewall, radiator core support, inner fender, or frame. After relocating the horns, we found a perfect spot on our Nova’s radiator core support. Brackets, hardware, and a template included with the kit make mounting a snap.
4. This is the beauty of the Edelbrock Sump Kit: The fuel is supplied by your existing mechanical fuel pump already mounted on your block. Fuel is supplied to the sump at 7 psi, just as it would your carburetor. The sump admits and cuts flow into the tank with a pre-adjusted float, needle, and seat, just as your carb would. Just as a carb’s float bowl does, the sump’s capacity easily covers any temporary drop-out in fuel delivery, only for a much longer period of time.
5. Russell Twist-Lok fittings are some of our favorite fuel plumbing supplies—hoses are easy to assemble by just lubing the hose end and pushing it over the barbed Twist-Lok fitting. Life expectancy is also typically longer than race-only stainless braided line. The kit includes 8 feet of Russell -6 AN Twist-Lok fuel hose (rated at 250 psi), one straight -6 AN Twist-Lok junction, and two 90-degree -6 AN fittings. A brass tube adapter fitting and compression nut sleeve are also included to take fuel off the mechanical pump at 7 psi.
6. Two filters are included with the kit, a primary low-pressure fuel filter for the inlet side of the sump, and this high-pressure secondary filter for the outlet side. This can be mounted anywhere under the hood, but we thought the aesthetics of mounting it on the sump were nicer.
7. All the fuel system’s plumbing is handled right underhood—no vehicle lift, no jackstands, and no draining or dropping the fuel tank is necessary. A single half-inch -6 AN Twist-Lok line goes from your existing block-mounted mechanical fuel pump to the sump, and another line goes from the sump’s output to the inlet at the fuel rail.
8. The kit’s complement of plumbing and mounting hardware covers the entire installation, from filters, hose clamps, hose, and Twist-Lok fittings, to the ⅓ gallon sump, harness, and mounting brackets. As with any EFI fuel system, you will need to feed the pump a healthy supply of 12V power. Never operate a fuel pump directly off the ECU; doing so can burn up the ECU. Use the ECU’s fuel pump trigger wire to energize a relay that feeds power to the pump directly from the battery. If using Edelbrock’s E-Street EFI, the sump plugs directly into the E-Street’s fuel pump relay harness.
