i tried searching some of the old threads and didnt really seem to find my answer. as some of you know i just took out a 305 from a Firebird and put in a 454. now my question is this, the car doesnt have a fuel return line nor did the 305 fuel pump have a place for one. but my 454 pump does, would it be necessary to put in a fuel return line? i mean they do have them for a reason, so it must do some good. right now i have it blocked off with a plug and was just thinking the other day it maybe messing up the pump or something since its trying to get fuel out but its blocked off. idk. thanks for the input i hope to get.
You can benefit with a return style set up. First, cooler fuel because it doesn't soak heat sitting in the fuel line during idle. And we all know what cooler fuel means. Also there is the reduction of vapor lock with a return system. Choice is yours.
In a word, yes. Two main reasons. Bypass style fuel pumps rely on that return. If you just cap it off, it can increase fuel pressure and overcome the needle/seat in the carb. Second, unless you drill and tap the return boss for an NPT plug, it will eventually leak. Any cap you put on it will eventually blow off. Not good to dump raw fuel on screaming hot headers.
Simple solution is to get a fuel pump without the return. Just go to the parts store and ask for one for a 454. When the pimply-faced teenager asks you if it has A/C say no. That almost always gets you a fuel pump without the return circuit. If it doesn't, play around with other years, 4x4 and 4x2, different vehicles, etc until you find one.
Just a waste of an hour (or a weekend laying on your back under a car). It wouldn't help a lick and its just 15 more feet of fuel line to fail somewhere years from now.
Add the return line, but do it right, with steel line. The OEM factories haven't been putting them in for years and years for no good reasons.
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