So my car has an issue that the engine shuts of if I floor it or take a hard corner. It only seems to happen when I get under half a tank.
I assume it has something to do with the gas sloshing away from the fuel pump. Is there a fix for this?
It’s an automatic so I have to completely stop in traffic to put it in park and re start the engine. It always starts back immediately but it’s pretty unsafe.
1987 l98

 

When that first begins to happen, how much fuel does it take to fill it back up? If it is a good bit more than 10 gallons then your guage is lying to you and youre much lower on fuel than it is showing you. If not, then id say that somehow your pump is not sitting down near the bottom.of the tank like it should be. My money is on option A.

 

I would start with the sending unit something it causing a starvation, maybe a problem with the stainer or as said the Gauge is wrong

 

My 1989 L98 did this when I started tracking it, but only below 1/3 to 1/4 tank.

Above 1/3 tank and it didn't have the problem..

There is a thread on the forum with pictures where someone made a baffle that attached to the fuel pump that allowed them to run the tank pretty dang low and still track and corner hard without fuel cutouts.
@VikingTrad3r might recall

 

Baffle didn't help mine on Hooisers. I tried a bunch of solutions but a fuel cell was it. Possibly for street use hydramat and/or a custom pump sump might be enough.

 

it was @Kubs who sent me pictures of what he did with a Lucas bottle.

 

I think with mine I was on E85 and it uses way more than a small sump like a bottle could help. So gas for street use could give it a try since it's very easy. As is replacing the sock with hydramat. Kubs is around in the race section with a C5 IIRC.

 

I swapped out the filter sock and it’s a lot better. The first one I put in there was the more expensive Delphi green one. I went and got a different style from autozone and put it on. I did some power slides and it didn’t cut off at all. I think that was the problem.
There is a yellow plastic baffle in the fuel tank that the sock sits in. I thought that would be enough to stop the sloshing.

 

Don't stop and put it in park, put
it in neutral and restart it. As noted this is a common probem.

 

Let me see if I can dig up the pictures.

 

I tried it too!

 

I had a fuel pump hose crack in tank

 

Just about all C4s have an issue with pickup in the tank, at least all the ones I've driven. When autocrossing, we always try to keep it over 1/2 tank just for this reason. My 91 started cutting out on me at Tire rack earlier this year just under 1/2 tank. Had to fill up in the middle of the day.

 

So this worked for Kubs but not @Aardwolf

here are @Kubs pics he sent me years ago.

Kubs hope u dont mind me sharing your oics and what you stated:


“”Yes the bottle is one of the tall style Lucas Oil gear lube bottles cut in half (or there abouts). I drilled a 3/8" hold in the bottom and the side about halfway up, and also have the return line feeding into the bottle.

Yes, I have been able to run it dry. You need to pull the yellow tray out of the bottom of the tank and the bottle will sit on the bottom. You will be able to use every drop in the tank.””

 

Thanks for sharing, I got tied up and forgot to go look for them. I could run that car hard until it ran out of fuel without issue.

 

Is there a hole in the bottom of the bucket to let the fuel in ?

 

I tried an oil bottle baffle and it didn't help. When my fuel pump died I ditched the baffle, and then swapped the pulsator with a short piece of fuel hose, which fixed the issue.

 

I too am having fuel starvation issues when below 10 gallons left in tank . This is a newer issue that started ever since i got rid of my walbro 450 l/hr single pump (and its unique sock) configuration in the stock hanger and replaced it with twin rxp 340 l/hr pumps (one is always on and the other kicks on with boost/nitrous) .

I made sure to direct the fuel return discharge directly onto the sock of the primary (always-on) pump and it made no difference

next, i swapped the wiring for which was the primary pump vs. booster pump and it didnt matter whether it was the top pump or bottom pump - i still get starvation issues below 10 gallons on cornering.

i callled up racetronix and they suggested i buy some foam and put in the bottom of the tank to the right and left of the fuel pickup bucket


Holley Hydramat isnt really a good option because
1. its a wear-item and its expensive. >$250 if i remember right and thats just for 1 pump filter (which might be all i need)
2. i dont believe they make any models of it with the correct outler size to match my rxp340 pump inlet(s)

ive compared the hanger/filter location of the old walbro 450 l/hr pump to that of the primary pumps filter location on the dual rxp340 (with starvation issues ) and i didnt notice anything different. Its (the 450 l/hr) return tube discharge was directed onto its sock filter but again that didnt make any difference when i did that with the rxp 340’s.

ive tried bigger fuel socks that span more of the width of the bucket, and that made no difference

and again, it doesnt matter whether i wire the top or bottom pump as the prinary (or always-on) pump. That makes no difference, it still fuel starves on cornering below 10 gallons

ive enclosed a photo of my current fuel pump setup (with starvation issues)

the only other odd thing is the new pump setup (with Herko stainless hanger and fuel level sender) always tells me i have much less gas in there than i actually do

that said, ive pushed the limits of running it down to ‘E’ and dont notice it running out of gas early. Just starvation on turns

if anybody has any ideas. LMK

i may try the foam, but would hate for that to cut down on my fuel fank useable capacity (for trips)

 

You willing to spend 3k plus?


The stuff you come up with. You lose maybe .5 and at most a gallon. Is 20 miles that critical on your long trips?

 

Then why hasnt anyone else here suggested foam ? There must be some drawback to it
(ex. Breaks down and clogs a filter)

why am i the first to mention it

my only other experience with foam was:
i had special methanol resistant foam in my ATL well cell tank for the methanol sprayer.

and the 100% methanol still stained ‘yellow’ and left deposits on my sprayer nozzle. Its a fine nozzle that can eventually clog with deposits.

so i pulled the foam out. No more staining of the methanol

(im told methanol is the worst of the worst) as far as corrosiveness.