Paxton's 150 Fuel-Pump Kit - 1970 Chevy Chevelle - Install

The Paxton Street/Strip 150 electric fuel pump has a free-flow rating of 140 gallons per hour and is factory set at 16 psi. The pump works with either gasoline or alcohol. The pump's aluminum base has provisions for AN-6 inlet/outlet fittings, thus making for easy installation and serviceability. The kit includes a pump mounting bracket along with a dual-outlet-port, adjustable fuel-pressure regulator.

The Paxton Street/Strip 150 electric fuel pump has a free-flow rating of 140 gallons per h

As savvy car crafters know, for an internal combustion engine to work correctly you need to blend the proper amount of air and fuel to promote proper combustion. Drawing in the correct amount of air usually isn't a problem, but delivering the proper amount of fuel can sometimes be difficult--especially during high-rpm operation. Further complicating fuel-delivery matters are high-output race engines that gobble fuel rapidly or street/strip engines that use a supercharger or nitrous oxide.

Over the past few years, you've been reading about Project Cheap Street Chevelle. We transformed an old '70 Chevelle into a potent street machine by way of a hi-po 355ci small-block, a 3,000-rpm torque converter, a street/strip auto trans, and a set of 3.73:1 rear gears. The fuel-delivery system consisted of a stock gas tank, a better-than-stock mechanical fuel pump, a rebuilt Quadrajet carburetor, and an NOS Super Power Shot nitrous system. During normal cruising, the fuel pump adequately supplied the proper volume of fuel flow. However, at high rpm the pump was inadequate, allowing the

Q-jet's fuel bowls to run low--eventually starving the engine and causing it to surge and misfire. Moreover, when the nitrous oxide was used, the problem was even worse. Excessive surging (caused by the engine leaning out) can quickly destroy an engine.

To remedy the Chevelle's fuel-delivery woes, we wanted to install a new electric fuel pump along with an adjustable fuel-pressure regulator. However, with so many sizes and gallon-per-minute (GPM) pumps available, we weren't quite sure what would be enough for our application without it being overkill or super-expensive. Thus, we turned to Paxton Products, which has a new line of electric fuel pumps and adjustable fuel-pressure regulators specifically designed for street/strip use. After analyzing our Chevelle's needs, Paxton recommended its new Street/Strip 150 Fuel Pump package (PN 8002212), which would easily support our current level of horsepower--and would also be adequate enough to support more power if we decided to further hop up the engine at a later date. The pump and regulator combo are compact, which makes them easy to install on most musclecars; also, they are an affordably priced package, making them easy on your wallet. Follow along as we show how to install an aftermarket electric fuel pump and regulator.

Begin the Paxton fuel-pump install by removing the old fuel lines that run from the mechanical fuel pump to the carburetor. Here, the old fuel line is being removed from the inlet port on our Quadrajet carb.
Begin the Paxton fuel-pump install by removing the old fuel lines that run from the mechan
Remove the bolts that fasten the mechanical fuel pump to the side of the cylinder block. After the pump is removed, the fuel-pump pushrod should be removed (gravity will most likely make it fall out).
Remove the bolts that fasten the mechanical fuel pump to the side of the cylinder block. A
Next, remove the small, flat mechanical fuel-pump mounting plate from the cylinder block.

Install a mechanical fuel-pump block-off plate (available from sources such as Mr. Gasket) onto the cylinder block where the old pump once resided. Be sure to use a gasket and sealant with the block-off plate to ensure a leak-free seal.
Install a mechanical fuel-pump block-off plate (available from sources such as Mr. Gasket)
Locate a sturdy, clutter-free area to mount the Paxton fuel-pressure regulator. On our Chevelle, the upper portion of the passenger-side inner fender liner served as the perfect mounting location. Use a scribe tool to mark the location of the regulator's two mounting holes that need to be drilled.
Locate a sturdy, clutter-free area to mount the Paxton fuel-pressure regulator. On our Che
Fasten the Paxton fuel-pressure regulator to the inner fender using two bolts that are secured by nuts.
Fasten the Paxton fuel-pressure regulator to the inner fender using two bolts that are sec

Because the Paxton fuel pump and regulator come with AN fittings, we opted to use AN-style, tapered 90-degree-radius adapter fittings in place of shoddy-looking fuel lines clamped to barbed-end fittings. However, if you like the low-buck barbed-end fitting method, Paxton offers special AN-style barbed-end fittings.
Because the Paxton fuel pump and regulator come with AN fittings, we opted to use AN-style
If your street machine uses a carb-only setup (with no nitrous-oxide system or such), then run a single fuel line from one of the fuel-pressure regulator's ports to the carb inlet. Because our Chevelle uses a nitrous system, we used the regulator's second port to run a fuel line directly to the nitrous system's fuel solenoid. Running separate fuel lines to the carb and nitrous looks better, flows better, and helps deliver more consistent performance.
If your street machine uses a carb-only setup (with no nitrous-oxide system or such), then
The bottom port of the Paxton fuel-pressure regulator is the regulator's inlet port for fuel coming from the stock fuel line running from the fuel tank. Here, a new line connects the regulator to the steel fuel-line tubing, which is located down by the frame.
The bottom port of the Paxton fuel-pressure regulator is the regulator's inlet port for fu

This is a completed look at the Paxton fuel-pressure regulator, fuel-line fittings, and properly routed fuel lines.
This is a completed look at the Paxton fuel-pressure regulator, fuel-line fittings, and pr
The Paxton Street/Strip 150 fuel pump should be mounted in a secure location that isn't near high heat sources. Mount the pump as close to the fuel tank as possible in a location that is the same height or lower than the fuel tank. After scouting around, we found a secure mounting area on the inner framerail just ahead of the rearend housing.
The Paxton Street/Strip 150 fuel pump should be mounted in a secure location that isn't ne
Position the fuel pump's mounting bracket and mark the location of its mounting holes. Then remove the bracket and drill the two mounting holes. Afterward, attach the bracket to the frame using two mounting screws.
Position the fuel pump's mounting bracket and mark the location of its mounting holes. The

Slide the Paxton Street/Strip 150 fuel pump into its mounting bracket and then tighten the bolt that clamps the pump to the bracket.
Slide the Paxton Street/Strip 150 fuel pump into its mounting bracket and then tighten the
The stock steel fuel line will need to be cut to allow the new Paxton pump to be plumbed in line. Before cutting the steel line, use steel wool to thoroughly clean the line at the location(s) you will be cutting. We used a small tubing cutter to cleanly cut the stock fuel line in front of and in back of the Paxton fuel pump.
The stock steel fuel line will need to be cut to allow the new Paxton pump to be plumbed i
To generate a good-looking, easy-to-work-on setup, we installed AN-style connector fittings on the end of the steel fuel line. Here, we install a new compression fitting on one end of the recently cut steel fuel line.
To generate a good-looking, easy-to-work-on setup, we installed AN-style connector fitting

We ran a short piece of fuel line (high-pressure, high-heat hose that is NHRA-approved) from the fuel pump to the new fitting attached to the stock fuel line. Once the line is cut and installed on the fittings, the rubber line can easily be removed if repairs or upgrades are needed.
We ran a short piece of fuel line (high-pressure, high-heat hose that is NHRA-approved) fr
After the Paxton fuel pump is installed and the fuel lines are attached, begin wiring the electric pump. Here, wire terminals are crimped onto the fuel-pump wires. You'll need to get 12 volts of power from a source that's regulated by the ignition switch--specifically, a source that doesn't deliver power once the key is in the "off" position. See the enclosed wiring diagram for specifics. It would also be a good idea to wire the pump to an oil-pump switch that will turn off the pump in the event of an accident
After the Paxton fuel pump is installed and the fuel lines are attached, begin wiring the
Here, the Paxton pump's ground wire is attached to a clean spot on the framerail.

This is a completed look at the Paxton Street/Strip 150 fuel-pump install. Note how the fuel lines and wiring are cleanly routed and aren't located near anything that will snag or burn them.
This is a completed look at the Paxton Street/Strip 150 fuel-pump install. Note how the fu
After the fuel system is installed, turn the ignition key to the "on" position to verify proper pump operation. The Paxton pump will likely need a few seconds to fill up the fuel lines with fresh gasoline.Afterward, start the engine. Finally, adjust the Paxton fuel-pressure regulator so that it delivers the proper fuel psi to the carburetor. (Holley carbs like about 6 to 7 psi, whereas Quadrajet carbs like about 5 to 6 psi.)
After the fuel system is installed, turn the ignition key to the "on" position to verify p