We go to the SEMA show every year, and we’re bombarded by so many new products that it’s hard to make an impact on us. Very few do, but Aeromotive’s new Phantom 340 fuel system is one that made us do a double take. On the surface, it doesn’t look like much more than a fancy drop-in fuel pump. It is that—one that feeds up to 1,000 hp in fact—but there’s a lot more that you don’t see.
At issue is that fact that most high-output fuel systems are mounted outside the tank (and usually plumbed to a sump kit) which creates issues with fuel overheating. In a car that sees street use, that means vapor lock, cavitation and pump burn-out. There are also a variety of in-tank pumps that can handle the job of feeding voracious engines, but those often suffer from a lack of baffling when high g loads are encountered (either longitudinally as in drag racing, or laterally as in road racing and auto crossing). What’s needed ideally is a baffled fuel tank with an in-tank pump. Several companies have made a small fortune building bolt-in tanks like this, with many of them well in excess of $1,000. And that’s if you don’t mind the wait time.
Aeromotive solves these problems elegantly with the Phantom 340 Stealth fuel system shown here. (We’re told the price of the complete kit is around $550.) The kit basically turns your existing stock tank into a baffled tank with a high-flow in-tank pump. Aeromotive supplies a robust aluminum template for cutting a fuel-pump hole and associated bolt/stud holes. The genius in the set-up is the fuel-resistant foam and belt-type baffle that you cut to height, squeeze into a small roll, then feed into the fuel tank hole. After it expands, you drop the retaining ring into the tank, lay the elastomer sealing gasket over the studs, insert the Stealth 340 fuel pump assembly, and tighten it down. The foam cells hold lots of fuel near the pump, and the banded baffle around the foam cylinder acts like a fence to hold fuel near the fuel pick-up. The soft elastomer gasket holds the fuel in the tank, even if the top of your tank is corrugated or stepped. The whole install operation takes just 45 minutes, and is virtually foolproof.
At SEMA, Aeromotive had one installed in a tank that was mounted on a tilting table; the tank also had a large plexiglass window. With the pump turned on, you can observe how well the baffle works to keep fuel near the pump pick-up, even when the tank is turned nearly on edge. We were so impressed, we ordered a sample system to try out on one of our project cars. To see what we’re talking about, click here to watch an installation video on the Phantom 340 Stealth fuel system.
Source:
Aeromotive
913-647-7300
www.AeromotiveInc.com