2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Vulcan Draw Straw

[JessePayne]

Just ordered the vulcan draw straw. Has anyone installed this yet. If so how did it go. Thanks

 

[jkalchik]

Yup... . installed it a few weeks back. So far, I'm pretty happy with it and the relo bracket.



About the only serious recommendation I'd add would be to add the suction side filter. I punctured the screen in the bottom of the pickup module (don't ask... . ) so I added the screen on the suction side of the pump.

 

[JessePayne]

I am going to add a cleanable screen filter to the suction side. Thanks for the advice

 

[jtisdale]

how did it go?

Is there any details that need special attention or modifying? I'm not real familiar with the top of the fuel tank since its been almost 4 years since I put my Fass on. It would be nice to talk to someone that has put these in before I buy one.

Thanks, Jim

 

[jkalchik]

Vulcan's instructions seem to be pretty good.



The plastic on my 99's fuel module was pretty brittle. I suspect that a step drill will make life quite a bit easier when modifying the body for the Draw Straw.



The major thing that'd I'd recommend (like I did above) is the suction side strainer.

 

[ILIANBG]

I just installed the Draw Straw 2 days ago. It was harder to dissconect and drop the tank than the install of the Straw. It was not that hard of a project. It was definately important to have a guy to help me. I eliminated the screens on the bottom of the factory pick up. They looked awful, clogged up and really dirty, causing erratic fuel pressure reading with the airdog. I tried cleaning those, but could not, so I eliminated them. The tank was surprizingly clean, I expected a lot worse. I have a nice steady pressure now. I might eventually add an inline screen, serviceable, to open, clean and put back. It might be an overkill dough, I have the Airdog with separator and filter and the factory fuel filter, so the fuel at the VP is definately clean. Good luck and feel free to ask questions. That makes this a great site. Have a nive weekend.

Ilian

 

[Cummins724]

I have a copy of the install instructions here... . I'll fax them to you guys if you want to check them out before you purchase. Its not difficult, but you just gotta take your time when cutting the suction tube. If you cut it too short... . you'll run out of fuel before reading empty. I got mine perfect & works great. I would copy them & post them, but I'm a computer dummy.

 

[rweis]

This thing REALLY WORKS.



I have modified just about every component in the entire fuel system to get more stable fuel flows. All AN-6, RASP, oversized filters, multiple filters, full flow fittings, moving the lp (now a backup to the RASP) to the frame, etc etc etc. One thing I still had when towing heavy was intermittent little sucking of air getting into the lines under heavy throttle. Checked and rechecked all fittings, no help. Finally started working on problems in the tank to see if that would help.



I got the Draw Straw to try to open up the fuel input to the RASP.



I towed this weekend about 200 miles one way. The fuel pressures to the VP44 were ROCK STEADY! Finally, the restriction was GONE.



If you do the Draw Straw you will see that the DC tank canister is not the most efficient fuel pickup design. It has gause type filtes that can clog pretty easily and there is nothing you can do to clean them except drop the tank etc etc etc. Instead of puting a replaceable fuel filter in line before the lp they use the gause filters in the tank which you can not clean easily nor know how the filters are doing.



The Draw Straw lets your fuel system do what it can do to feed the VP44. I think you need to put an inline replaceable filter before your lp, but that is not rocket science if you are at the point of dropping the fuel tank to try to finally get decent fuel flow to the lp.



I highly highly recommend the Draw Straw. I only have DD2's as far as fuel flow demands over stock. DD2's are not a huge difference as far a fuel requirements are concerned. The Draw Straw works, and works well!



It might be that DC did the fuel canister for the diesel because that is what they were using for the gassers. Guys find that the float deterriorates in diesel and clogs up the gause filters and then lp's can't get enough fuel, then VP44's can't get enough fuel, then it gets real expensive quick.



There are threads about changing the float while you are in there installing the Draw Straw, you might take a glance at those threads to get the total solution for the fuel tank.



If you have any doubt about doing the Draw Straw, pm me and I will gladly help in any way I can because this thing REALLY WORKS! Definitely on the must do mods and do it early in the bomb process, because you can't develop hp if you can't feed it.



Bob Weis

 

[jeepit]

Bob, I think from reading your post you have removed that guaze filter for good and are relying on the inline filter at this point...

 

[rweis]

Not quite.



I removed the guaze filter off the canister and then I go directly to a:



RACOR 690 T (A fuel filter / water seperator the T is 10um. The 690 means form factor of the head #6 and 90 gph flow rate.



I 10um filter everything first before any fuel system components (lp, bypass valves, vp44, whatever) since contamination is the #1 cause of failure after wrong fuel volume or wrong fuel psi.



THEN:



I run the rest of the fuel system right up to JUST BEFORE the VP44 and then filter again for anything that might have sluffed off inside any of the hoses, if I opened the fuel system for maintenance, etc with a Canton Racing high flow 8um filter only. This filter only filters, it does not do water seperation. I do not have the OEM filter in my system because of the location heat it imparted to the fuel before going to the VP44, and the very marginal filtering and especially water seperation characteristics it has as well as the mechanical housing it is in being all Aluminum and very very heat absorbing.



Meets the requirements of clean, water free, fuel.



Fuel temperature, volume, pressure are other areas to be dealt with.



Bob Weis