Fuel cell maintenance with multiple Walbro pickups

I have a 16 gallon Summit fuel cell that I bought used on PBB over a decade ago. The cell has been modified to use 4 Walbro pickups and has a rear outlet for a frame mounted fuel pump. Last weekend I went to move my buggy out of the shop and it spit and sputtered, started and died and eventually just cranked. After some diagnostics, I found that I no fuel at the Schrader valve on my fuel rail. I could hear my fuel pump going through the prime cycle and there was a few gallons in the tank.

I pulled the fill neck off the top and noticed one of my Walbro pick ups was above the fuel and sitting at an angle. I also noticed the main outlet hose was deteriorating. The pickups have a foam disk valve that opens when submerged in fuel and they should not pull air, so I figured something was wrong.





All four pickups are like this, completely trashed. The two forward pickups are MP-12 and and the rear are MP-13. The MP-13’s have a bleed hole in the foam disks. I didn’t take a close yo picture of them but you can kinda see them below in the left side of the pic.





The outlet hose the previous owner used is 1/2” fuel hose, but I am pretty sure that it’s not the submersible type. Not sure what brand the OG blue hose was. I see Gate’s does not offer 1/2” submersible. I have read that Parker 801 is an acceptable option, but it looks like I may have to buy 10’ minimum for the small amount that I need (~5”).

Anyone have any suggestions for the 1/2” hose? I could always use some 1/2” Aeroquip hose that I have, but I know it’s going to go bad eventually.

Something like this is what I used and put a hydramat on the end of it. Be best to call and make sure it is still ok to submerge though.

use 1/2 steel tube with tube nut?

Vibrant Performance 16448 Vibrant Performance AN to Tube Adapter Fittings | Summit Racing

Replace all that with some hydramat.

Isn’t the HELP label for people needing immediate help due to breakdown, getting stranded etc?

white-rhino said:

Isn’t the HELP label for people needing immediate help due to breakdown, getting stranded etc?

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Pretty sure it even says it when you click it.

Wow, I have those same pickups that I have never looked at in 15 years.
I agree, those worked great back in the day, now just get the hydro mat

white-rhino said:

Isn’t the HELP label for people needing immediate help due to breakdown, getting stranded etc?

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arse_sidewards said:

Pretty sure it even says it when you click it.

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I saw that after I posted. I didn't realize it showed up red either. My bad

edit: changed the label

stainless line to a hydromat. honestly surprised it lasted as long as it did

welndmn said:

Wow, I have those same pickups that I have never looked at in 15 years.
I agree, those worked great back in the day, now just get the hydro mat

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After seeing how deteriorated mine were, I would definitely suggest checking them out. I always assumed the screens were acting as a filter, but portions of them certainly passed through my pump. Fortunately I have a FPR after the pump. I am going to look into the HydraMat. They are definitely expensive. For the time being, I am repairing what I have (sunken cost fallacy in action).

I run a regular Silverado setup.
The OEM sock lasts 20+ years.

I'd look into that if I were you.

Bebop said:

I run a regular Silverado setup.
The OEM sock lasts 20+ years.

I'd look into that if I were you.

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In tank pump or rail mount? I have been wanting to set up an in tank pump in this cell, I just haven't started that project yet.

In tank pump.
ACDelco MU1614
The Tahoe version is shorter and works good for shallower tanks (MU1620 IIRC)

add the OEM assembly and never look back

I think around 2005 the GM pump assemblies switched away from plastic to steel. Less chance of breaking the fittings off.

Bebop said:

In tank pump.
ACDelco MU1614
The Tahoe version is shorter and works good for shallower tanks (MU1620 IIRC)

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mobil1syn said:

IBEX Fill Plate With Remote Fill

goatbuilt.com

add the OEM assembly and never look back

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Thanks for the info. I had planned on making my own plate on my TM3, but can't beat that price. I have some Goat Built stuff and I like their products. Thats perfect!

RustyC said:

I think around 2005 the GM pump assemblies switched away from plastic to steel. Less chance of breaking the fittings off.

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Your right. 2005 Tahoe w/ 5.3

abrogate said:

Thanks for the info. I had planned on making my own plate on my TM3, but can't beat that price. I have some Goat Built stuff and I like their products. Thats perfect!

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just double check to make sure their plate is for the 05 version, i think it was HYDRODYNAMIC that had to do some mods for the pump he used.

EDIT - found it. if only i could remember stuff as well i do from this place for actual real life usefulness

abrogate said:

Thanks for the info. I had planned on making my own plate on my TM3, but can't beat that price. I have some Goat Built stuff and I like their products. Thats perfect!

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Walbro makes a factory replacement fuel module with a 255 liter/hr pump which fits that plate. I ran it for years with a stock 6.0, it worked great. Probably sitting under my work bench I'll have to check

RustyC said:

I think around 2005 the GM pump assemblies switched away from plastic to steel. Less chance of breaking the fittings off.

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They don't fit the Goatbuilt plates.

The 05+ pump modules also have an integrated fuel pressure regulator. Which is nice.

I got all the parts to fix things and ran into another issue that I didn't realize existed. I had some debris in the cell and wanted to rise it out. I pulled the poly cell from the outer steel case and it was super tight in there. I eventually got it out of there and found that the poly cell was wedged due to rust jacking. I am not sure the origin of this fuel cell, but I bought it used from Liquid Iron Industries through PPB in 2013 (I think). There was a sheet of cardboard beneath the cell and it was holding moisture. The inside of the steel case is unpainted. I thought this wasn't really an issue and I would just scrape the rust scale out and spray some rusty metal primer on it. The rust was bad and my paint scraper poked right through the case. I figured NBD, but then it happened two more times. You couldn't even tell from the outside that this was the scenario, with painted over powder coat. Long story short, I got in touch with JAZ and they sell just the case. I ordered a replacement in black and finally got it. Fortunately it was a direct replacement and I didn't need to re-fabricate the cell mount. It fits very tightly in the cage and gets sandwiched with some plates. The new case has x4 1/8" holes in the bottom, one at each corner. I guess the rusting is a problem that have addressed at some point. The new case is almost fully powder coated, but the inner bottom was still raw. I hit with some promer and rustoleum black.

Since I replaced the case, I needed to pop a hole in the side for the outlet. I used a Klein knock out punch and it went super smooth. PC survived and the hole edges need almost no clean up.







Got the pickups and Dayco 80160 5/16" submersible line from Summit.

MP-12 has no bleeder hole



MP-13 has the internal bleeder hole. They look identical otherwise.



Dumb amount of fittings... I am sure there is a better way to do this (I know.. HydraMat...)





I found that most places want to sell 10' minimum of the 1/2" Parker 801 hose. I found a place online that would sell 12" for $4.20 Shipping was 3x that... whatever. Its fixed now.



Dropped in place for test fit before the mod, paint and install.



And done



Even with the replacement fuel cell case, I am under $300 all in for the rebuild maintenance. I am not sure which HydraMat would have been correct for my cell, 26x18, but the larger models I see online are over $350. I would have needed some SS line and a couple fittings and probably still would have discovered the case needed replaced. Not sure that I made the right decision, but it is the decision I made.... and now I am back running.

I will probably swap over to an in-tank pump in the future with a different JAZ 16 gall cell. At least I will have a good, usable cell for another project or to sell.

fairly common problem with the moisture

mobil1syn said:

fairly common problem with the moisture

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I wish I knew sooner. Looks like Billavista documented this exact problem with his JAZ cell, including the cardboard, years ago!


Mine original case didn’t have the small drain hole like he mentions his did, but the new one does.

I miss when Billavista was actively part of PBB. I learned a lot from reading his articles.

On the hydramat, you don't have to have one of the giant $1K ones that fill the whole bottom of the tank to get very good results. I used one of the more reasonably priced cross shaped ones and it will pull the tank down to nothing.