ITC CRX fuel pickup problem

[CDS]

Mechanical novice question here. :) I'm running the stock fuel tank. If I run less than about half a tank, I have fuel starvation problems after corners. It was particularly bad in the banking at St. Louis (actually it would cut out for a few seconds shortly after the turn when the air bubble hit the carb, then pick up again).

I pulled the pickup unit out of the tank, and it looks like the pickup tube ends about 1.5 inches from the bottom of the tank. There is nothing on the end of the tube. Should there be a filter or something that extends the tube to the bottom of the tank? Is there any way to prevent or reduce starvation short of installing a fuel cell? Thanks

P.S. I don't think this is related to the characteristic Weber carb stumble during corners. I've found I can almost eliminate that by not lifting. :D

[R2 Racing]

I've seen people put a fuel pump on each side of the tank in those '84-'87 ITC Honda's. My first '85 Civic actually had that done to it when I bought it. It then had a on/off switch for each pump mounted on a switch panel that the driver could reach. Then if the switch was in the "on" position, the pump would still also turn on and off with the ignition switch. It worked pretty good actually.

[charrbq]

Craig... Forrest, Gary, and I all chased that stumble in your car at almost every race. We used my spare pressure gauge and spare fuel pump and it still happened. There should be a sock on the end of the fuel pickup that might need to be changed. Forrest did some strange things to that car that came out of thin air(lol). I thought he'd gotten the stumble fixed, but apparently not. One of the problems that he never seemed to address was the size and comfiguration of the air filter. We each, ended up getting a K&N for an EXP that was large and rectangular. It seems to work much better that the small units. I can't explain why, 'cause I'm just not that smart, but after experience, we found that a large air cleaner removed the stumble on turns.

The former owner of your car had it in his mind to reinvent the wheel on occassion. I learned the hard way that if someone has taken the time to learn how to do things right, and they're successful, and they're willing to share the knowledge with you...take it and run. Forrest has a rather thick skull on occassion. lol

I would, just for my own piece of mind, drop the tank, take out the pickup(s), and give it a good check for contaminates. The filter sock can get hard as it gets older and deteriorate...so I've been told. If you've got it apart, order a new one and you eliminate wondering if that was the problem. :birra:

[CDS]

Thanks Chris. I am finding several interesting things that Forrest did to the car. :) The stumble is really not too bad, especially if I don't lift completely in the corner. The air filter is a small oval job, doesn't sound like what you are talking about.

I have dropped the tank and it looks very clean, no crud. However, there is nothing on the end of the pickup tube (or loose in the tank). I'm thinking this means the tube is not close enough to the bottom of the tank and thus gets effected by fuel sloshing earlier than it should. :unsure:.

The car is great fun to drive. I had to miss Memphis in May due to family commitments, but I hope to make the remaining St. Louis events and maybe some No Problem stuff this fall.


Kevin, interesting idea. Do both pumps run all the time or do you switch them on/off as necessary?

[charrbq]

It's tough to compare tanks. My O.E. tank was so full of rust it couldn't be used. (Seperate, long story on how I found that out and the 3rd degree chemical burns that went with it) I ended up using an Si tank out of the old car. Pickups are a little different as is baffling, but it's the same size...internally and externally.
Gary told Forrest everytime we went to a race that he needed to change out that filter for a larger one. Forrest kept modifying it. Last time I saw it, the top had more holes in it than a cheese grater and the element had been modified to look like the outside of a TP roll. lol
We could tell you so many stories about that car that you'd question buying it. However, it's a really good car...inspite of the previous owner. It's solid and straight...only slightly torqued, and you know about that.
I was really looking forward to racing you in Memphis. If you'd been there, I wouldn't have had to race the ITS and ITA cars. It was fun kicking their butts, though!
If I make it throught the heart surgery (????), then we'll do it sometime. B)

[R2 Racing]

Kevin, interesting idea. Do both pumps run all the time or do you switch them on/off as necessary?
[/b]
While on track, they were both pumping away. Little, square pumps mounted on each side of the tank, lines ran around to the front of the tank where they T'd together and back into the stock line. Each line also had a one-way check valve in it too so one wouldn't pump back into the other. I don't really know how much better it worked from a stock system, but I can say that it did work. But, our current '85 just has a stock fuel system and the only coughing that car ever gets is from the DGV. I also don't run it super low on gas though.

[charrbq]

The last line of Kevin's post is something the aforementioned Weber expert told me and that I've found to be true. With the DMTR, I could run almost empty, but the DGV has to have a little more fuel in the tank or it will stumble like a wino on Saturday night. Don't know why...just does.