Hydramat Installation

[metros]

After reading of others having starvation issues I decided to invest in the Holley Hyrdamat. I thought I had all the connectors that I would need but didn't think of the connection to the inlet of the fuel pump. I'm using the Aeromotive 340 stealth that came with my Boyd tank. This fuel pump has the typical push on sock filter that is frequently used for in tank systems such as ours. Are there adapters to connect to this fuel pump or am I going to need a different pump that has a AN style inlet?

How are others who have upgraded to the hydramat connecting to their in tank fuel pump?

[metros]

Think I answered my own question. It looks like they make one model that is designed to push on just like the regular sock.

Shortly I'll have an unused 15"x3" rectangle hydramat with I believe -6an fitting, for those of you using a higher end fuel system.

[NevaLift2Shift]

Which mat did you go with? What kind of tank are you running?

[07FIREBLADE]

Pretty sure he has a boyd tank. I can get the part number for the type that I used for my tank when I get home. If he doesn't respond.

[Hindsight]

Metros, you are correct in that you need the one style of Hydramat that has the push-on connector. I think they make just one size with that inlet configuration. It's what I have and it fit my FFR new style tank. I thought I was going to have to bash the small baffle down to get it to fit but if I recall correctly, I did not have to.

Can't really say if it did anything to solve my fuel starvation issues because I installed an external surge tank at the same time.

[metros]

I believe the part number is 16-111. You'll be able to tell looking at the picture as it won't have black threads for AN fittings.

Yes, I'm using the Boyd tank.

[07FIREBLADE]

What surge tank did you install?

[flynntuna]

I believe the part number is 16-111. You'll be able to tell looking at the picture as it won't have black threads for AN fittings.

Yes, I'm using the Boyd tank.

This is the one...https://www.holley.com/products/fuel_systems/hydramat/hydramats/parts/16-111

[Hindsight]

What surge tank did you install?

Radium Engineering:
http://i.imgur.com/QyaEhcQh.jpg

[wirenut]

I just ordered the Hydromat and the magnets. I have the gen 2 tank. I'll update fitiment when I recieve it this week.

[Hobby Racer]

The Hydramat does work with the Gen 2 tank, but it does require some modifications to the fuel pump hanger.

Here is a link to the install from my build thread.
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?23199-John-s-EZ36R-H6-818R-Build&p=265100&viewfull=1#post265100

[wirenut]

Yeah the hanger seemed low even without the hydramat. Just got mine today and threw it in my gen 2 tank just to check fit. Thanks for posting Hobby.

http://i.imgur.com/WEkT9Cb.jpg?1

[longislandwrx]

Radium Engineering:
http://i.imgur.com/QyaEhcQh.jpg

Hindsight looks like you went returnless, that was my plan as well, any issues?



EDIT: nevermind, i just checked your build thread and saw the return behind the other firewall.

[SnyderJD]

@wirenut, which fuel pump are you using? is that the stock pump? Thinking of ordering the hydramat this week.

[wirenut]

@wirenut, which fuel pump are you using? is that the stock pump? Thinking of ordering the hydramat this week.

That is the stock pump in the pic. (I ended up changing to a Walbro pump. Same physical size) I believe it sits too low in the stock portion. It pushes down on the hydrmat. It might work but I decided to modify mine.
http://i.imgur.com/JKK8lSk.jpg?1

Here's a pic of it installed.
http://i.imgur.com/Wp4YFdD.jpg?2

[Frank818]

What tank you got?

[wirenut]

What tank you got?

Gen 2 Factory Five tank.

[Frank818]

You removed the walls or something at the bottom of the tank? I thought it wasn't flat like yours.

[wirenut]

You removed the walls or something at the bottom of the tank? I thought it wasn't flat like yours.

No, I didn't remove anything. The pic must not be clear. It's not flat on the top. There is a baffle at the end of the Hydramat behind the pump. Here is a clearer pic.

http://i.imgur.com/z2kMScN.jpg?1

Here is the tank from the outside.

http://i.imgur.com/V2V4jUB.jpg

[Frank818]

Does the mat stop before that baffle or it goes over it?
Overall the mat seems to have a pretty good flat surface, at least on one end.

[wirenut]

Does the mat stop before that baffle or it goes over it?
Overall the mat seems to have a pretty good flat surface, at least on one end.

It stops flat before the baffle.

[CNC_Geek]

Thought my car was finished. I just popped in to this thread on a whim and happy i did. I only drive on the street and fuel starvation was annoying. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be while racing. This solution is awesome!

[phil1734]

Adding to this now that I've made some modifications to my setup.

First the hanger; I simply cut the hanger riveted it back together, shortening it by .400". No welding or fab required.
77366
You'll also have to shorten the pickup tube off the pump the same amount, but you can get away without welding anything.

Next, I foamed the driver side of the tank using https://www.summitracing.com/parts/abt-sf103. [ATL Fuel Cell Replacement Foam, 24x12x6 in case the link 404s later on.]
77367
I cut the foam so that I had a 24x6x6 block using a large knife. To get it in the tank, compress and wrap it with zip-ties.
77368
Work it all the way in the tank, then cut the zip-ties one at a time as you push it over to the driver's side bottom of the tank. A 2x2 block of wood 6-8" long helps a lot in doing so.

Once in place, the foam should stop a few inches short of the baffle. Having foam left over, I cut a few more blocks that fit in to fill the gaps. I choose to leave the top few inches of the tank open as in the picture. You could go crazy and fill it in with the extra pieces but it didn't seem worth the hassle to me. While the foam slides into the tank relatively easy, it does not like to slide past itself.

As an added benefit, when the FFR filler neck eventually springs a leak, the foam will hopefully slow down the leak to the point of being survivable.

Once that was done, I put everything back together, poured in about 4 gallons and drove to my nearest cul-de-sac. Here's what that looks like on my fuel gauge:
77369
That used to mean you were dead in the water, but there was only the slightest of hic-ups after completing a hard 180-degree turn, and then only towards the very end. A sustained 360-degree, 6 or 7 second turn did eventually expose the pick-up that took a bit more time to recover from since the foam was now holding all my fuel, but the car still didn't die completely, and it's extremely rare that I do this maneuver (And almost never on purpose. ;))

P.S. If you're like me and doing this on a tank that is installed and used, carefully drain the tank by jumping to the larger black and red wires on the pump, then lift the left side of the car a few inches and the fuel will empty from the side of the tank you need to work on.

[Frank818]

Very interesting, but why cutting the hanger?

[phil1734]

The hydramat hangs just a little bit lower than the stock pickup. If you don't shorten it you'll never get the top flange back on the tank.

[axelthrasher]

The hydramat hangs just a little bit lower than the stock pickup. If you don't shorten it you'll never get the top flange back on the tank.

So, in your opinion: was this well worth making the changes? I am still a bit skeptical of the Hydramat, but I know I need to find some kind of a solution and it looks like the foam/Hydramat combo might be what I go with.

[phil1734]

The weather prevented me from driving any more then that test, (and will for some time,) but based on that and other's experience with the hydramat here, I wouldn't really consider it so much as "worth it" as it is "required."

I don't really understand how the hydramat works and was skeptical myself but it seems to live up to it's promises.

If I were starting over from scratch I would go with the boyd tank, hydramat, and foam, but if you don't want to spring for the Boyd tank get the hydramat at a minimum.

[LearningCurve]

I jumped on the hydramat and foam bandwagon as well. This weekend I installed both. I had to trim the fuel pump bracket about 1/2 an inch as well. I did not have any of those fancy magnetic ties downs for the hydramat so I used another section of foam on the left side to pin the hydramat down on the one end. It will probably been another year before I find out if this was worth my time but figured that this was the best time to do it instead of trying to tear back into that tank after it had gas in it.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/n06zfQuDYAspaj1V2