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LS-1/Chevy Fuel Tank


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Not sure where this should really be posted.

For those of you that are using the Chevy fuel tank, in-tank pump, etc. on your V-8 conversions - what are you doing for a gas gauge? Is the Datsun gauge compatible somehow with the GM sender? Is there a translator?

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I've posted this elsewhere, but my plan is to use the camaro guages, but stick the actualguage mechanism in the datsun housing. In other words, I will rip apart the camaro pod ($60 offa guy on LS1tech.com) and separate out all the individual "turny parts" (my hi tech term). So, the datsun fuel guage will be dissembled, and the new turny part will be glued on there and the needle re-installed. Same for all the other guages. For the odo, I will glue the LED unit to the back of the speedo face, modding the rectangular hole as needed. The actual face will likely not correlate to the speedo action. So, here I may just paste a new set of markings on. Or, I could buy LS1 Edit and reprogram the speedo to match. I am leaning towards that since LS1 Edit will really simplify other problems I am having. That's $550 though....... yeah, paste is much cheaper.

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So wouldn't it be easier to use a fuel injected Datsun 280Z tank with a compatible sender with an external pump & sender, install secondary pick-up points on the LT-1 for the water & oil pressure and buy the converters for the speedo, odo & tach?

That way you wouldn't have to touch the dash or original gauges and all the components would probably not cost more than about $700 - and take a lot less work.

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So wouldn't it be easier to use a fuel injected Datsun 280Z tank with a compatible sender with an external pump & pressure regulator, install secondary pick-up points on the LT-1 for the water & oil pressure and buy the converters for the speedo, odo & tach?

That way you wouldn't have to touch the dash or original gauges and all the components would probably not cost more than about $700 - and take a lot less work.

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So wouldn't it be easier to use a fuel injected Datsun 280Z tank with a compatible sender with an external pump & pressure regulator, install secondary pick-up points on the LS-1 for the water & oil pressure and buy the converters for the speedo, odo & tach?

That way you wouldn't have to touch the dash or original gauges and all the components would probably not cost more than about $700 - and take a lot less work.

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Cyrus - are you talking about fuel lines or other?

The fuel lines would have to be custom made to come from the stock Z tank to an external fuel pump in the standard Z location, through a fuel filter to a bypass fuel regulator - position to be determined. From the regulator the supply fuel line would continue to the fuel rail on the LS-1 and the bypass line would connect to the Z tank return line. I've gotten on LS1tech.com and asked for recommendations for external pumps & regulators. The Aeromotive model 1000 pump has come up a couple times along with an Aeromotive or Paxton fuel presure regulator. Using the fuel injected 280Z tank allows using the the Z fuel level sender and stock gauge in the dash.

The water temperature and oil pressure are fairly straight forward. Need to install an adapter at or near where the Chevy picks up its respective information and install redundant Datsun senders. That way the original Datsun engine temp and oil pressure gauges work off their senders and the Chevy ECM also gets the information it needs.

I don't have details on it yet but someone makes a "translator" that takes the electronic signal from the T-56 and converts it to a mechanical output drive for the stock Datsun speedometer/odometer. It costs about $400 but that is not really any more than buying new gauges. The tachometer is a straight forward "tuning" to adjust it to V-8 from 6.

This way I get to stay with all the stock Datsun gauges, I don't have to mess with my dash, I don't have to worry about different spans, fitting aftermarket gauges and how they'll look, etc. Basically, the car will look completely stock inside the drivers compartment and the chevy stuff is kept pretty cleanly separated from the Datsun stuff. The only "custom" parts would be the fuel lines, the speedo translator, the fuel pump, and the fuel pressure regulator. Everything else would either be stock Chevy or Datsun.

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Most auto parts stores I've been in lately have a section of the new freaky lines for "repairing" GM fuel lines (and trans lines and also Ford and Chrysler stuff). Their not so cheap, but it makes it really easy to plumb everything together.

 

As to the speedo converter, that thing, IMO, is just a really expensive cluge. You have an electrical signal from the trans, that then connects to a signal processor that in turn drives a motor that spins a cable that attaches to a speedo that turns the spinning into a mechanical oscillation. And it's like $250 for that module. I mean, if you have them dollars, you could buy an electic speedo for like $150.

 

I was joking about LS1Edit - I cannot afford it. It would make everything so much easier, including guages. I will be buying one of the various OBDII interface cables that are available though. This one, http://www.obd-2.com/ , comes with some nifty software which allows you to display ALL the data from each sender (fuel level, tach, speed, FP, OP, temp, etc.) in guage form on a laptop screen. Very cool and not too expensive either. Should allow me to easily remap my hybrid speedo. Can also reset error codes and perform lots of diagnostics.

 

Actually, the fuel guage could likely be used as is with the camaro sender and some resistors. I just figured I'd do all the guages the same way.

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Guest TexasShadow

It apears to me there is some differences in philosophy here and several methods to attain the same end goal.

Phantom apparently wants to stay as stock as possible and take a relatively low effort approach. Others, like Jeromio, evidently want to highly modify their ride don't mind the effort required to do so. As long as we are each satisfied with our end result then any approach should be ok. The term is: "To each his own". there is no real right way or wrong way - just "my way".

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I don't really want to highly modify anything. If I could afford $500 for a new set of electronic VDO guages, I would.

 

I agree, there's lots of ways to tackle each of the problems associated with the LS1 in a Z. My perspective is one of expediency and lack of funds rolleyesg.gif .

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Guest Anonymous

Easiest and CHEAPEST fix for the gas gauge is to take the face off the front of the gauge and repaint the E to be an F and the F to be an E. It is grossly accurate (if that is even a term) but you will know when it is time to fill up. Then wire the GM sender as the datsun sender was wired. Mark

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