a different EFI accumulator body

[Gunnibronco]

So I had a little bad luck/bad judgement the other night. I kept smelling gas around my truck and tracked it down to a fitting on my accumulator. I pulled it, and retaped the brass fittings with yellow thread tape & some Rectoseal for good measure. I was tightening down one of the fittings and heard a pop. I think the casting was bad, earlier, I had noticed what looked to be a "flaw" in the body, and now it had become a crack.


I did some research, trying to find a good way to replace my broken part. I even thought of buying a new tank w/the internal pump. I'm glad I didn't, because I found a 5.8 GT40 lower the next night, and would have had trouble justifying the money on a tank & the lower in 2 days.

I found the CB.com thread describing modifying a Fram HPK2 oil filter relocation kit to make an accumulator. Looks like what BCBs is doing, and the mounting pattern looked the same as what I've already built into my truck.

http://classicbroncos.com/tech/how-to-b ... or-for-efi

I did a bunch of Googling trying to find the best source for the HPK2, and found Fram's website listed some generic cross reference numbers:
http://www.framcatalog.com/PartDetail.aspx?b=F&pn=HPK2

I thought it was odd that Big A, Carquest, and Hastings listed 2 part numbers. More Googling, and I found a picture of the Hastings part #KF8, it had dual inlets and dual outlets. I went to Carquest yesterday and they had, pn 89764 available in Denver. So this morning I picked it up and this is what it looks like:






Since the extra hole you drill & tap in the HPK2, is just and "extra" inlet, so to speak, I don't think its wrong to assume that I can use the extra inlet on pn 89764, just like the extra line you drill/tap & tie into the return line. Less work & less chance of me screwing something up. Plus the in/outs are flat, giving more clearance for tucking the accumulator up under your truck, out of the way. Instead of using brass elbow fittings, I'll go to the hardware store tomorrow & pick up some straight fittings & a short section of 1/4" pipe to use as a pick up tube inside the filter. Unless someone thinks I could/should attempt to pry the pick up tube from the BCB accumulator and get it installed into my new body. But I think that is just more chance for me to "f" something up and cost me more money.

[Gunnibronco]

That went better than I expected!

The pick up tube (and threaded filter adapter) in the BCB accumulator just unscrewed out of the cracked body, and threaded right into the new body. It looks like BCB is soldering a section of tubing to the filter adapter, and could be easily done w/some soft copper tubing, instead of threading it like the CB.com article recommends.


I actually was able to reuse fittings I already had, to configure the ins & outs the way I wanted. I used yellow thread tape, 1-1/2 wraps and then a little Rectoseal thread paste as sealant.


The same filters that fit the BCB accumulator fits this adapter too. My large capacity filter rubbed a little on one of the hose clamps (the one attached to the 90* elbow), but nothing to worry about. And I'm going to replace it with a smaller filter soon.

I primed the system, by disconnecting the HP pump, and letting the LP pump run by grounding the "fuel pump" terminal on the EEC test plug, till I heard fuel pumping back into the tank. Then I reconnected the HP pump, and fired it up.

Look Ma, no leaks!

So here are part numbers I've found:

4 port "oil filter relocation kit"
Carquest #89764, Hastings #KF8, Big A #96764

Large capacity fuel filter-oring OD=2.834"/ID=2.462, Filter OD=4.262", Filter Height=6.605"
Napa #3281, Fram #P4105, Carquest #85281, 86281 (don't know why Fram lists 2 CQ numbers or what the difference is)
http://napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogIt ... 0331349006

Short fuel filter-oring OD=2.538"/ID=2.224", Filter OD=3.673", Filter Height=3.812"
Napa #3382, Wix#33382, Fram #P6904, Carquest #86382
http://napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogIt ... 0271563885

Another filter that will work:
Medium fuel filter-oring OD=2.834"/ID=2.462", Filter OD=3.663", Filter Height=5.189"
Napa#3343, Wix #33343
http://napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogIt ... 0271540164

I compiled these numbers from the Fram & Napa websites, I'm not sure the numbers are exactly right. Please post up if you can update these. I'm going to replace my large cap filter with a shorter filter before summer/wheeling season.

I think I found a much easier way of building an accumulator than the CB.com thread. No drilling/threading of the adapter, and you can probably easily solder a short section of copper tubing to the filter adapter, instead of tapping it & using a 1/4 npt pipe.

[Jesus_man]

Good tech, as usual!

[akaFrankCastle]

So, the accumulator you cracked was a BCB product? Not pointing fingers or anything. Just wondering.

What do you suppose the price difference would be between your new accumulator and something off the shelf?

And nice tech!

I was just reading an issue of Peterson's today on my flight and though to myself "this isn't a 4x4 magazine. It's a 40 page advertisement!". Tech like THIS is what should be out there in the 4x4 rags. Not "hey, here's how we installed a lift kit. You know. The same kind of crap you can do in your driveway at home."

[Gunnibronco]

I bought the accumulator from a CCB member, I can't remember who, so I don't know what brand it is, but it looks EXACTLY like the one in the pics on BCB's web site (including the brass fittings, hose, and filter). I'd be willing to bet it was a BCB. If so, they are just doing the CB mod to the Fram HPK2 oil filter kit. They are just soldering a piece of tubing to the threaded filter adapter, instead of threading a pipe into the filter adapter, like the CB mod.

The fact that it cracked, is my fault, or who ever cast it. It had nothing to do with anything BCB did to it.

I spent $35.00+tax on the filter base. at Carquest. I'm still getting our bodyshop discount, despite telling them I no longer work there, so I'm getting a good break from retail. I bet if you look on line you'll find a better deal. Since I got it to Gunnison, the next day, with no shipping fees, it made up for any price difference I'd get on line.

The filter lists for $17.77 at Napaonline.com w/my store entered, and they are never cheap.

And what ever you have in brass fittings, and 6" of 1/2 soft copper tubing maybe, $20.00? Probably a bit less.

So, if I had to buy it all, it would have been a little more than $70.00. You could probably do better, with some price shopping. BCB's is $68.99, so mine is not cheaper, but it does add about 1" of clearance. And if you want to DIY, mine is definitely easier, it uses all factory ports, no drilling & tapping.

[Gunnibronco]

I thought I'd update this.

A few weeks ago while finishing up my new gas tank install, I made some mods to this accumulator, mounting bracket, and replaced the filter with the Wix #33343 filter I listed above as a possible filter option. The filter worked and smaller diameter cleared the 90* fitting I used on the outlet to the HP pump. It rubbed, ever so slightly, when the big filter was screwed on & off.

The size difference between the large filter & #33343

P1010982.JPG

I chopped the top hole off the the mounting pattern of the accumulator (2x 5/16" bolts will hold it on just fine) and moved the mounting bracket up on my frame to put the accumulator as close to the floor as possible. This took full advantage of the flat inlet/outlet design of the accumulator.

cut acumulator.jpg

Before w/large filter

P1010240.JPG

After, w/33343 filter, the filter is just even with the bottom of the frame now. The smaller capacity filter would be well above my frame rails.

P1010990.JPG

[Kinder]

Nice, I saw a factory setup under a van today, it supported two tanks and return lines.

[Gunnibronco]

A quick update, due to just another COVID back order situation, the Napa 3382 filter wasn't available.

Fortunately, a resourceful Napa employee did a quick cross reference and handed me a 3393 filter. Fits, seals, and sits higher than my "medium" 3343 filter