First, and foremost, a big THANK YOU for choosing the next evolution in mechanical fuel pump mounting strategies for the 4G63! We know you had a choice and absolutely thrilled that you have become a member of the elite, progressive-thinking FFWD family.
What are the key points of what you just bought?
Simplicity by Design: Keeping things simple and efficient is a very difficult thing to achieve. It is also the most elegant. That was the mindset when creating the VADER MFP bracket.
Tactical Weapon Coated: At the top of the toughness coating chain, it was a no-brainer to apply this new formulation. NOT an anodized surface treatment and an entirely different coating than what are rods possess, this coating was sprayed for its durability, corrosion, and chemical resistance...and for just plain and simple militant brutishness for those that don't attend church regularly.
Even the aluminum bits that do not get coated get a nice, "brushed" treatment.
Why do we go through all this extra work? To assure that this assembly is the best-looking piece under your hood now...and STILL, look new years later. THAT is what separates the men from the boys. We prefer to always think ahead...and not just live "in the now" to get a part out the door.
Set-Screwed Coupler: We have found through in-field testing, that the coupler half on the pump side, can "slide" up against the pump's housing, inevitably causing an aluminum gunk mess during operation (it happens at 10k+ RPMs). We have alleviated that issue by the simple addition of a set screw to make "coupler slide" something you just don't have to think about anymore.
Installation Ease: This is always a good thing. Designed with the guy "turning the wrenches" in mind, our bracket does not need both cams (or both cam gears) removed to install. Only the T-Belt and exhaust cam/cam gear needs to be removed in order to FULLY install this piece. The VADER MFP Bracket also allows plenty of room for cam gear adjustment if necessary. Want to experiment with a crazier ramped intake cam? No problem. There will be minimal interference in doing so.
Stainless Hardware: Of course. The quality of this piece absolutely screams for hardware that won't corrode. We include it ALL. Even the screws to mount your pump to this bracket.
Made to Allow the Most Clearance Possible: Designing something being "mechanic friendly" always has its challenges. And we realize that not all cam driven MFP installs will take place within the "roomier" constraints of RWD swaps. Our bracket will sink the pump towards the cam gear as much as possible which will give you that precious clearance we all long for at the chassis side. To achieve this clearance and STILL be able to function (let alone able to install it easily) has always been a balancing act. We believe we nailed it.
Weight Savings: Take the weight of the competitor's assembly...then divide that by half. Yes, in HALF. Then take off a little bit MORE. That is what you get with the VADER MFP.
And most importantly, our bracket is 100% TRUE BLUE AMERICAN MADE!
So are you ready to make fuel pump mounting history? Let’s do this...
INSTALLATION
CAM DOWEL
- First, start off by having your engine at TDC and removing your T-belt following the normal procedure for such.
- On the exhaust side, remove the cam gear and cam towers. Pull the camshaft.
NOTE: IF using AEM's Tru-Time cam gears, then proceed directly to the PEDESTALS installation. Yay!
- The dowel pin in the cam will have to be removed in favor of the longer dowel pin that is included in our kit. This is a job easier said than done. If you have a pin puller, then you are blessed.
- If not, you might have to resort to heat, vise grips, drilling, tapping or whatever is in your tool arsenal to do the job. You might just get lucky. Then again, the dowel pin might not like you either.
- Once you have achieved victory, assure the hole is clean and carefully pound in the new longer dowel pin being mindful of when she “bottoms out”. You don’t need a mushroom-headed dowel pin by being overly ambitious.
PEDESTALS
- Next, prep the bracket by installing the Pedestals onto the Head Plate using the (3) CSK M8 bolts. These are ONLY snugged by hand.
- Place the Star Plate on top of the Pedestals (just as a test) to assure precise alignment (no need to bolt it down). Because of the extreme tight tolerances your bracket has been machined to (less than a thou) and not to mention the coating taking up a bit of that tolerance as well, it *might* be necessary to slightly loosen one (or more) Pedestals, and slowly twist until the Star Plate "snaps" into place".
- When all good, carefully remove the Star Plate, and tighten the Pedestals to the Head Plate. Flats for a 14mm (or 9/16") open-end wrench have been machined onto the Pedestals to ease in this tightening process.
- Check Star Plate fitment one final time. Please note: These are not head studs...so don't get crazy on torque values. Use of Blue Loc-Tite is mandatory.
HEAD PLATE
- On the exhaust side, remove the factory “head wing” undercover and install the Head Plate in its place using (2) M6 CSK bolts and (1) button-head M6 screw with washer. If EVO, then it will simply be (4) M6 CSK bolts to install.
- Assure the threads are clean and chase if necessary. Again, Blue Loc-Tite should be used here.
CAM INSTALLATION
- Proceed with re-installing your camshaft featuring your newly pounded-in dowel pin making sure the dowel pin is at the 12 O’clock position.
- Install cam towers in their respective position and, in proper torque sequence, tighten cam tower bolts to 16 ft/pnds.
COUPLER
- Place your cam gear onto the cam and pin, and position the cam coupler (the half that features the dowel pin hole) onto the pin protruding from the cam gear.
- Assuring the threads are clean, insert your cam bolt (with Blue Loc-Tite pre-applied) through the cam coupler, cam gear, and into the cam.
- Snug it with the cam coupler sitting as concentric as possible. Then torque to 65 ft/pnds.
Note: IF using AEM Tru-Time cam gears, your included coupler will feature a dowel pressed into it. Merely stab the dowel into the alignment hole of the cam gear, insert bolt, and torque to 65 ft/pnds. using Blue Loc-Tite. As noted in the first step above, NO removal of the factory dowel in your camshaft will be necessary.
- Re-attach your T-Belt and all timing belt related components.
STAR PLATE
- Next, you are ready to install the Star Plate. Install the (3) button-head M8 screws and washers using Blue Loc-Tite and tighten securely.
You’re almost there.
PUMP
- Reach for your mechanical fuel pump and slide the pump coupler (the half that features the hex hole) onto the hex shaft of the pump.
- How far should it slide onto the shaft? The pump's shaft should sit flush with the top surface of the pump coupler. No more…no less. This gives the hex pump coupler a full 3/8” engagement with the hex shaft.
- Tighten the coupler's M6 set screw using Blue Loc-Tite once this position has been established.
The use of Blue Loc-Tite on this screw IS ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY.
Be aware to NOT have the pump coupler touch the housing of the pump. A minimum of .010” is recommended between the housing and the pump coupler.
- Insert the black Lovejoy elastomeric “spider” into the cam coupler.
SWIVEL CLAMP
- Attach your pump’s 3-Bolt swivel flange (or collar) onto the Star Plate using the included (3) M6 Allen Cap Screws and washers with Blue Loc-Tite. If using the Aeromotive pump, you would be using (3) CSK M6 bolts for the job.
- Line up the pump coupler’s two “jaws” to the cam side coupler and merely “stab” the pump (with the pump coupler attached) as far as you go using the flange clamp for alignment.
- Clock how you want the pump positioned relative to its AN fittings, and then tighten the flange bolt clamp accordingly.
NOTE: If you find that the pump's housing doesn't have enough "grab" in the swivel clamp to suit your taste, the hex shaft would need to be shortened. This will have the pump sit further into the swivel clamp...thus giving more clamping area. As with any cutting, measure twice…cut once.
Bear in mind, there will STILL needs to be 3/8" engagement of the hex shaft into the coupler. Cut too much shaft, no optimum engagement. 🙁
Best case, we recommend a minimum of .600" of "meat" at the pump to grab onto (although out in the field, .400" has been used). User discretion is advised.
YOU ARE DONE!
Well, with at least the bracket install. Next, more fun will prevail as you figure out your line routing, FPR placement, fittings install, filter, tank logistics, and everything else associated with an entire high-performance fuel system.
CAMSHAFT DOWEL PIN (INSTALL OR NOT?)
I know what you’re thinking. “Maybe I can install this bracket without going through all the hassle of removing the old dowel pin and installing the longer pin.”
First, it is a possibility…and some have done that very thing without issue (as tested on many 10k RPM + hard-pounding runs). However, this might be one of those "lucky", isolated cases and we feel that the dowel pin installation is important. It not only aids in the concentric alignment of the coupler to the cam, but offers somewhat of a “lock” for this coupler (since now the cam bolt is serving dual duty by driving the cam gear AND the pump).
It's up to you on how you want to approach it, but all we can tell you is that without a proper, highly specialized pricey tool (most fittingly called a pin puller), removing the stocker pin that is pressed in the cam is an absolute pain in the ass. Vise Grips, heat, drilling, tapping, prayerful words, cussing...you get the picture. You're leaving the cam in the car? Good luck with that one.
The ONLY exception to this rule are the guys running AEM's Tru-Time cam gears. We've designed our MFP Bracket in such a way that the coupler itself features a dowel for alignment to the cam gear. The factory dowel that is already in your camshaft does NOT have to be touched. THAT in itself is cause for major joy! You will basically be using TWO dowels in this particular application. The factory installed dowel, and the coupler's dowel.
That said, and keeping all of these factors in mind, we designed the cam side coupler with a very tight toleranced cam bolt hole. This helps in decreasing run-out as much as possible. The Lovejoy elastomeric "spider" that is used in the coupler assembly alleviates both angular (within 1 degree) and parallelism (within .015”) discrepancies between pump and cam. However, the longer dowel pin is still included with our kit if you choose to use it.
MOTOR MOUNTS
Using an aftermarket T-Belt side motor is an absolute MUST. No stock piece is ever going to work with this bracket nor anyone else's bracket for that matter…at least with the 1G platform. But at this level, thinking of using anything stock is not really something that enters the equation.
We were very mindful during the design process to make SURE that there were no surprises when installing our bracket using this particular mount on a 1G or 2G. "Hacking" an OEM mount "to make it work" is not something we recommend nor endorse. Aftermarket mounts are very reasonably priced and there is no excuse not to run one. Besides, if you have a car that gulps fuel necessitating an MFP, you probably already use aftermarket mounts in the first place. Bravo!
FUEL CELL...FRONT OR REAR?
Lastly, IF your fuel tank is in the rear, and in order to use an MFP, you will need a primer pump (ran in parallel) to help bring the fuel up to the MFP and start doing its duty. Of course, this doesn't have to be a huge demanding pump...only to supply adequate pressure to the squirters in order to fire the engine off. You probably already have one laying around during your quest for rockstar drag status over the years. A surge tank might also be a requirement in your application. Definitely, if your 60fts are 1.3 or less. An absolute must if you're seeing the sky when launching.
If your cell is up front, then the line run *might* be short enough to not dictate the necessity of this primer pump. Just a shot of starting fluid is all that might be needed to fire it up. All setups are different...all situations are different. You just have to see what YOUR car likes and make it happy.