FUEL SUPPLY

INSTALLING A FASS FUEL SYSTEM ON THE C10, PROJECT CTANE
FASS Fuel Systems makes some of the best fuel systems out there for pickups and class 8 diesel vehicles, so for our pro-touring 2WD diesel powered C-10 (Project CTane) sporting a 2016 Nissan Titan XD powertrain, FASS is an obvious choice for a lift pump on our fuel system. The world’s first 5.0 Cummins powered C10 sits on a foundation from Schwartz Performance with their jig-welded 67-72 C10 G-Machine Chassis that features a fully boxed 2×6 frame, triangulated four link rear suspension, modern front suspension design, splined sway bars at both ends, full float 9-inch rear end, and 14-inch Baer brakes with six piston calipers on all four corners.

The Stock 5.0 Cummins was upgraded by CFT Performance with a five-blade Mafia Stainless Diesel turbo, so we should see a considerable performance gain over the stock numbers. Nissan reports are in the 310/550 range on a 7000lb truck, and performance is decent on a bone stock Titan. Similar CFT Performance upgrades have netted 600 hp and nearly 1000 ft/lbs. at the tires on a stock engine, so considering our C10 should weigh 4000 lbs. without a driver, we’re anticipating a VERY strong truck. The Porsche 911 GT3RS has a power to weight ratio of 5.9lbs/hp… Ours will be around 6.5 lbs/hp, and due to the aggressive engine set-back of 25 inches we should be very close to 50/50 weight distribution.

Hello Fun!

Fuel delivery starts with a Rick’s Tanks stainless fuel cell that sits behind the rear suspension, and will feed into the FASS system with a return line from the pump and a second from the engine making sure the Cummins V8 gets all the fuel volume it needs along with necessary filtration. Our FASS (TS D10 125G) 125 gal/hr Signature Series pump and separator kit is designed for a 94-98 Cummins 5.9 12-valve application but will work perfectly on our common rail 5.0 V8. Our kit has everything you need to plumb into the factory Dodge fuel and electronic system in a few hours with basic hand tools, but our installation is going to be ridiculously simple, with a stripped-down system. Horsepower is an equation, but torque is what you actually FEEL in a high-performance vehicle and we’re itching to get some track time in this one of a kind blend of vintage and modern technology!

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The TS D10 125G comes with everything needed to install the system on a factory equipped truck, as well as instructions for connecting wiring and hard fittings. Our application is definitely NOT typical, but it’s important to thoroughly read ALL of the instructions provided regardless of how you’re using this system. Take an inventory of all your hardware and contact FASS if anything is missing before you start.
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“CTane” sits on a fully boxed and loaded Schwartz Performance G-Machine chassis for 67-72 C 10 pickups. Schwartz is renowned in the road racing/pro-touring world, so with the extra bracing, heady duty brakes and suspension, and 2×6 frame rails we’ll have no problem handling the added weight of the 5.0 Cummins and Aisin transmission, which came from a salvage 2016 2WD Titan.
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Installing the fittings onto the pump assembly is simple, but it’s important to follow FASS instructions. Soft Jaws on the vice will hold the assembly in place where you can access all the ports that need fittings without using the pump body as leverage, and possibly damaging the draw tube.
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All the fittings come with thread sealant pre-applied. Don’t use Teflon tape, as it can get forced out of the threads during assembly, or possibly get entered into the fuel delivery system. Notice the “E” on the pump? The ports are all identified to match the different fittings.
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Torque your fittings to 20ft/lbs, remember these are dissimilar metals and you don’t want to stress the threads.
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With the fittings in place in the correct orientation, we can assemble the two-piece adjustable mounting bracket, starting with the pump side and using the supplied aluminum spacers and hardware.
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The separator filter and the fuel filter are clearly marked for their location; just follow the guide on the side of the filter case. A thin skin of oil goes on the gasket surface to ensure a good seal.
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There is an O-ring that’s tied to the fuel filter that must be inserted onto the pickup tube before installation… omitting this can result in priming issues. The filters can then be hand-snugged into place.
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The pump bracket is universal and gives you many options for filter location as well as adjustability. We’re using the middle position on the vertical and horizontal adjustments and bolting it to the cross-sill mounting tab on the Schwartz chassis, since it’s not going to be used on our bed with the raised floor. This puts our assembly just ahead of the driver side rear wheel, and easy to access under the bed.
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CTane’s fuel cell is a custom built Rick’s Tanks baffled stainless steel tank. Rick’s makes many different tanks for tons of applications, but typically for gas powered vehicles. They worked with us to get the configuration we needed for lift pump delivery, with a center pickup tube for the suction line and two passive return ports for the pump and the engine.
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The V8 Cummins has factory quick-connects for the feed and return lines on the engine filter, so we converted them to -8 O-ring adapters we got from Summit Racing. “AN” wrenches are a must-have when using aluminum fittings, and this carbon fiber set is from Heatshield Products is plenty strong and won’t mar any anodized coatings.
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Starting with the suction line, we’re making the hose to the feed-port in the tank. Even though these push-lock -10 Vibrant fittings swivel until locked down, we’re still clocking the hose location before assembly so that there’s no binding during assembly.
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Even though our manifold says “return” on the center port, that’s actually the fuel pickup tube location. The black hose is -10 Vibrant Fuel Rated hose from Summit Racing. The FASS TD-D10-125G kit has more than enough fuel hose to plumb a factory Dodge Ram, but with the tank behind the rear axle our configuration is totally custom and requires more hose.
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Some ATF is used to lube the push lock fitting and the inside of the hose to help with installation. Even with lube, it requires effort to fully seat the hose to the fitting. Soft jaws on the bench vice keep us from damaging the fitting while we lean into it.
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Once each hose has a relaxed seat away from any moving parts, we’ll lock them down with 1-inch padded cushion clamps, being careful not to compress the hose itself.
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We’re using a Vibrant -8 45-degree fitting to plumb the engine filter return line, which will give us a good fit to the engine with enough clearance for easy maintenance.
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We’re changing to the blue hose from the FASS kit for fuel deliver to the engine. The -8 PL-1058 Fitting to engine feed port comes with the kit and is assembled using ATF as a lube to help with sliding onto the barbs.
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Using the blue hose for fuel feed and the black hose for return gives us a quick reference and easy ID of the fuel circuits. The feed line uses a 90-degree fitting, and although it’s a snug fit due to the massive (25 inch) engine setback into the cab, there’s still good access to each line.
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The Rick’s fuel cell and hat looks tidy with three lines routed safely under the bed and around suspension components.
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The FASS pump tucks nicely behind the bedside ahead of the wheel, and there’s great access to all the lines and plenty of adjustability if we need to move it after the bed is installed permanently.
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Since we’re not tapping into a factory Dodge truck, we can place the supplied electrical harness where we need it for our system. Make sure you check for the provided 30-amp inline fuse during assembly.
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Our truck’s battery location is behind the passenger rear wheel under the bed floor. The harness gets tied along with the taillight electrical circuits and connected directly to the battery terminals.
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Just over the battery we’ve mounted the relay and fuse fittings, which will sit behind a removable panel that’s easily accessible when you open the tailgate.
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CTane gets a Painless Performance 28 circuit chassis harness, which comes with a 15-amp electric fuel pump circuit included. We’ll just trace the labeled wire back through the trucks rear harness and use the fuel pump call wire in the harness to tell the FASS pump when the key is on.
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Without the bed floor in place you can see the routing of electrical circuits and fuel lines in a clear and organized system. Once we get the Titan ECU configured, we’ll prime the pump, lite this thing off, and install a base-tune. This truck is deceptively simple in its construction, but it’s VERY different than the factory truck it resembles. Thanks to FASS Fuel Systems, our fuel delivery system will require very basic maintenance with easily accessible parts. With CTane we’re looking forward to blurring some lines and creating a new lane for high performance (baby)- diesel powered vintage trucks!

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