Vapor lock

[ethies]

I put a 570 CFM Street Avenger on the 305 in my 82 El Camino. I also switched to a Red electric fuel pump as I'd replaced 3 mechanical pumps in two years. Things have gone generall well since then, but a couple issues have come up:
1. Vapor lock. On a hot day, or after a long drive, she won't restart. My ex-neighbor (used to build race engines) said that if I used one of the phenolic spacers I wouldn't get the heat transfer to the carb. Is this the case?
2. I really think there's a lot of heat getting to the carb as the kickdown stud got hot enough to melt the clip off the kickdown cable. They don't sell the clip by itself, so I'm forced to buy the whole cable (not too bad $20). However, I don't want to have the same heat problem kill a new clip too.
3. My red electric fuel pump is incredibly loud. I used the rubberized mounting, but its still much louder than my engine at idle. Can anything be done?
Thanks.

[Danny Cabral]

1. Vapor lock. On a hot day, or after a long drive, she won't restart. My ex-neighbor (used to build race engines) said that if I used one of the phenolic spacers I wouldn't get the heat transfer to the carb. Is this the case?
2. I really think there's a lot of heat getting to the carb as the kickdown stud got hot enough to melt the clip off the kickdown cable. They don't sell the clip by itself, so I'm forced to buy the whole cable (not too bad $20). However, I don't want to have the same heat problem kill a new clip too.

Yes, a one inch phenolic spacer will definitely help but it may not eliminate the vapor lock problem.
You should find ways to reduce under-hood heat or help it escape more effectively. (engine tune, electric fan, hood vents, etc.)

3. My red electric fuel pump is incredibly loud. I used the rubberized mounting, but its still much louder than my engine at idle. Can anything be done?
Thanks.

Electric fuel pumps will be louder when they're cavitating from overheated fuel, a suction/pickup problem or a voltage problem. Also ensure your fuel tank is properly vented (LINK).

[ethies]

I think the electronic Q-Jet that I took off did a better job of avoiding vapor lock (central, smaller fuel bowl gets cooled by intake air). I'm going to try the spacer. The engine is tuned pretty well, runs smooth throughout the range and at various loads. I've thought about an electric fan before, but the price has scared me off for what I've thought the benefit might be. Maybe something to consider down the road.

Thanks for the advice!