Nail Head fuel filter

[laylowcustoms]

I am rebuilding my 401 nailhead and I'm replacing almost everything. I'm noticing that parts for this car are hard to find and when you find them you don't have many if any choices and they are all expensive. I orderd a chrome 100 amp alternator just because thats all that JEGS could get. Summit couldn't get anything. Shorty headers run $400. **** for this engine is getting expensive. I can't even find chrome valve covers. :rant:

Now I'm at the fuel system. I bought a Edelbrock Proformer 600cfm carb to replace the factory one. I was wondering where you can get a fuel filter for one of these cars? :Do No: (63 electra) Very strange to me. Because the fuel pump doesn't seem to go anywhere.

a Line comes from fuel tank and goes into bottom of filter.
a line comes from fuel pump to bottom of filter
and a line goes to the carb from the top of the filter.
This just doesn't make any sence to me. :puzzled:

Most aftermarket filters just go between the carb and the fuel pump. Can I have the fuel line come into a T fitting and then go down to the fuel pump and up to the carb through a fuel filter? :confused:

[SpecialWagon65]

The line from the filter back to the fuel tank is a return line-used on cars with a/c to try to prevent vapor lock. You can probably run fine without it, and just use an inline fuel filter. There is a chome air cleaner and valve covers on ebay now. Either those or a set of aluminum finned covers would dress your engine up nice. Damn right though, it seems we should have a source for chrome valve covers!

[laylowcustoms]

Exactly is "vapor lock" I've heard of it before but never know what it is. I've removed my A/C components. So I am running just the basics. (alt, powersteering pump, waterpump and crank)
Can I bypass the that other line? (plug it with at screw?) I take it that theres a fuel line that goes to my pump that I'm not seeing.

[tburgeson]

Vapor lock is simply when the fuel in the system gets hot enough to vaporize while it's still trying to get to the engine. It's pretty hard to pump a vapor so if the fuel in the turns to vapor, the car runs out of gas. It can even happen in the carb if the manifold gets to hot and the fuel boils. Gotta keep it cool and be able to release the pressure of the vaporized gas.