SPICA fuel pressure

[Godfrey DiGiorgi <ramarren@domain.elided>]

I've seen reference to the "high pressure SPICA fuel pump" on the list
several times now. 

According to my SPICA reference manual, the SPICA fuel system's main pump
is supposed to hold system pressure at 12-15psi. At least that's what the
sensor light told me when I checked the system pressure and sensor in my
'78 a year or so back ... it's a high volume but modest pressure output
from the main pump. The volume is high due to the recirculating of fuel
through the system, both to supply the inlets in the high pressure side of
the pump going to the injectors and to cool the injection pump. That,
along with the relative rarity of a pump made to these specifications, is
why it's rare.

The Bosch L-Jetronic pump, on the other hand, runs about twice the system
pressure (40-60psi, if I recall correctly) but less than half the volume
as all it's doing is pressurizing the injector rail.

- --- SPICA maunderings ---
Way back in the mists of time when I had my '71 Spider and the SPICA was
a new thing for the guys at the shop to ogle, there was no service
information available and no one really knew how to set them up nicely.
Mine ran beautifully but I lived in fear of it crapping out and costing me
the earth to repair. It never did, but I figured then that I'd buy the
european Weber setup and cams if it ever did. The complete cost of the
Weber setup would have been almost as much as the SPICA exchange, but I
knew Webers and could maintain them myself easily.

As the years have gone on, service and maintenance info on the SPICA
system has grown, they can be tuned reliably, and most are still
functioning well. However, as the '70s progressed, their range of
adjustability and precision made making good power and meeting emissions
requirements harder and harder. The '80-81 changes were pretty awful by
any standards. Unfortunately, emissions requirements no longer allow
the easy replacement of the SPICA with the european carburetors as
inspection and testing will put converted cars off the road in many states
now, and particularly in California.

I loved my '71 Spider, and liked my '78 a lot too. They're both history
now. Building up the replacement for the '78, I chose to go the hard route
and update it to the '82 Bosch L-Jet powertrain because it will be more
powerful, easier to service, and more reliable in the long run. But it's a
motor with a different temperment than the '71 SPICA had. Only time will
tell me whether I love it as much. 
- ----

Godfrey

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