Between the tank and the pump you'll want to run a coarse-filter screen no finer than 100-micron. This is because as a pump pushes, it also has to pull, and when a pump has to pull too hard to acquire fuel through a restrictive filter, a vacuum or low-pressure area develops at the inlet. To be sure of the specs for your fuel filter, always check with the fuel pump's manufacturer for a recommendation. A more restrictive filter on the suction side of the pump may fail to flow the full volume of the pump, which can result in cavitation at the pump inlet.
What's AvailableHere's a short list of electric fuel pumps available for carburetor applications at several power levels. While these have been strictly sourced through Holley, all fuel pump manufacturers will offer similar information for their respective product lineup. Note that the gph flow rates are rated at pressure (psi).
| PN | GPH Flow at Rated PSI | Application | Max PSI | HP | Inlet Line | Outlet Size |
| 12-801-1 | 71 at 4 psi | Street/Strip | 7 | 425 | 3/8 | 3/8 |
| 12-802-1 | 95 at 7 psi | Street/Strip | 14 | 550 | 3/8 or AN-6 | 3/8 or AN-6 |
| 12-812-1 | 95 at 7 psi | Street/Strip | 14 | 550 | 3/8 or AN-6 | 3/8 or AN-6 |
| 12-815-1 | 120 at 9 psi | Street/Strip | 14 | 750 | 3/8 or AN-6 | 3/8 or AN-6 |
| 12-125 | 110 at 7 psi | Street/Strip | 7 | 750 | 3/8 or AN-6 | 3/8 or AN-6 |
| 12-150 | 140 at 7 psi | Street/Strip | 16 | 900 | 3/8 or AN-6 | 3/8 or AN-6 |
| 12-705-1 | 176 at 9 psi | Racing | 15 | 1,000 | 2 x AN-8 | AN-8 |
Dynamic vs. Static Fuel SystemsTraditional static fuel systems are more commonly found on carburetor applications and use a single line from the tank to the fuel pump. The fuel system's main priority is to prevent the carburetor bowl(s) from running low enough to uncover the main jets, and the second is to help maintain the fuel level in the bowl. The weight of the gasoline above the main jet affects fuel flow through the jet and the air/fuel ratio under load. Typically, this will work satisfactorily on vehicles with less than 500 horses. For very high-performance cars the float bowl must be kept as full as possible. In drag racing, a static system has difficulty keeping up with an engine developing lots of power. The problems begin at the starting line, where fuel inside the bowls is standing relatively still. Then as the car accelerates down the track, the fuel bowls begin to drain and the system begins to recover. As the floats rise, they again cut off the fuel flow. Fuel pressure in a static system is always maintained higher from the fuel pump to the regulator (typically 12-60 psi) than it is from the regulator to the carburetor (8-9 psi). Higher line pressure is necessary to start flow against g-force and to push fuel through the restrictive regulator valve. By design, the static-style regulator places the check valve between the fuel pump and carburetor, restricting fuel flow across the board. This requires the system to go through waves of operation.