Yes, you need some sort of regulation on there, otherwise your pump is just going to keep pumping fuel it can't push through fast enough. The idea (hopefully this makes sense) is to just keep pumping a ton of fuel, let the injectors use exactly what they need, and the extra is just looped back to the tank. If there is no loop back, then the pump just works harder supplying way more fuel with no place for it to go. So, if you want to run the A1000, yes you'll need a RR. You can rely on the stock return, but it's just not a very effective return. Or, you can buy an actual RR. That would be ideal, but yes you can use the stock regulation setup with the A1000. Kind of like dropping a lambo motor in a go cart, it's there but you can't really use it efficiently. I would only go that route if you plan on buying a RR down the road, if not, just buy another stock pump. The AD100 and the stock pump should still be a good setup. Maybe just go that route now until you've got the funds for a bigger pump and a RR.

 

This is where my years of hot rodding my '67 Mustang come into play. There are two types of fuel pumps, dead head and return. Dead heads (Holley red/blue/black or a mechanical) have a check valve that will stop fuel flow when x-amount of load is sensed, then resume flow when the load drops. Therefore no return needed, although the pump keeps working.

A return fuel pump (i.e. A1000) will burn itself up if there is a load because the fluid isn't moving, or not moving as desired. Hence the need for a regulated return, or bypass fuel pressure regulator in hot rod talk. The better quality the regulator, the longer the pump should survive.

 

Our system is dead head with a return.... let's ponder on that.... hahaha

 

Not exactly. There are two sides to a bypass regulator, one feeds the desired pressure to the fuel delivery point (this could be considered dead head, but it isn't), the banjo bolts on the front of the heads in our case. The other side redirects any excess volume/pressure back to the tank. Therefore, it is a constant flow return system.

A true dead head system doesn't need that return. The check valve in the pump covers that. This is why I included the old school mechanical pump in my example of a dead head pump. The fuel system on my '67 is a dead head: tank/filter/Holley blue/regulator (lower psi and feed nitrous gas solenoid)/700 Holley DP. No return, dead head system.

On that note, it looks like one who is good with AN fittings could make his own regulated return. I just looked up 3~4 different systems from $450-$650. They all had a few things in common:
Aeromotive bypass regulator
Distribution block/Y block whatever to get to the feed lines to the heads
Banjo fittings.

I'm going to have to look into this a little more. RCD's setup still used the filter housing. Why? Use the AD150 as filter/lift pump, an A1000 to get to regulator, then the regulator. I'd ditch the engine mounted reg/filter housing to clean things up under the hood.

 

It's still widely viewed as a "dead head" system, since the fuel goes in and doesn't leave the head at all. It's obviously regulated prior to reaching the heads, but I understand what you're saying. It's kind of a foolish terminology used.

Yeah I think a RR could be built easily. Look at the dozers units... he's basically just building those from common fittings. If I was going all out, I'd bypass the upper filter housing too. Some guys are just using an A1000 or a fuelab with a pre and post filter on that and not even doing the AD150 or the likes. I think that setup could be made to work, though having the lift pump is never a bad thing, and then you've also got the filtration/pump built into one compact unit.

 

Definitely agree that it is foolish terminology.