While fuel pumps are not something that typically requires calibration in the manner sensors or injectors might, you have to be sure they operate within your specified parameters. A fuel pump might be designed to flow, say, 255 liters per hour (LPH) of fuel at 43 PSI. That’s the type of specification you’d usually see in your favorite parts catalog. But for some or many high-performance uses and aftermarket installations, setting up the fuel pump to consistently flow at its proper pound-per-square-inch can seem like nothing more than a calibration.
Drivers will fit an adjustable fuel pressure regulator for racing or performance environments. The regulators permit users to modulate the pressure provided by their fuel pumps for setting it according to optimal requirements of their engine. For instance, you may need to raise fuel pressure from 43 PSI at the injectors of a stock engine as shown above all the way up to around 58 or even more depending on how much horsepower is being produced by an upgraded boosted intake.
Teams lost fuel pressure in 2010, the first year NASCAR mandated a new electronic fuel pump. The variable fuel flow of the high speed sections meant that different cars would sometimes drop off during race-critical points due to lack in power. This incident illustrates that even tiny variations in fueling can have major effects on output.
Fuel pump capacity must also match the engine’s fuel requirements. If a fuel pump only supports 400 horsepower but the engine needs 500 hp, changes in tuning and regulators may not be able make up for everything. A well-tuned engine begins with a properly matched fuel system, as the old adage automotive engineer and tuners David Vizard are noted for saying.
In the end, fuel pumps do not have calibration in the traditional sense carried out on them but making sure they operate within a specific pressure and flow rate range is simply another form of calibrating for performance.
Any more information regarding fuel pump selection and validation check Fuel Pump.