fuel cell pickups

[JohnRW]

Aluminum box would work just fine, as would steel.

You had previously asked about getting a surge tank into the cell - Hopefully, you have a cell with a large, oval opening, like all the ATL and Fuel-Safe (and similar...) cells have. If you've got one of the circle-track types with just a 3-4" hole and cap on top, you're screwed. You can't just saw a hole in a cell without changing your name to "Roman Candle" (didn't he used to QB for the Rams ?).

Finding something to seal the seams with ? Hmmm...there are some fuel-proof sealants, like 'Wellseal', and PermaTex probably makes their "Aviation Form-A-Gasket" stuff, which always seemed to be fuel resistant. Making it 'leak-proof' probably isn't the highest priority, you just have to keep the leakage rate well below the fill rate of whatever valving you use.

If you can convince somebody to sell you the ball-check valves that are used in the commercially available surge tanks, great. If not, hinges or 'self-bailers' from boats (which are almost certainly fuel-proof...even though fuel in the bilgewater is a very bad thing).

For the "hinge-method", see:
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/show...ad.php?t=175733

I foresee a great deal of bath-tub testing. You'll be the guy we see this summer who looks like a prune.

[benracin]

Ruh roh. It's a large circle, might be 4", can't remember off the top of my head. Is that going to require to small of a surge tank? I should just go empty out a propane bottle now and start tapping hose fittings I'm thinking.

[planet6racing]

Ben:

I'm pretty certain you are OK. You're filler is the 3" circle, but if you unbolt the larger, oval panel, you'll be able to get it in.

------------------
Bill
Planet 6 Racing
bill (at) planet6racing (dot) com

[benracin]

I was waiting for you to get in on this Bill. Sounds like fun doesn't it!

What if instead of one large fuel cell that the fuel can slosh around in, I just make 6 tiny fuel cells. Or better yet, one 4 foot tall 2 inch wide fuel cell. If I'm ever running second near the finish line I could flip a switch that would lite the end of it making it a scud rocket to take out the guy in front. Sounds like an even better plan to me.

Now back to some real thinking about the subject.

[Greg Gauper]

You could also make it out of brass and use solder to seal the seams like on a model RC airplane. Alternatively, you might see if one of the larger plastic fuel tanks for very large scale model plane would work as a surge tank. The large scale airplanes are typically gas powered so the tanks are fuel resistant.

If you make it out of aluminum, you might have some luck with JB weld as a seam sealer.

The 'check valves' used on the surge tank aren't really check valves...they are more like discriminator valves. There are no springs. It's just a ball in a tube. When fuel trys to enter the surge tank, it easily pushes the ball out of its way. When fuel trys to leave the tank, the flow causes the ball to flow away from the surge tank, and this blocks the flow. And yes, before I installed my tank in my cell I played with it in a sink full of water to see how it operated. It's pretty cool! I didn't prune up too badly

That said, since you have a carb'd motor, you should be fine with a dual pump set up. You won't have any problem with the two low pressure pumps fighting each other. This is a very common set up on Spridgets & MG Prod cars. If you go with the dual pump set up, you shouldn't need the surge tank. Each pump will have its own pick-up line and you should have them installed one in each rear corner. Fuel Safe makes 'duckfoot' pick-up adapters that sit on the floor of the cell in the corners. (See page 40 of the Pegasus catalog, p/n 2521-3/8). One pump should have a pick up in the left rear corner and the other should draw fuel from the right rear corner. You should install a fuel pressure regulator after the 'T' but before the carb, so that you can limit the fuel pressure. A standard Holley regulator in the 1-4psi range should work fine. Use check valves with a very light spring i.e. 1 psi or less between the pumps and the T.

David,

Some of us are old enough to remember the problems that the Showroom Stock guys had with their OEM tanks on the early RX7's back in the early 80's. Some guys (the Jeffords brothers come to mind) had to run a minimum of 1/2 tank of fuel to keep from starving with the stock set up...

[benracin]

Knowing David and his resourceful methods, he's probably got a little mouse in his tank that runs buckets of fuel over to his fuel pick up. As long as he doesn't reword Mickey Mouse with a pack of smokes it's probably a pretty good plan.

[Joe Craven]

Holley pickup which is sold by Summit Racing
http://www.holley.com/HiOctn/ProdLine/Prod...SFP/12-951.html

[ddewhurst]

Ben, ya remember what I told ya about letting out secrets. (the mouse ) Since I have viewed that your working on your car this winter ya forced me to procure a heater for the "Stewart Garage" & I am also bussy. Kerosene is cheaper than Propane. I figured the speed things are well on their way from last year & now I need to do the suspenion stuff so I can get through the corners faster so that I can see if the mouse can keep up.

Greg, I figure the car is lighter puting less gas in the tank & then keeping the corner speed lower so that there is zero fuel starvation except that being slower is not good. Hence the mouse which don't eat much (economics), it continously works because she knows she will get more food at the end of the session & she is light weight. To keep her light weight she receives an enema after she eats. Ya will never catch the mouse because she will scamper out as soon as ya take the gas cap off. Evidence lost.....
I know the enema is illegal so go ahead & protest me.

Darn Ben, now I'm trying to be a story teller like you except that you tell a story much better.

Have Fun
David

[ddewhurst]

***I know the enema is illegal so go ahead & protest me.***

O-shit, Ya can't protest me because ya need the mouse that received the enema & the mouse scampered out. Evidence gone.....

[planet6racing]

Originally posted by ddewhurst:
To keep her light weight she receives an enema after she eats. Ya will never catch the mouse because she will scamper out as soon as ya take the gas cap off. Evidence lost.....
I know the enema is illegal so go ahead & protest me.

OK, this officially qualifies as TOO MUCH INFORMATION!!!

[benracin]

As far as the rules go, if it says you can... you bloody well can. I didn't read anything about allowing a mouse. Now, if it says you can't, then you bloody well can't. So it doesn't say you can't have a mouse, so maybe it's ok? Maybe I should look into this mouse thing.

Maybe if I get 3 mice, 2 to operate a rail road car type pumping device to move the fuel and one to run the hose around to where it's at, I could get rid of the fuel pump. Hmmm...

[dickita15]

as long as the mouse is up to factory specifications and methods...

dick

[ITSRotary]

Ben,

I'm in Duluth, drop me an e-mail. I have a new Fuel Safe surge box I'd be willing to part with reasonably cheap.

itsrotary at aol dot com

Steve

[apr67]

Fuel pump is open, so a mouse as part of your fuel pump should be legal.

The enema is just part of, cleaning the fuel pump, and might even be a factory procedure for that model.

[m glassburner]

Just one mouse here...Mighty Mouse