Fuel Cell construction

[Curtis Guise]

I was thinking of having my friend that Tig welds build me a fuel cell out of aluminum for my prerunner. The reason is so I can make it any size and shape that I want. But I need to know if you definitely need to have a blader and use the aluminum for a shell, or can you just make the entire thing out of aluminum and not have it be a safety issue.. It wouldn't need to be legal for racing because its a prerunner. What thickness for the aluminum should be used?

thanks

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[fishd00d]

I know a lot of trucks that my friends have that its just an alumn. tank....no bladder or anything inside. They have raced with it like that too.

Go Big Or Go Home
United Jumping Truck Society

[mgobaja]

Well either way you can still put baffels or foam in it to help reduce the fuel slosh. The down side to an aluminum only tank is that with the constant abuse it will get it will crack in time then leak. A bladder will reduce this possibilty.

[BIG_FAT_LOSER]

I beleive fuel safe can make a blader for any shape and size cell but it is pricey.

If your gunna go.........go Ghetto...

[ntsqd]

For the cost vs. strength I'd go with steel. Not as trick or cool looking as aluminum, but it'll live and get you back from San Juanico and the material won't cost a fortune.
Make the bottom from something about 10 or 11 gauge, the sides & top can be thinner. Really helps if you know a HVAC sheetmetal guy that you can talk into bending up all of the bits. Design all seams to overlap (no butt welds) & weld both edges when you can. Make the top the last part to go on so that you can easily weld baffles in it.
Baffle design can be as simple as two 'C' shapes with the openings facing each other. Make one 'C' about 2" taller than the other and sort of overlap them to form a box for the pick-up. If possible put that in the center of the bottom and add more baffles to control lateral slosh.

When it's all welded together get some US Std. Fuel tank Sealer from POR-15.com & treat the inside with it. That will prevent it from rusting and will seal any pinholes you might have.

TS

I used swerve around my halucinations, now I drive right thru them.

[ntsqd]

Baffle shape clarification: c]
Hope that helps.

TS

I used swerve around my halucinations, now I drive right thru them.

[1992f150]

without the bladder your basicly building a gas tank. What are you trying to accomplish, be able to hold more fuel or something?

Azusa: shame of the foothills

[Snmiedo]

We have a 41.5 Gallon Fuel Cell that is manufactured for us exclusively by Fuel Safe. It has an aluminum Tig welded container, 5 year warranty, 1" vent with rollover check valve, 2 1/4" or 3" remote filler with flapper valve, plumbed for pickup and return fuel fittings, and also has a sending unit available. It is designed to fit between the frame rails of ANY truck; mini, mid, full size, or SUV. It is also SCORE and FIA legal.
Baja Shop, Baja Racing Products, Race Ready Products, H&M Motorsports, and B&R Buggie currently stock them at $895 w/o sending unit and $995 with sending unit. It is indeed more expensive than a square "Jazz type" tank but has many more benefits including the slanted departure angle on the bottom of the tank. A like custom bladder from Fuel Safe would run nearly $1,400.
Feel free to e-mail (mike@racerxms.com) or call me should you have any questions (760)918-0777.
Thanks!
Michael Cohen
Racer X Motorsports

[CRAIG_HALL]

Almost every sand car out there has an aluminum tank with a couple of baffles. Aluminum should be OK as long as you cradle it in 1/8" rubber or something similiar to prevent it from rubbing metal to metal.
Definietly try to build it as ntsqd stated. Let me know if you need some bending done, I do all the prototyping fabricating at a sheetmetal shop in ontario.

[ACID_RAIN28]

I got a 40 gallon tank built from .100 wall 5000 series aluminum. No Bladder but it has a baffles with a maze baffle for the pickup, simmilar to those found in the tanks of late model chevys. I would suggest that you do not make it from 6061 t6 if you want to bend it. I would not make the tank any thinner than .090. I got all the pieces, about a 6X5' piece from KH metals in Riverside for about 140.


Anyone can escape into sleep, we are all geniuses when we dream.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by ACID_RAIN28 on 12/03/02 10:33 PM (server time).</FONT></P>