Author Topic: Fabricating a fuel cell for EFI, bladder-less? Stainless or aluminum?  (Read 26339 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Richard 2

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 465
  • 2 Richards Racing
Re: Fabricating a fuel cell for EFI, bladder-less? Stainless or aluminum?
« Reply #15 on: August 21, 2014, 10:59:22 PM »
Use Aluminum if your to heavy, or Stainless Steel if your to lite.
219.648 mph F/BFMR 2010 Record
4 cylinder Esslinger
Could of had a V8

Offline Rex Schimmer

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2625
  • Only time and money prevent completion!
Re: Fabricating a fuel cell for EFI, bladder-less? Stainless or aluminum?
« Reply #16 on: August 22, 2014, 03:05:37 PM »
When you build the tank make it small in plan view and tall in side view, make a sump at the bottom for the fuel pump inlet and if you are using EFI make sure that the return from the fuel pressure regulator dumps the return fuel below the fuel level and as far away from the pump inlet as possible and maybe even put a small baffle between the return area and the pump inlet sump. Use only stainless lines, a little bit more of a pain in the a$$ but much more reliable especially at the salt. When you build the tank you don't really need a break you can bend up the sides with a pipe or angle "iron" clamped to a good table. Heed Freud's comment about the corners not being a sharp edge, very difficult to weld and they like to fail. You need to buy (or make one yourself) a tee dolly which you use to radius the edges before you weld them, then the weld becomes a butt weld much easier to weld and much stronger. That is probably how Jason in Freud's pic put the radius on the tank he is welding ( he may also have an edge radius rollers for his bead roller). If you happen to make the tank from aluminum, back weld as many of the joints from the inside of the tank as you can (I am assuming that you will TIG weld the tank) as it will reduce the number of leaks that you will have. If you plan the tank out right you can do all of the side welds and the bottom welds from both sides (i.e. back weld) then weld the top on, again radiusing the corners. I have built a number of aluminum gas tanks and have never had one that didn't leak (maybe that is a statement on my TIG welding  ability!) so when you are done fill the tank with water and mark the leaks then weld them closed and check again. I have an aluminum gas tank in my little lakes roadster and have put probably 15,000 miles on it without problem but I check it alot.

Rex
Rex

Not much matters and the rest doesn't matter at all.

Offline Boostedballs

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 69
Re: Fabricating a fuel cell for EFI, bladder-less? Stainless or aluminum?
« Reply #17 on: September 25, 2014, 04:48:41 PM »
I have lot of 1/8" thick stainless that I would like to use for the tank. At this thickness, do I really need to bend the corners and butt weld? I'll bet I can set the car on top of the tank and not break a corner weld. I can bend it up if absolutely necessary; but it will be a lot more work to make a tight fitment. This will have twin 360lph pumps setup similar to the Stealth series.

Should I rubber mount or use straps and leather between tank and body???

Offline manta22

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4137
  • What, me worry?
Re: Fabricating a fuel cell for EFI, bladder-less? Stainless or aluminum?
« Reply #18 on: September 25, 2014, 08:51:17 PM »
I have lot of 1/8" thick stainless that I would like to use for the tank. At this thickness, do I really need to bend the corners and butt weld? I'll bet I can set the car on top of the tank and not break a corner weld. I can bend it up if absolutely necessary; but it will be a lot more work to make a tight fitment. This will have twin 360lph pumps setup similar to the Stealth series.

Should I rubber mount or use straps and leather between tank and body???

Some rubber strips will keep the tank from chafing on the body. A couple of heavy-duty steel straps with T-bolt fasteners over the tank is a good strong restraint. Think tractor-trailer fuel tank mounts.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline Boostedballs

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 69
Re: Fabricating a fuel cell for EFI, bladder-less? Stainless or aluminum?
« Reply #19 on: November 05, 2014, 03:49:54 PM »
So I decided to go with the 1/8" thick stainless for the tank material and I will attempt to bend the corners and butt weld them. If I can't get a good bend, I might try corner welds for the sake of an easy weld and install triangular gussets inside to hold the sides together. Thoughts on this?

I am having trouble finding a fuel plate that will integrate the twin internal fuel pumps, filler cap, vent, supply and return lines and most importantly... the electrical feed-throughs for the fuel pumps. I could use a couple of large nylon bolts / nuts and just tread brass all-thread through them, but there must be something out there that I can slap on there and move on with the project without breaking the bank in the process. (?)

To those who have bent and flared stainless tubing: Should I run two AN-6 supply lines or a single AN-8? My fuel rails have AN-6 fittings and I already have a bunch of 3/8" stainless tubing. Also, I plan on running a braided rubber return line back to the tank located as low as possible in the tank and as far away from the pickup as possible. (as suggested here) :cheers:

Offline Sumner

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 4078
  • Blanding, Ut..a small dot in the middle of nowhere
    • http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/sumnerindex.html
Re: Fabricating a fuel cell for EFI, bladder-less? Stainless or aluminum?
« Reply #20 on: November 05, 2014, 05:16:57 PM »
.......If I can't get a good bend, I might try corner welds for the sake of an easy weld and install triangular gussets inside to hold the sides together. Thoughts on this?...

I wouldn't worry about that and in fact....



http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/Hooley%202013/13%20-%20construction%20menu.html

.... have a lot of corner welds on the intercooler tank above and...


http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/Hooley%202013/13%20-%20construction%20menu.html

....the rad-in-a-box.

So far no problems.  These cars don't go hundreds of miles,

Sumner

Offline GH

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 848
Re: Fabricating a fuel cell for EFI, bladder-less? Stainless or aluminum?
« Reply #21 on: November 06, 2014, 09:51:31 AM »
I corner welded my 16 ga. stainless steel fuel tank and used it 10 years without any problems, and Sumner, I still sharpen the tungsten with the belt sander and I am still alive. hahaha

Offline Sumner

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 4078
  • Blanding, Ut..a small dot in the middle of nowhere
    • http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/sumnerindex.html
Re: Fabricating a fuel cell for EFI, bladder-less? Stainless or aluminum?
« Reply #22 on: November 06, 2014, 10:29:32 AM »
... and Sumner, I still sharpen the tungsten with the belt sander and I am still alive. hahaha

Private joke since I was trying to get the "old set in his way's man" to try Chen Sharp vs. the grinder.

If anyone is interested a video......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSSaJ-Ke7as

.... and I don't use the torch but short it out but might try the torch.  I also use a small HF dedicated grinder at times  :-D,

Sumner


Offline Peter Jack

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3776
Re: Fabricating a fuel cell for EFI, bladder-less? Stainless or aluminum?
« Reply #23 on: November 06, 2014, 11:46:44 AM »
I'm with you Gary, I still do exactly the same.

My welder is old school too and doesn't have square wave or any of the fancy settings, just amperage, high feq., post flow and a pedal. It still turns out good old fashioned quality work and I can weld the bottom of two pop cans together with it.  :-D :-D :-D

Pete


Offline floydjer

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4242
  • "There is no duck side of the moon..."
Re: Fabricating a fuel cell for EFI, bladder-less? Stainless or aluminum?
« Reply #25 on: November 07, 2014, 08:11:57 AM »
BB...Let us know  bending .125 stainless without a press brake works out for you.
I`d never advocate drugs,alcohol,violence or insanity to anyone...But they work for me.

Offline GH

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 848
Re: Fabricating a fuel cell for EFI, bladder-less? Stainless or aluminum?
« Reply #26 on: November 07, 2014, 05:46:53 PM »
It's not going to work at all.

Offline Mandi Engineering

  • New folks
  • Posts: 13
Re: Fabricating a fuel cell for EFI, bladder-less? Stainless or aluminum?
« Reply #27 on: January 11, 2015, 10:51:03 PM »
I will be in the same situation at the OP with fabricating my own fuel tank. I thought about going aluminum for the corrosion resistance but seems SS would be a better way to go. A few questions regarding custom tanks:

1) what should be the thickness of metal (aluminum and ss)?
2) could you build 2 or even 3 tanks and have them filled then swap tanks out for runs? (this will be for a motorcycle with limited space for a large fuel tank)

Offline manta22

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4137
  • What, me worry?
Re: Fabricating a fuel cell for EFI, bladder-less? Stainless or aluminum?
« Reply #28 on: January 12, 2015, 11:16:31 AM »
For a very small tank, 18ga should be fine but 16ga is probably going to be easier to weld.


Regards, Neil Tucson, AZ
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline kiwi belly tank

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3132
Re: Fabricating a fuel cell for EFI, bladder-less? Stainless or aluminum?
« Reply #29 on: January 12, 2015, 08:36:35 PM »
I've always built tanks with aluminum & made corner welds & never had a failure. I leave the ends of the sheets exposed at the corner with a thin gap on the back side, that gives a 90 deg "V" to get a full width weld. If the tank has a large volume, build some center support into the mount base for it. I usually use 1/8 but have never used any less that .090.
  Sid.