Author Topic: Dry sump oil tank mounting - location  (Read 3288 times)

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Offline metermatch

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Dry sump oil tank mounting - location
« on: April 25, 2015, 12:16:58 AM »
I have a question on mounting a dry sump oil system oil tank.  Car is a Honda CRX, 4 cyl Honda motor, NA but sometime will get nitrous.

I need to mount the dry sump tank in the front passenger area due to space issues.

Is it OK to just securely mount the tank inside the cage area, without being inside some sort of box/secondary containment?

I have seen numerous cars, including the Hondata CRX, that have the oil tank exposed in the passenger compartment. 

But are there issues with doing this?  Is this a questionable practice? Are there any rules proposals in the pipeline to change this?  What could go wrong?

I have run at Bonneville, and plan to run at El Mirage, Loring, and Wilmington.  I would swear I read a rule/post somewhere that one of the venues were requiring secondary containment if the oil tank was exposed in the drivers compartment, just like the existing rules prohibiting exposed fuel tanks in the drivers compartment.  I just can't find anything in any of the rule books, beyond "the oil tank must be vented outside the car, in lower area of car"

If I do put the exposed oil tank in the drivers compartment, would it be a good idea to add a fire system nozzle aimed at the tank?  Any other recommendations?

Thanks,

Jeff  #2470

Offline jacksoni

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Re: Dry sump oil tank mounting - location
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2015, 12:16:28 PM »
I am not aware that things have changed but I ( and a lot of others) have mounted a tank as you suggest. No comments from inspectors other than the vents -which my first year with that arrangement were not originally outside and they required that change, as the current rule book states. Basically I think you are good to go. Extra fire system/nozzles and such are never a bad idea, but you have to be sure the driver has first priority. If you want a formal response- also never a bad idea when questions come up- it looks like page 195 in the rule book points you to Roy Creel.
Jack Iliff
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Offline Dynoroom

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Re: Dry sump oil tank mounting - location
« Reply #2 on: April 26, 2015, 04:02:55 PM »
The reason you've "heard" there might be issues is because you are looking at 3 different sanctioning bodies, SCTA, ECTA, LTA.

As far as the SCTA goes there are no issues rules wise with mounting the tank in the drivers compartment. The first thing they tell you is to not read things into the rules that aren't there.
I will let others that run the other organizations reply for them.
Michael LeFevers
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Offline Saltfever

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Re: Dry sump oil tank mounting - location
« Reply #3 on: April 27, 2015, 03:18:03 AM »
There is nothing in the rule book that prevents you from adding more safety than what is specified in the book. It is really just a balance between the rule book minimum requirements and the practicality of going beyond that to mitigate what you perceive as risk. Of all the LSR accidents, how many oil tanks contributed to driver injuries or were part of the accident chain of events? I don’t remember any but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Each one of us views risk differently and you must decide the proper balance for yourself. I have seen tank mounts that raise more of a concern. Oil weighs slightly less than 6lbs/gallon. 4 gallons of oil in a 5 gallon tank, plus internals (hoses, heater, baffles, etc.) could easily weigh 30-40lbs. In an accident registering 20-100Gs that tank becomes an unguided missile! Secondary containment is a good idea but the mounts are far more important.
« Last Edit: April 27, 2015, 03:36:24 AM by Saltfever »