Thinking about running the gas tank neck/cap in my trunk to keep it unseen. I know several of you do this too and just have to gas up by popping the trunk open to access it. My 2 questions are this - what have some of you done to minimize spills in the trunk while you're filling up? Also - any safety features I can include to prevent gas from pouring back into the trunk if the car should ever tip over? I'm not aware of gas caps being liquid proof to prevent leaking out in that type of situation? Sorry if this has been discussed before. Tried to do a search and didn't find anything.
There was a "gas tank in trunk" thread a couple of weeks ago, but I think most had an external filler. My son has an antique International tractor and there is some sort of factory recall cap deal that is supposed to be splill proof in roll overs....but i don't know anything about how it works. It is a taller cap from what I saw in pics.
In my state its against the rules ,I dont care to much but fumes can build up in trunk.What kind of car are you building ,Maybe we can rethink this.
Well now I forgot that the pre 1968 VW Bugs were exactly like that....plus some even had gas fired heaters mounted next to the tank.
why not run a fuel cell with an external filler and a roll over check valve? safer in the car anyway.
I had a 40 ford coupe that had the filler pipe mounted in the trunk. When I built the car, I thought it was slick and left it that way. NEVER again would I have the filler inside the trunk. No matter how carefull you are a little gas will spill and the smell will be in the car. Plus on trips with luggage etc, it is inconvient. I remember in Gatlinburg during the 1st gas crisis in 1974, someone had a small gas can in the trunk of a new Gran Prix. Very hot Tennessee day plus fumes from the can equalled Explosion !! It blew the trunk lid completely off of the car when the owner got in and hit the brake pedal before starting the car. Sounded like dynomite !! DO NOT put the filler in the trunk !!
What about the thousands of old pickups with the tank right behind you? Or my old cj5 with it right under you? I took steps to use a sealed cap and vent outside, I also want to fab up a firewall eventually and some type of draft tube / isolator for the filler
On the old pickups the filler cap was outside not inside the cab. I know there was fumes in the truck sometimes but the biggest area for the fumes to escape is from the less than perfect sealing gas caps. Also you do not spill gas inside the cab when the filler neck is outside the cab.
My ass puckers everytime my air compressor kick on. No I haven't had any problems with fumes yet. Someone told me to put in a bilge vent pump. Ventless cap with a good gasket.
I have the filler in the trunk with the vent to the outside. an old sealing cap. never smell any thing and always watch when filling as to not over fill. Hope I will be safe for the next 20 years???? after that I wont care
I have the stock tank behind my seat in my 50 and I shaved the filler neck. I have to open the pass door and tilt the seat forward to fill up. Kinda stinky but thats the price ya pay for lookin cool.
I run a "Tanks" steel tank in the trunk It has an o-ring sealed cap to neck to stop common sloshes, a roll over valve and vented by a hose outside the trunk, I have never even smelled gas in the trunk, seems safe ,The battery is held down with a heavy duty battery bracket with no terminated battery ends in the trunk,something could always happen , but it won't because I didn't try to do it right.,Sam
A few years ago I saw a custom that had a box with a sealed lid around the filler neck. It took up a bit of space but kept all fumes and spills outside of the car. if the filler is off to the side a surplus ammo can with a hole cut in the bottom and a bit of sealer between it and the floor before it is bolted down would work pretty well.
This topic is on my mind latley. I am trying to figure out how I 'm gonna do it on my Nash. I gotta stuff pumps, and a gas tank in that little trunk. Lots of voltage and a gas tank. I think I'll run the filler outside on this one. Damn Lowriders
for possible spills I saw a cheap tech article somewhere were the guy used a stainless steel drip pan (?) thing that goes under the burners in your stove. the filler pops up through the middle and is sealed so any spillage goes in the pan, then he had a drain to the ground.
What a bunch of pussies... Model T's, under the seat or in the cowl. Model A right above your knees. Crosleys I think were on the firewall. Some International trucks too. I had 3 VW's with the tank in the front in the trunk, I had a TR-3 with the tank right behind the seats, and it leaked on the carpet until I took it out and soldered it up with my grandpa's copper soldering iron from the farm in Texas. (still got the soldering iron, the TR-3's long gone.) Probably should have replaced the carpet... MGB GT I currently own the tank's underneath but the filler goes thrugh the trunk with a rubber hose with a "vapor tank" and assorted hoses in the 1/4 panel, inside the passenger/trunk area compartment. If you're destined to drown you'll never hang. If you smell gas, fix the leak and the vent.
What he said. Plus, if you roll an old car, I think that the lack of seat belts combined with the poorly designed seats and door latches will insure that you are no longer in the car when it burst into flames.
Thanks for the ideas. Still concerned about the rollover aspect though. The car is a lowered 48 Plymouth that will be a daily driver for my 17yr old son. I do have some concerns about a teenager not being as careful as I would be when filling the car up, but am considering building a "box" around the whole neck/cap to at least contain any sloppiness when he fills it up. Like the idea of a ventless cap and running another ventline outside of the car, but was wondering how that would look. It would have to be coming to the top of the trunk area to work properly in a rollover situation. What abour rain getting into it? Am I trying to be too "kool" and sacrificing safety by considering this? His safety is my first responsibility and don't want to take any unnecessary chances just to obtain some look. Anyone have pictures of the gas cap OUTSIDE of a lowered and shaved car I could look at? Is there other areas that I'm not thinking of we could "hide" the filler cap? Behind the license plate won't be an option either since it has one of those "hidden" plates that raises up when the car is started.
if you are capable of rolling over a lowered 48 plymouth..your playing very ...very hard im thinking i would be worried about alot more than this is this just a cruiser? or drag racing build?
Definately cruiser only. He doesn't know it yet, but plan on putting a governor on it to limit its' top speed. Good point on the car being difficult to roll. Maybe I'm thinking about it too hard, but when your kids are involved, ..... welll, you know.
I like your stryle DrJ !!!, No BS , Smeel it Fix it ,,,I have had a lot of the sprites, migets, B's, TR's before I wised up and got rid of them all for a hot rod 55 Chev and a Highboy,,,,,Sam
All of the cars DrJ listed still have the filler out side the car and are vented to the outside. Do like a caddy and put the filler behind a flip out taillight and seal that off from the trunk area.
I used a OT foreign car outside filler door and neck assembly mounted thru thru the trunk floor. It has a door and is gaketed at the trunk surface. Also have a cable operated latch in the trunk to open it. The filler neck under the trunk foor has a 1/4" vent tube that points down. Never any smell or fumes. If I roll the Merc I think the spill would be the least of my worries. Jim
Good point on the car being difficult to roll. Maybe I'm thinking about it too hard, but when your kids are involved, ..... welll, you know.[/QUOTE] Yeah i know...and your right to be thinking about this, guess all you can do is hope you rased him right and go from there.
We used to go to the bone yard and get an old VW front quarter with the filler door and graft it onto the car. put it anywhere you want and run fuel hose to the tank. I would not fill it in the trunk if your son is gonna be driving it, bad idea. As for the drip can, well that won't take care of the fumes and the fumes are what catch fire.
The Jalopy Journal
