To solve the need for a fuel tank in my 49 Chevy, I'm planning on a simple 12 gallon fuel cell mounted in the trunk area. I have the trunk lid set up so that it can be easily opened without a key or anything...providing easy access. I know lots of pro-street guys run cells on the street, but I have personally never done it. It's cheaper than a new gas tank ($105 vs $215), and I'd have to believe it's safer, too. Would the foam be neccessary on a street car? The fuel cell comes without it...but it can be added if desired. I can see the advantage in a dedicated circle track or drag car...but is it needed on the street? Anyone else run a cell in their car? Thanks in advance for any input here!
I ran 'em in my gotta outrun everyone period. They work fine but take up trunk space. On a 12 galloon cell you shouldn't notice much of a problem, but the foam also makes baffeling. When you start sloshing back and forth on a bigger tank it can really throw you around. We used to remove the foam and replace it with Ventilated (I can't remember the right name) PVC tied into bundles with big wireties on the bigger tanks. You know the PVC with the holes in it.
You need the foam because the cell doesn't have any baffles. That said, a full-on cell - meaning foam installed - is safer than a regular tank. Be sure and spring for the tipover valve on the vent outlet. A couple of caveats: Don't get the drag racing cell with the fuel outlets at the bottom. A fitting leak can really create some problems if fuel is dumped into the trunk. Get the circle track model with the top mounted fuel outlet. You can find circle track models with fuel gauge senders. Although my experience - and others I know - with the capacitance type senders has the sending unit failing after a few years. Spend the extra bucks and get a fuel cell with steel or aluminum outer case. Aside from the extra crash protection a couple of benefits are: beter sealing at the tank filler inlet. The reason for the better sealing is the angled filler piece on the tank or the cap mount - depending which way you go - does not sit on a smooth cast in surface like it should. the cell surface where the mfg. cuts the inlet mount hole is usually pebbled like the rest of the tank and even thick rubber gaskets don't seal as well as they should so you end up with a very minor amount of weepage. Which means the trunk can have a faint gas smell. The other advantage with a metal encased plastic cell is you don't have to worry about something (tool box, jack?) with a sharp or even dull edge wearing a hole in the cell plastic as the miles go by. One other comment, don't take the vent line and run it directly to the outside. I did at first, ran the vent line up inside the trunk as high as it would go and then went down through the trunk floor and outside making the vent line end about even with the lower edge of the frame rail. The escaping vapors aren't a particular danger in the garage, but you will smell it when you first enter. Not to mention getting a heady whiff of gas fumes if you crawl under the car and are near the vent outlet. What worked well for me in the vent line dept was to take a cue from recent cars. I ran the line up inside the trunk as high as possible, went out through the trunk to a small steel encased Toyota pickup charcoal cannister mounted in front of the rear axle and behind the under body battery. From there, forward to an Earls fuel filter - the model with stainless screen, they have two models of filter inside the aluminum housing. The stainless screen model is about the same mesh as the acetylene tank fire stop gadget you put in the acet line of your gas welder and operates the same as far as flame suppression goes. From the filter the vent line goes forward into the engine compartment and exhausts into the air filter. It's a good system that works well and there is no flash-back danger with an engine backfire due to the fuel filter/flash suppression gadget as well as the charcoal cannister. Paint the charcoal cannister black, tuck it up under the body and most will never notice it. And if they do, who cares....
One thing I meant to add, your fuel capacity with foam will be less. The 16 gallon cell in the 32 has never had much more than a touch over 12 gallons put in. That's where the gauge indicated really, really empty. It probably holds more than 12 gallons slightly +, but I've never ran it all the way out. Twelve gallons gets me about as far as I need to go most times. That's 120 - 160 miles with a touch of reserve depending on how heavy the throttle foot it.
I have a 16 gallon cell with foam and a sender, and Yep, the sender ****s. it only works about a 3rd of the time. And I DO get seepage around the filler. I however have never had any trouble getting it to fill up. I can get 16 gallons plus a little in mine!?!
I've been running one in my A for about 7 years now, no problems yet. I used it cause it was a freebie, it has the bottom outlet that comes through the floor pan so if it did leak, it would be outside the car and easy to spot. It has the foam and vent. The only time I get a wiff of fuel smell is if I fill it plum full. On my vent line, I ran it in a LOOP at the top and out the back of the car. The loop acts like a P-trap in a sink and you dont get the smell and most importantly, if you roll your car the gas wont just start dumping out,...On the way back from B-ville 50th in 98 we were hit by a semi-truck about 30 miles of the salt, needless to say my little Model A coupe did'nt do so good against the big rig and we rolled that ****er almost into the on comming lane,as the semi just kept going. After the cloud disapeared we rolled it back on the wheels stared it up and took off with hardly any fuel spilled mostly oil out off the engine(it did'nt like being upside down)After geting home replaced the axle(bent like hell)and still driving it today....good luck & be safe.
I ran a fuel cell in my chevy II and at first was a little skeptical...but actually found out they are safer than normal tanks...just make sure you vent it right or you'll be drivin down the road in la-la land
My pop runs a 14 gal. fuel cell in his chevy... he told me a while back, you have to have the foam inside when running on the street.... I forgot the **** after that, but i would spend the extra buck and make it perdictiable(sp).
http://www.mustangsplus.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=MPFMP&Category_Code=gas_tanks . $120. Doesnt say how much it holds, but I would guess 16-18gal?
I have a 15 gallon fuel cell sunk into the trunk of my 51 Chevy. It sits flush with the floor and dosen't take up any space.. At first I had a mustang full tank in my car it worked ok except when I would drag race the fuel would slosh out of the vent tube..because I didn't have very long filler neck. Buy the way I've had the cell in my car for 4 years now with no problems.
Fuel cells are a safe alternative. The foam inside of the cell is used to control fuel slosh. It also is suppose to hold some of the fuel in case of rupture, I don't trust that part of it, so I have an evacuation plan just in case. I've worked on cars that didn't have foam and he was still winning races. One thing with the foam is that it must be replaced periodically, because it will cruble when it gets old. I replace the foam in my fuel cell every two years and it still looks fine.
...and when the foam gets old... it heads for the carburetor. Make sure you have a good fuel filter. And if you want to run the car at the strip; tech will want to see a firewall to seperate the cell from the p***enger compartment. Keep that in mind if you plan on going down the 1320!
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