• From: Romeoville, IL
  • Registered: 2009-12-12
  • Posts: 1,117

Topic: Battery shutoff mounted to dash?

Our metro has limited real estate on it and we are thinking of mounting our battery cutoff inside on the dashboard within a few inches of the passenger window.

We are also planning on relocating an OEM fuel tank inside the car on the passenger side. We looked at fuel cells, but I did not like their capacity or general shape from a safety standpoint. This cressida tank is nice and flat, and easy to surround with the structure of the car. Of course, this area will be firewalled off and heavily reinforced.

Problems?

The Charnal House Geo MetSHO: Turning less laps than a regular Metro, the hard way!

1969 Subaru 360

Crab Spirits's Website

  • Jer
  • Jer
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  • From: West Chester, PA
  • Registered: 2009-05-04
  • Posts: 1,316

Re: Battery shutoff mounted to dash?

I personally wouldn't feel comfortable with a fuel cell in the passenger seat area.  Why?  On the Craptation last year, the backfires blew out the can under the car, and each successive backfire heated up the floorboard until it eventually caught fire, one of three different fires we had in that car at Stafford.  The floor is burned to a crispy crunch and now needs to replaced.  If the fuel cell had been sitting there, we would have had three fires and an EXPLOSION.  Just sayin...

Jer / Schumacher Taxi Service
2010 Spring CMP I.O.E. winner
2010 Sebring overall winner
1996 Miata, 1991 BMW E30, 1987 coROLLa (retired), 1984 Citation (retired), 1993 Miata (retired)

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  • From: Romeoville, IL
  • Registered: 2009-12-12
  • Posts: 1,117

Re: Battery shutoff mounted to dash?

Our entire exhaust system will be about 3ft AFT of the gas tank in this case.

The Charnal House Geo MetSHO: Turning less laps than a regular Metro, the hard way!

1969 Subaru 360

Crab Spirits's Website

  • JThw8
  • JThw8
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  • From: Mullica Hill, NJ
  • Registered: 2009-06-10
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Re: Battery shutoff mounted to dash?

Rules are very clear, fuel in the cockpit requires an FIA certified cell.

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  • From: Atlanta, GA
  • Registered: 2009-09-01
  • Posts: 561

Re: Battery shutoff mounted to dash?

Check with the 'gnome guys.  They put the ENGINE in the passenger seat, so there are ways to do it within the rules.

FIA tanks are wicked expensive.

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  • From: Romeoville, IL
  • Registered: 2009-12-12
  • Posts: 1,117

Re: Battery shutoff mounted to dash?

"...If the fuel tank can't be completely separated from the cockpit by metal panels"

The Charnal House Geo MetSHO: Turning less laps than a regular Metro, the hard way!

1969 Subaru 360

Crab Spirits's Website

  • From: ny
  • Registered: 2009-05-15
  • Posts: 525

Re: Battery shutoff mounted to dash?

Jer wrote:

I personally wouldn't feel comfortable with a fuel cell in the passenger seat area.  Why?  On the Craptation last year, the backfires blew out the can under the car, and each successive backfire heated up the floorboard until it eventually caught fire, one of three different fires we had in that car at Stafford.  The floor is burned to a crispy crunch and now needs to replaced.  If the fuel cell had been sitting there, we would have had three fires and an EXPLOSION.  Just sayin...

the craptation was on track long enough to catch fire?

  • Riktor
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Re: Battery shutoff mounted to dash?

Crab Spirits wrote:

Our metro has limited real estate on it and we are thinking of mounting our battery cutoff inside on the dashboard within a few inches of the passenger window.

We are also planning on relocating an OEM fuel tank inside the car on the passenger side. We looked at fuel cells, but I did not like their capacity or general shape from a safety standpoint. This cressida tank is nice and flat, and easy to surround with the structure of the car. Of course, this area will be firewalled off and heavily reinforced.

Problems?

Our battery cut off is located just inside the driver side on the dash. I would make sure it is within access of the driver AND any one outside of the car.

Sons of STIG
Judge Jonny, "So, what's the next formerly thought to be immune from winning that will steal the nickels?An MR2? A Fierro (ha ha ha)? A Datsun/Nissan Z? A Camaro?"
  • Jer
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  • From: West Chester, PA
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Re: Battery shutoff mounted to dash?

eljefe17 wrote:
Jer wrote:

I personally wouldn't feel comfortable with a fuel cell in the passenger seat area.  Why?  On the Craptation last year, the backfires blew out the can under the car, and each successive backfire heated up the floorboard until it eventually caught fire, one of three different fires we had in that car at Stafford.  The floor is burned to a crispy crunch and now needs to replaced.  If the fuel cell had been sitting there, we would have had three fires and an EXPLOSION.  Just sayin...

the craptation was on track long enough to catch fire?

Yeah.  three times.  87 laps total over about five hours.  Keep in mind these are Stafford laps (30 second range-well, 45 in the Craptation).   We also had six bump starts in that time.  We are putting our fuel cell in the trunk area for safety.

Jer / Schumacher Taxi Service
2010 Spring CMP I.O.E. winner
2010 Sebring overall winner
1996 Miata, 1991 BMW E30, 1987 coROLLa (retired), 1984 Citation (retired), 1993 Miata (retired)

Jer's Website

  • From: ny
  • Registered: 2009-05-15
  • Posts: 525

Re: Battery shutoff mounted to dash?

Jer wrote:
eljefe17 wrote:

the craptation was on track long enough to catch fire?

Yeah.  three times.  87 laps total over about five hours.  Keep in mind these are Stafford laps (30 second range-well, 45 in the Craptation).   We also had six bump starts in that time.  We are putting our fuel cell in the trunk area for safety.

that's what amazed me.   those laps there whiz by fast and i remembered only a small total for it

  • From: Toronto, Ontario
  • Registered: 2009-05-03
  • Posts: 1,114

Re: Battery shutoff mounted to dash?

Crab Spirits wrote:

Our metro has limited real estate on it and we are thinking of mounting our battery cutoff inside on the dashboard within a few inches of the passenger window.

We are also planning on relocating an OEM fuel tank inside the car on the passenger side. We looked at fuel cells, but I did not like their capacity or general shape from a safety standpoint. This cressida tank is nice and flat, and easy to surround with the structure of the car. Of course, this area will be firewalled off and heavily reinforced.

Problems?

If you cut away the underside of the floor pan and box it in properly, you're effectively keeping it under the floor...and up and out of the way of debris/exhaust, etc. Sounds safe to me, but better check with tech...in any case, you don't want leaking fuel pooling anywhere...

Jim "Endo" Anderton
30 years of racing and still not Brambilla.....
  • From: Romeoville, IL
  • Registered: 2009-12-12
  • Posts: 1,117

Re: Battery shutoff mounted to dash?

Not to worry, our floor is naturally ventilated.

The Charnal House Geo MetSHO: Turning less laps than a regular Metro, the hard way!

1969 Subaru 360

Crab Spirits's Website