Topic: Fuel Cell Install - Vent/Cage/Mount - Check Our Work Please!

ATL Fuel Cell in a 280Z.  Anyone see anything we might have missed that would fail tech?

In case the pictures suck...  Vent hose routes forward and above tank, loops around cage cross member to the rear of the tank, through the floor and terminates below and behind the tank.

Tank is caged from below similar to the top.  Cage cross members are welded to floor and through bolted into support brackets added underheath the floor.

Any issues that need to be addressed?

http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p682/mark8040/Tank3_zps8de9ed78.jpg

http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p682/mark8040/Tank1_zps52a8efe6.jpg

http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p682/mark8040/Tank2_zps9a1da465.jpg

http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p682/mark8040/Tank5_zps86285666.jpg

http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/p682/mark8040/Tank4_zpse01e5213.jpg

Re: Fuel Cell Install - Vent/Cage/Mount - Check Our Work Please!

nice structure. That might save you from having Jay tell you to move it forward to between the strut towers.

Re: Fuel Cell Install - Vent/Cage/Mount - Check Our Work Please!

Is the exhaust pipe touching the cell frame?  I don't know if that would be an issue or not.

Re: Fuel Cell Install - Vent/Cage/Mount - Check Our Work Please!

We just did our cell install for Pointless:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid … mp;theater

That exhaust routing looks sketchy from this angle, since we can't tell what kind of clearance you've got. You may be better off with a side exit or adding a heat shield on that side.

You've got a beefy cage around the cell, so that's not a problem. We brought the horizontal bars out to spreader plates on the rear shock towers, which you could do if your trunk floor has trouble supporting the weight.

If the Evil One doesn't chime in, email your photos or send him a link to this thread.

Auto Lemon Union www.facebook.com/autolemonunion     
'11 - Point, Sweat, Skank; '12 - Point, Sweat, Vodden, Freeze, '13 Point (+even), Turrible, Vodden, Freeze, '14 Problem, Point, Turrible, Vodden, Freeze, '15 Point, Lemonites, Freeze.

Re: Fuel Cell Install - Vent/Cage/Mount - Check Our Work Please!

Thanks for weighing guys.

We thought about putting it between the strut towers but it would have to be rotated and mounted WAY high since it would be sitting on top of the diff.  It's actually sitting a bit forward and a bit higher than the stock tank.  Well protected by the rear bumper.

Looking at the photo it does look like the exhaust pipe is touching the tank cage but there's quite a bit of clearance there.  It would be easy to add sheet metal as a heat shield if tech had a problem.

f263u, nice install!  We beefed up the underside of the floor to support the weight.

How does the vent line look?

Re: Fuel Cell Install - Vent/Cage/Mount - Check Our Work Please!

I see a ground for the in tank pump(?) sender(?) but no ground to the tank.
Don't know if it matters... just noticing.

Re: Fuel Cell Install - Vent/Cage/Mount - Check Our Work Please!

It's good to see an early Z joining the racing.

The fuel cell cage looks pretty beefy the the general roll cage in the pics looks very nice too.

In our 240Z, we were asked to add a heat wrap to our exhaust one time. When we changed to an ATL cell, I added an aluminum heat shield on bottom and up the front and sides a couple of inches just in case. It's a lot easier to take care of these things back at home than scrambling around trying to figure something out at the track to pass tech.

Troy

#35 LRE
1973 Datsun 240Z

Re: Fuel Cell Install - Vent/Cage/Mount - Check Our Work Please!

I would consider running sheet metal skin on the entire outside of the lower exposed fuel tank cage.

It would solve your heat shield problem and would protect the cell's steel case from wild car parts dinging it and maybe taking you out of the race for a weekend with a leak.

Captain of Virtuous Authority and Tool Underdevelopment: Escape Velocity Racing
- Ten+ Time Loser
- IOE, Heroic Fix, Class C and Class of 1964
- Heroic Beer Drinker

Re: Fuel Cell Install - Vent/Cage/Mount - Check Our Work Please!

Agree with the ground...

You should wire up a ground connection for your fill plate, since your sender might have a gasket that will keep them electrically insulated. Just some wire with a ring terminal on a fill plate bolt will do it.

Auto Lemon Union www.facebook.com/autolemonunion     
'11 - Point, Sweat, Skank; '12 - Point, Sweat, Vodden, Freeze, '13 Point (+even), Turrible, Vodden, Freeze, '14 Problem, Point, Turrible, Vodden, Freeze, '15 Point, Lemonites, Freeze.

Re: Fuel Cell Install - Vent/Cage/Mount - Check Our Work Please!

Add some heat shielding on the outside of cage where the exhaust is near and you'll be fine

TEO

Gosh, my business card says 'Tech Tyrant'

Re: Fuel Cell Install - Vent/Cage/Mount - Check Our Work Please!

Thanks for everyone's input so far.  I agree with Troy, this stuff is a lot easier to deal with at the shop than at the race track when Tech points out something you missed!

Bent up the shield last night and we'll get it installed today.

John, we're still not sure we did the vent line correctly.  Can you give us any input on it?

Re: Fuel Cell Install - Vent/Cage/Mount - Check Our Work Please!

I had questions about the venting when starting my cage install, and came to the conclusion that it's easy to over-think. Rules don't require vent line to be made from stainless fuel line, you could have gone rubber (fuel resistant) hose with it. Clear hose on the vent actually would allow you to see when it's full...

Line goes up, line goes down. The idea is that the fuel doesn't dump when the cell (car?) is upside down or in any other orientation, so the line should snake above/forward/back/below the cell so gravity likely won't dump the entire contents.

The loopy thing you added should help catch fuel, but you should plan on it ejecting some gasoline, anyway. If the pressure somehow is high enough to get the fuel that high in the line, the loop won't do anything to stop it, it will just catch the contents and allow more volume out before spillage (buys you some time), though may end up with gas sitting in it. Make sure it's got a clear path, and no gas could pool at the vent exit.

One thing, your vent is an awful small diameter, and may be a point to upgrade later if it fills slowly. When fueling, the vent line's gotta let air out as fast as the fuel goes in. Our fill's massive inlet/vent allows for 10 second 5-gallon dumps. Used fill plates can be found cheap.

Auto Lemon Union www.facebook.com/autolemonunion     
'11 - Point, Sweat, Skank; '12 - Point, Sweat, Vodden, Freeze, '13 Point (+even), Turrible, Vodden, Freeze, '14 Problem, Point, Turrible, Vodden, Freeze, '15 Point, Lemonites, Freeze.