lets talk cheap fuel cells

What would be better, an aluminum cell held in place with square tubing, or a plastic cell sitting in a sheetmetal box. Need to get one here so I can start fabricating the rear of the car. The racer in me says just bite the bullet and pony up $1200 and buy an ATL, but I really really want a GM fuel sender. Every time I research these things on the computer I'm confronted with horror stories about leaks and claims that the senders don't work. Whats the difference between an Ebay Speed Daddy at $150 and an RCI at 300? They look the same. Specs should include a sump for pickup, a return line, a rollover/vent fitting, and preferably a GM 0 to 90 ohm sender. Bonus would be that I can convert the lid to a fuel hose and run it over to the stock filler, but not essential. What size for a LS3 conversion? Is 15 gallon good enough or should I go 20? Lots of room so no issue with size. In case it matters, this is going to be a barely legal street car that will see a few track days, but no sanctioned door to door racing where a certified cell is required. Last thought. Anybody got an out of cert 15 to 20 gallon real fuel cell they don't need anymore? The only one I have is a 12 gallon ATL in my BMW 02 and thats not going to cut it.

I have an ATL 15 gallon cell that I replaced when I built my new chassis. No container, but the foam is good and it has the duck foot pick up. No provision for a sender. Call me if interested. 7one7 tw053 5one33

I have 3 of different sizes I'll get you some Pics this after noon. One is about 10 gal. next is new and a little bigger with foam, one is 18 or 20gal metal box, plastic tank, but no foam, also new.

With fuel cells, check the rule book first, make sure the cheaper ones are even compliant. For many rule sets they arent

They ebay cells are identical to the RCI ones except they are polished and the sending unit is probably crappy. The gauge of aluminum is thick and the welds are very nice. I have one in the datsun and I'm impressed with the quality, i was expecting it to be floppy and thin. I was uncomfortable trusting the foam so I removed it.

There is a place on ebay that starts rci cells at .99 and they usually end in earshot of the china ones pricing when shipping is factored in.

hhaase wrote: With fuel cells, check the rule book first, make sure the cheaper ones are even compliant. For many rule sets they arent

^^This^^

I clearly said no sanctioned door to door racing. This is primarily a street car, unless you can find a place where a LS3 powered TR8 coupe with aluminum and fiberglass body panels, Lexan windows, gigantic Wilwood brakes, etc, etc, etc, can race. Built enough race cars by the rule book. Not this one. This is for me. Its the the fastest, version of a TR8 I can afford to build. No rule books, no restrictions, bringing a machine gun to a knife fight mentality. Now back to the discussion. Whats better, aluminum held in by square tubing or a plastic one in a custom made box? Glad to hear the cheap one is basically the same as the "better" one. Need to move the tank from above the rear axle to where the spare tire area in the trunk is. Done this before with ATL cells in the SCCA ITS TR8s I've built, but no sender. Measuring fuel with a wooden dip stick is not cool or convenient.

Personally, id want a hybrid. A full cage, combined with plating, and a plastic cell inside. Most protection, and best chance of not rupturing when E36 M3 goes sideways.

Oh and I have an aluminum one from that ERA Cobra in the Yard. but your Question, Whatever the GAS TANK is Made OF and Whatever is stuffed Inside I Like a Box around it and a Perimeter Box tubing structure to set it in With a Couple tubes run Underneath to deflect what May Arise from the road. Now My larger tank fits this bill Just build said framework or look at Speedway Race Catalog they have them in kits I belive.

I had had a couple aluminum tanks built by Boyd's welding. Whats nice about having it built they can add fuel level senders and even a in tank Aeromotive fuel pump if you need it. But you can have them place fittings anywhere you want them instead of a off the shelf tank where they are in the center.

Opted for the Summit 16 gallon plastic cell. Plan is to build a steel box where the spare tire well use to be. This particular cell is identical in size(25X17X10) to the 15 gallon Fuel Safe SFI bladder cell, thats designed to go into a build it yourself steel box. As long as I build the box out of 20 gauge steel. I can always go back later and install a SFI rated cell. FWIW, the cost of the Summit cell is roughly the difference between the FuelSafe cell with a box and without a box. I look at it like I got two cells for the price of one. Now on to fuel pump. Any thoughts? Plan A is to run a Walbro external high pressure pump thru a Corvette filter/regulator then on to the fuel rails. Plan B is running a low pressure pump near the tank to a FiTech Fuel Command center? That is besides the whole $200 vs $600 price tags. I'm seriously considering running a Fitech Ultimate LS intake and FI system instead of the stock LS3 intake if that makes a difference. These just came out and I figure car won't be running for a while, so might as well wait a while and see some reviews before I take the plunge. Here is a link to the FI system. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fif-70013

tr8todd wrote: I clearly said no sanctioned door to door racing. This is primarily a street car, unless you can find a place where a LS3 powered TR8 coupe with aluminum and fiberglass body panels, Lexan windows, gigantic Wilwood brakes, etc, etc, etc, can race. Built enough race cars by the rule book. Not this one. This is for me. Its the the fastest, version of a TR8 I can afford to build. No rule books, no restrictions, bringing a machine gun to a knife fight mentality. Now back to the discussion. Whats better, aluminum held in by square tubing or a plastic one in a custom made box? Glad to hear the cheap one is basically the same as the "better" one. Need to move the tank from above the rear axle to where the spare tire area in the trunk is. Done this before with ATL cells in the SCCA ITS TR8s I've built, but no sender. Measuring fuel with a wooden dip stick is not cool or convenient.

Sorry, you did say that. Your lack of paragraphs obscured it a bit but it was in there. Paragraphs, they're not just for school anymore.

As far as the pump question is concerned; Can you do an in-tank pump in that cell? That's really my preference for street cars. Actually, it's my preference for race cars when possible.

Not in the fuel cell itself, but the fuel command center has a high pressure pump self contained. Just need to get fuel to the command center, so an external low pressure pump would be fine. If I go with an external high pressure pump, there will be a return at the Corvette regulator so that pump should stay cool. The beauty of a plastic cell is I can always cut a hole in it and install an in tank pump and pickup.

The FiTech Fuel Command Center is a clever bit of kit and I've used it in the past. However, it's a completely unnecessary cost and complexity if you're building a fuel system from scratch.

I like a pump in the tank, regulator on the fuel rail and return line to the tank. It's proven, simple and relatively inexpensive.

If that's not an option then the second best would be a pump near the tank.

Hey—

Did you already order up the cell? I still have the one that you got for me from your nephew (?) Plastic cell in a metal box. Yours of you want it. I have an aluminum one as well. Might be good to use for the tank, might be good to use for the container box for a plastic cell. Light weight and cool, just add some aluminum angle stock to the top to use as a perimeter shelf for mounting it in the trunk.

Maybe?

Come and get them if you want/need them.

Ordered one. I really wanted one with a fuel level sender, and I don't think there is one in the two cells you have. The one I ordered was suppose to be here today, but tracking says its been sitting in Shrewsbury for close to two days now. Tracking says something about a late truck and delivery will be rescheduled. I'm guessing driver sick calls because of the nice weather finally getting here. I still have a plastic cell in the garage that came out of the TR8 race car I bought, but its basically an 18" cube. Need a shallow cell in order to keep a flat trunk floor.

Is the cell sumped?

The cheap one has a 2" sump with two pickups and one vent/return fitting on the top. Comes with foam and a sender shipped for $200. The other plastic cell I have in the garage has had a couple of extra bulkhead fittings and a rollover vent installed on the top, so I can reutilize those if necessary. The Fuelsafe bladder cell is not sumped. Everything comes out the top of that one, so if I ever have to swap cells, I will need to move around the pump/filter/regulator set up to accommodate. Thats a bridge I'll cross down the road, but I'll keep that need in mind when I finally get to lay this thing out. Just checked again, my package has been sitting at the same terminal since wednesday night. Scheduled for delivery Monday. Just in time for the nice weather to go away and the unsettled rainy crap to come back. I don't like welding inside the garage. Guess I'll spend another day racing the lawn.

With a sump, you shouldn't have to need a surge tank or low pressure/hogh pressure pump setup. A rail mounted e2000 style pump should suffice. Especially if it also has foam in the cell