What Do You Guys Think About This Fuel Cell?

[ADAM]

http://www.e30m3performance.com/installs/installs-1/fuel_cell/cell_1.htm

i am probbaly gonna get this one...and install it like the bmw installation as shown..

[rainman]

Adam,

Since the fuel cell is located inside the car, I would highly recommend a fire suppression system with a nozzle pointed in that area. Should anything happen, either you or a corner worker would be able to activate the system, hopefully quenching any flames.

[Marsh]

I prepared for the fact that it will likely raise your CG since the spare tire is usually higher than the OE fuel tank.

[ADAM]

he he.... i will be welding a steel plate over it to seal it up....

actually it will lessen my weight...since i must run over 3/4 full tank all the time now...cause the fuel pick up runs dry...so thats 15 gallons of fuel i must run at approx 7.6lbs per gallon...thats 114lbs of fuel i am hauling around right now....with the fuel cell, with a 3 door surge tank and race foam..i should be able to get away with running 3 gallons in the tank..thats 22.8 lbs a SAVINGS OF 91.2LBS.....plus the extra weight savings once i rip the old fuel tank out which was metal...and coated with sound damping crud....

so every 20lbs approx =1hp.....i just gained at least 5hp more to beat the v8's up with .... :)

ha ha ha ha ha

add that to the extra 70rwhp i will have from proper fuel tuning..and the extra 30rwhp i already dynoed from my 3 inch exhaust.......and an extra maybe 5hp from my aluminum flywheel...

whooohoooo...thats a total of...
110hp more for next season.....all at the same boost level.....

that might be enough right there to beat those nasty vettes :)

[Marsh]

Originally posted by ADAM
actually it will lessen my weight...

I didn't say it will increase weight, I said it will raise your CG. C.G. is an acronym for Center of Gravity. Raising the rear CG will decrease your rear roll stiffness, and generate more rear weight transfer. Your car should understeer slightly more, and you'll put more load on your diff (assuming you have a LSD). Much of this will be offset by the reduced weight, but be prepared to have some suspension changes as a result of this.

[GR8 Ride]

Actually, it's probably a CASC / SCCA regulation to have an onboard fire suppression system with that fuel cell; it is in BMW Club Racing anyway. I'd have to imagine in Solo 1 you'd be in the same boat.

Secondly, you'll have to weld the bulkhead shut, and not weld a plate across the top of the fuel cell. The fuel cell will require access to the top of it, so welding a plate directly across it isn't a good idea. However, you will have to permanently separate your trunk from your passenger compartment.

Also, in addition to changing your center of gravity, it's also possible that it will change your front/rear weight distribution (depending upon the existing location of the 240's fuel tank).

Pat

[ADAM]

i don't see any rules in the solo 1 book about fuel cells? plus drag cars run them that same way all the time.....anyone know about this?

re: CG ...yes it might raise it very slightly...but the new tein RA's i have will more than compenate for a little raised CG :)





Originally posted by GR8 Ride
Actually, it's probably a CASC / SCCA regulation to have an onboard fire suppression system with that fuel cell; it is in BMW Club Racing anyway. I'd have to imagine in Solo 1 you'd be in the same boat.

Secondly, you'll have to weld the bulkhead shut, and not weld a plate across the top of the fuel cell. The fuel cell will require access to the top of it, so welding a plate directly across it isn't a good idea. However, you will have to permanently separate your trunk from your passenger compartment.

Also, in addition to changing your center of gravity, it's also possible that it will change your front/rear weight distribution (depending upon the existing location of the 240's fuel tank).

Pat

[ctheo]

Adam give this a read; I copied it from corner-carvers.com

Every Racer's Greatest Fear!
I'm posting this at several race sites because I feel that it's too important an issue not to reinforce:

I experienced every racer's greatest fear this Saturday. On a test session at Buttonwillow Raceway in our race car, a carbuerator float bowl adjustment bolt vibrated loose and sent fuel onto the headers. I smelled fuel and immediately saw black smoke coming out under the hood. Pulled over off the side of the track and shut it off... too late! Huge gouts of flame belched out of the cowl induction opening, then under the windshield.
I managed to stay very calm. Quickly released the camlock harnesses, then the window net. Tried climbing out the window (the car has no doors) only to discover that I forgot to pull the steering wheel pin! By then, the flames were inside the cockpit and I could feel them under my helmet (fortunately, I wear a neck collar). I couldn't feel for the pin so I had to look down... directly into the flames. Important note: Never inhale into a flame... the oxygen you inhale will draw the flames into your lungs and burn them. My buddy Tim had once warned me about this and somehow through this, I remembered. I pulled the pin, rolled out of the window and ran to the other side of the car to grab the fire bottle. Had the fire out before the corner marshall reached me. Most interesting part was that the patches on my driving suit were all scorched off!
The 2 things that worked against me were that we had accidently set off the fire system in the shop a few weeks earlier. Since we hadn't ordered the new bottle yet, we just ran a fire extinguisher. Had we had the fire system, I would have just been able to pull the fire system handle and the fire would have been extinguished before I got out of the car. Also, because it was a test weekend, they only had corner marshalls at 2 of the corners. The closest marshall was only about 2 turns away, but even so, it took him a few minutes to run towards me.
So important things that I learned from this experience and hope to pass it along:
1) Plumb the fire system under the hood
2) Practice emergency exits in your car with full driving gear on. You should be able to get out under 10 seconds
3) Practice the exit with eyes closed or tape over your visor
4) ALWAYS wear a full face helmet with visor down. I will never wear anything else from now on
5) If you have facial hair, wear a balaclava or at least a helmet skirt or neck collar
6) Check all fuel related fittings before each weekend
7) Never inhale into a flame
8) If your driving suit is discolored from the heat or shows any signs of brittleness, replace it

Nothing new and revolutionary, especially for those who have gone through an SCCA or NASA racing school. But you'd be surprised how accurate and effective those procedures are.

Regards to the car, we dropped our guard for the weekend. Since it wasn't a race weekend, we simply let a few things slide. Plus, we had thrashed to get other mechanical issues resolved all week and skimped on the safety checks. The bolt vibrating loose was really a fluke... one in a thousand. But regardless, it was our oversight.
The car came back on the hook and Tim investigated the damage and compiled a list. We got straight to work cleaning the dry chemical (which is a pain to clean). By the way, clean that stuff immediately, it corrodes everything it touches! By morning, the guys had rewired the car and cleaned most of the mess. We also had to replace the distributor cap, plug wires, carb parts, brake lines and hydraulic clutch lines. I took the car out Sunday afternoon (1:45pm) and ran 3 sessions. Kudos to Tim for thrashing to get the car ready.

So on a final word, all those safety procedures are important! Don't skimp and practice your exits.

Regards,
David
REALRIDE.COM RACING
www.RealRide.com

[ADAM]

yes after my engine fire this year i am giving safey a bit more thought...i think i will get a fire supression system, and will be getting a neck brace and nomex suit as well......plus probably finish off the roll cage .....

if my engine fire was on the other side of the motor..it could have hit a fuel line....and with 10AN fuel lines and a huge fuel pump...even 1-2 seconds of fuel being sprayed out could be alot of fuel to ignite......

though i think going to a fuel cell is safer since it would take a huge impact to rip it open..since it is designed to be crushed..the whole rear end of the car would have to be pushed back passed the rear wheels..to even get it to be crushed ...

i should have the cell in 3-4wks time....

[AndyC]

This brings us to the logical start, or end of this thread---we drive cars at race speed on tracks where there are things to hit---- we drive as close to 10/10ths as we dare--- and other than a helmet,
unprotected from fire in basically street cars. If some one shows up in a nomex suit, he is made to feel like a poser 'cos every one else is in T-shirts and shorts--so what happens if there is a fire and you can not get out fast---you are in deep and hot shite !!
In full blown race cars we would not think to drive with out a
3- layer suit ---and they are safer than what we drive. So, a fuel
cell is a great idea--even if it did not save weight.

[Dave]

I agree with Andy. We should be making our sport safer. The thing we're constantly trying to balance is affordability and safety. We want our sport to be affordable (thus we don't require roll cages, nomex suits, etc.) in any class other than Modified. However, with cars like Steve Coles, Eric, Adam, etc, we're looking at some seriously modified and very fast cars that don't require rollover protection or fire protection. This is a bit worrisome, I have to say. I know there were rumors of Street Prepared cars requiring nomex and roll bars for 2003, but I'm not sure if that'll happen or not. Food for thought, for sure.

I'm glad to see Adam make his car safer. I plan to do the same, even though I'm also making my car slower (going to a SOHC engine instead of the DOHC Integra for cost-cutting reasons).

[ctheo]

After a recent visit to a gentlemans tavern in Concord with a few of the HADA boys I'll never look at firesuits the same way again.

She was safe from the fire, but she was still VERY hot! Any room in the rule book for manditory pit babes Dave?

Safety First!

[Dave]

HADA is full of filthy perverts like Theo. Is it any wonder I love this club so much!?! :cool: