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The Fuel Safe Pro cell in my oldest car failed after 8 years, the newer one after 6. In both cases the bladder was covered in cracks that that leaked fuel into the tank and outside through drain holes. The foam interior was still intact in both cases. The 10% ethanol fuels were slow to appear at the stations I use, which probably extended their life.
If the Shelby tank containing your bladder does not have a drain hole in the bottom, you may find fuel between the bladder and tank. Fuel Safe cells have these holes as it is the only practical way to detect a failed bladder. You can imagine how much crash protection a bladder with severe cracks is going to provide.
As to removing the foam, there are no internal baffles in the bladder of most cells, and the foam provides structural support to the bladder when it is empty.
As stated, the problem is ethanol - the old Pro fuel cells like mine were not designed for alcohol fuels - the new Pro cells have included alcohol blends on their approved list of fuels. My replacement bladder is made of a different material, and is much more expensive than the old ones. I'm not sure how much confidence they have in this new material, as the warranty decreased from five years to two. My older car is only a street car now, so I will replace the cell with an aluminum gas tank, giving up some safety in a rear end collision, rather than go through this every few years.
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