Fuel system safety items

[vettestr]

I bring these items up as a reminder of things that are easy to forget or you may not have known are available at time of your build. Some can be expensive and granted may be overkill in some cases. Just food for thought and a reminder they are available, up too you if worth the deviation from originality in some cases to ?? of modification in others. Can you hear the names Pinto and Chevy truck saddle tanks to Crown Vic's in the background?
Several choices are available for your GAS TANK that range from a donor OEM metal tank through Certified fuel cells placed in metal containers. Then there are several other devices that react to a collision, turn over and so on. Proper venting and vent location of that thing you store gas in should also be considered.
I am sure in this quick note I am forgetting some myself, what have I left out from the short list? These cars are not Child Proof and should not be but many of these are cheap and easy.. others are not. It is your ASSP.

G sensor or impact sensor = disconnects electrical on impact
roll over sensor = disconnects electrical
roll over check valves = mechanical block of fill and vent lines
vent location = place fumes are dumped so no build up of fumes possible
metal or shielding on fuel lines = to slow fire or abrasion
master kill switch = master elec. off switch to remove battery from system
cell/tank location = is sealed bulkhead between cockpit and cell, location
if impacted, tear or crush protection, others?
THE BIG ? is =cell, OEM metal tank, fiberglass tank, bladder, protected outer container and the options go on........

[Ron61]

One thing that I didn't see in your list that I think is important.

Have the filler neck grounded so when you pull the nozzle out there won't be any spark that could cause a nasty scene. I grounded mine after seeing a replica that burned and the guy was badly hurt when that happened. Mine has a big rubber hose connecting the filler neck with the tank and I had to ground it with a heavy wire from the neck to the chassis.

Ron

[Wayne Maybury]

Ron

I did exactly the same thing. It takes a half hour, a foot or two of wire and a couple of crimp-ons to do, but it sure is time well spent.

Wayne

[Roscoe]

How about the tennis ball under the fuel cap as a check valve?



Roscoe

[Morris]

Vent lines need Check valves.....

[vettestr]

I have not seen the tennis ball before but if she works what the heck. Many of the aftermarket tanks/cells have internal check valves built into the return bung. Some also have a roll over check valve or ball in the fill neck. To verify simply remove hose and look at tank bung for a ball or spring loaded valve. They are included with the cell we use from RCI.
Many of the hoses designed to go from cap to cell are conductive to remove spark dangers but the wire if redundant ground or not sounds like a good idea. Do not think tennis ball will work on the return line.
PS>>> I wanted to mention that the ground wire on your sender for the fuel gauge is isolated from the tank. The 2 wires that are on your sender for the gauge do not provide a ground for the tank body. If not secured to the frame in way that it is grounded please use an additional ground source.

[sllib]

I'm confused. My car has a clear plastic fuel hose from the tank to the filler, but it also has four rubber tires that keep it isolated from "ground". The spark that burns your ride down is caused when the charge built up in your car attempts to equal the grounded fuel pump's charge (zero). It seems to me that the safest way to ground the filler is a wire to the frame with a large resistor inline to slow down the charge's drain to ground. Or am I just full of it and it's too early in the morning??
Bill Stradtner

[vettestr]

Morning Bill,
Grab another cup of coffee just because it is Sat. and ya deserve it!!
To quote you= "The spark that burns your ride down is caused when the charge built up in your car attempts to equal the grounded fuel pump's charge (zero)." The clear tube on your filler neck may be conductive and is easy to check with a VOM or volt/ohm/meter. The clear tube does allow you to see gas during a fill up so I like them too but you may also need to apply a ground if not conductive. It should read less than 1 ohm on the meter from end to end.
Them electrons are looking for a difference in potential = ZERO/GROUND so back-wards to what makes sense here. Current flow is bla bla ... its flow follows the path of least resistance so you do not want a resistor in the ground wire as that makes it less attractive to them electrons flowing and trying to blow stuff.
The only hose I have used is from Gates Mfg. and has a wire molded inside the full length. It is labeled with their part # and as FUEL hose. It is also 5 bucks a foot. I have never checked tires to see if conductive but I doubt it. The fact the car is not grounded would keep the static from a gas hose nozzle from discharging when touched to car. If tank and everything is well grounded then if sitting in the car static would be absorbed as there is NO difference of potential. Think of the movies .... a downed power line across hood is safe until somebody that is grounded supplies a path to ground and gets fried like firefighter touching driver.

[Morris]

This might help.... now the gas pump..... nozzle......and car ..... chassis ....and fuel cell are at the same potential..... ground.....