Aluminum vs plastic fuel cells

[Roostmonkey]

I'm getting ready to order a cell for the Z. My gut tells me to go with alum but I wanted to hear what you all thought of the plastic units. I'll most likely just get something from Summit or Jegs. This is going in a street car with the occasional track day and AX.

[rsicard]

I'm getting ready to order a cell for the Z. My gut tells me to go with alum but I wanted to hear what you all thought of the plastic units. I'll most likely just get something from Summit or Jegs. This is going in a street car with the occasional track day and AX.

Roostmonkey: I want to do the same thing. I am leaning toward a plastic unit with foam inside in that when hit lightly the plastic will absorb and rebound. I want to mount it in a fabbed steel frame where the spare tire is now with aluminum skinned out frame. I want a 15-20 gal tank with GM sender and sump. Have not yet found an internal fuel pump to fit. External fuel pump may be better. Starting out with Carb but will be converting to GM Gen III EFI. Also want to use the Datsun for occasional track day.

[hoov100]

if you can afford it, get an aluminum cell with the kevlar bladder and foam (ATI and fuel safe) or get a plastic cell with foam inside a aluminum case with a cage built around it.

[AK-Z]

if you can afford it, get an aluminum cell with the kevlar bladder and foam (ATI and fuel safe) or get a plastic cell with foam inside a aluminum case with a cage built around it.

I thought fuel safe was aluminum with a plastic inner tank

[johnc]

The term "fuel cell" means a lot of different things - from a simple plastic tank hung by straps to an aerospace certified Kelvar bladder in a titanium casing welded into an airframe.

 

A SCCA/FIA certified motorsports fuel cell consists of a Kevlar bladder containing anti-vapor foam and a bolted-in filler plate with anti-spill rollover valves on all plumbing connections. This bladder has to mounted in some kind of container (typically steel or aluminum sheet metal) that completely surrounds the bladder. Sometimes the Kevlar bladder is mounted in a plastic container but that also has to be mounted in a metallic container to meet SCCA/FIA installation rules. Both Fuel Safe and ATL sell these certified fuel cells and you can get either an aluminum or steel can as an option. The steel cans come with a flange mount and the aluminum cans require a strap mount.

 

IMHO, the paragraph above decribes a "fuel cell." Everything else is just a fuel tank.

[Roostmonkey]

I agree John, that is by definition what constitutes a true "fuel cell". I refered to it as a cell because thats how Summit and Jegs describes their fuel tanks. I decided to go with an aluminum tank, sized to allow room for dual exhaust.

[johnc]

If you can, strap or rubber mount the aluminum cell. The local radiator shop sends me lots of aluminum fuel tanks that are solidly mounted and cracked all to hell. The hot rod guys don't understand the fatigue properties of aluminum.

Edited April 17, 2009 by johnc

[240hoke]

I wouldnt buy anything other then a bladder type cell, I really want to get a fuel safe unit when I have the funds...prolly be a while.

 

The Plastic units are JUNK...period. Id rather mod the stock tank then anything else, really wish I would have just done that in the first place...might end up doing it anyway just have to weld a floor back in

[Roostmonkey]

I'll be sitting it into a frame with plenty of rubber padding and planned on cutting the mounting tabs off. Too bad Austin, we could have traded. I already gave my sumped stock tank to ZYA ( Pete) and ordered the new one.