Aluminum Fuel Tank Project / EFI Fuel Cooling

["Dart67"]

UPS delivered the Universal 73 ohm fuel sender today.

I again welded a few scrap 1/4" aluminum pieces together to make a mounting ring for the gauge.

Once welded up, I chucked it up in the lathe and turned the ring.

I then laid out, drilled, and tapped 5 10x32 holes for the gauge and 5 6x32 holes to mount the ring to the top of the tank.

I am going to recess the gauge about 1" - 1 1/2" below the top of the tank for wire clearance.

I also got the mounting plate for the recess made up.

I did a little welding on the tank before calling it a day.

Herb

 

["Dart67"]

I need some input on the baffles I am making.

Here are photos of what I have laid out. The holes will be 1".

I have the holes staggered from side to side.

I need to know if I have too many, not enough, too large, too small of holes in the baffles.

Thanks,

Herb

 

["Dart67"]

I made a little more progress today.

I decided to recess the fuel sending unit in a well instead of flat on top of the tank.
If it was mounted on top of the tank, the tank would not mount flush to the bottom of the car.

Here are a few photos of todays progress.

Please don't make to much fun of my TIG welds. I am still learning.

They are not the best looking but I think they will work.

Herb

 

[scrappydoo]

Hi, just to add I would put the pickup at the rear of the tank.
Or make a surge tank the sits inside the tank that is fed with a lift pump.

Also the return nipple is smaller than your supply nipple could this add to a flow restriction that could make your pump work harder. I doubt it, but just an idea, as the heat issue could be caused by a collection of problems not just just one big one.

Or perhaps you could go to dual smaller pumps and trigger the second pump to come on when needed?

 

["Dart67"]

Hi, just to add I would put the pickup at the rear of the tank.
Or make a surge tank the sits inside the tank that is fed with a lift pump.

Also the return nipple is smaller than your supply nipple could this add to a flow restriction that could make your pump work harder. I doubt it, but just an idea, as the heat issue could be caused by a collection of problems not just just one big one.

Or perhaps you could go to dual smaller pumps and trigger the second pump to come on when needed?

The pickup is at the rear of the tank. I am mounting the pump inside of the tank so that it does not have to lift or pull the fuel on the recommendation of the Areomotive tech. The way the pump was mounted was causing it to cavitate which heats the fuel.

Yes, the return line is AN-6 and the supply line is AN-8. These are the recommended line sizes.

The heat in the fuel IS a combination of problems. The first was the original mounting location of the pump.
The fuel rails are picking up heat from the engine bay as well.
The return line had been very, very close to the muffler and tailpipe as well.
I also have to remember to keep more then 1/4 tank of fuel when driving.

Thanks for the input,

Herb

 

[scrappydoo]

Of course it's at the back of the tank, sorry had the image of the tank back to front in my head.

 

["Dart67"]

I just found this on youtube.

I think it explains a lot of my trouble with the heat and cavitation.



At the present time, I have my return line coming in thru a 3/8" modified stock sending unit. The return is routed to the top center of the tank and dumps the return fuel on top of the tank fuel. Just like the video shows.

I am definitely going to change my return line plans now and make sure the fuel is returned to the bottom of the tank and not splashed on top as I have been doing.

Talk about creating your on headaches !!!!!!!!!!


Herb

 

["Dart67"]

I made a little more progress today before it got too hot to work.

younggun2.0,

Since I changed the float direction from rear to front to left to right, I took your advise and added a baffle around the fuel sending unit.

I cut the lower corners of all the baffles 3/4" x 3/4" x 45* . The notches don't showup to well in the photos.

I also cut a 1" diameter hole in about the center of each of the front to rear baffles.

The pickup tube to the sump is 5/8" copper that I stuck a 1/2" dia. screen door spring inside of and bent around a oak tree limb to get about a 2" radius bend.

The sump is 12" side to side and 10" front to rear. The front is 1" deep and the rear is 2" deep. The holes in the tank to the sump are 1" diameter .

Herb

 

["Dart67"]

I have been side tracked with other projects around the homestead for a while.
I am getting closer to finishing this project.

I now have the tank welded and assembled.

The welds are not pretty, but they do not leak.

I pressure checked all the welds and connections with 5 -10 psi air and plumbers soap solution.

I did have a few leaks but now have them fixed.

Here are a few update photos.

I needed a way to pass the power wires thru the tank.

Here are all of the parts that I used.

I used three 5/16" x 3/4" nylon bolts and nylon nuts.

I shortened the bolts to 1/2" long.

I chucked them in the lathe and center drilled them and tapped them for 8 x 32 machine threads.

I used all stainless steel componets.

I used permatex thread hi temp sealer on the stud thru the nylon bolts and Loctite red on the nuts at the head and nut end if the studs.

Here is a photo of the power and fuel AN-6 return and AN-8 supply connections on the outside of the tank.

Here is a photo of the power and fuel AN-6 return and AN-8 supply connections and the fuel pump on the inside of the tank.

There reason that there are three wires to the pump is for the future.

IF and when the A1000 pump gives up, I am going to replace it with a Fuellabs pump and regulator which needs the third wire to control the pump speed.

I am going to convert the 1967 tank strap to a 68 and up style of dual strap mounting.

More on that in the next few days.


Herb

 

[spl440]

Looks good Herb !

 

[mopardude318]

any updates?

 

["Dart67"]

any updates?

Sorry for not updating.

I have been dealing with health issues most of the summer.

I will have to get a few photos and some info posted in the next few days if I can get organized.

I have the health issues resolved, but I am WAY behind on everything else that needs done.

Herb

 

[75slant6]

Any updates? Looks like a sweet tank!!

 

["Dart67"]

I have driven the car on one trip since installing the tank.

The trip was about 35 miles to town and back.

The trip to town in the cool of the morning went well with no problems and little or no heat build up in the fuel tank.

The return trip home went well until 2 miles from home. The engine started to miss and want to die.
I managed to get the car home and into the shop.
There was some heat build up in the tank, but it was not HOT to the touch as in the past. Only slightly warm.

I let the car set overnight so that things would be "cold".

On start-up and after warming to operating temp the next morning, the car still had the miss and wanted to die.

The fuel pump did not sound right, so I dropped the tank and removed it to bench test.

The pump was not running or pumping the way it should.

The pump is a Aeromotive A1000 that was installed new in 2005 along with a Aeromotive Fuel Pump Speed Controller.

I called Aeromotive Tech Support and talked with the Tech manager.
He remembered talking to me in 2005 and still had notes and records of those calls.
He determined that the pump was toast and gave me a RMA for return. He also had me return the Fuel Pump Speed Controller.

Four days later he called and told me that not only the A1000 was toast, the Fuel Pump Speed Controller was also toast.

Aeromotive replaced the A1000 for $200.

Now the GOOD part, the Tech manager replace the 9 year old Fuel Pump Speed Controller with latest Aeromotive billet Fuel Pump Speed Controller for NO CHARGE.

That is Customer Service......

He had me remove the optional Aeromotive check valve from the pump on the reinstal.

Since re-installing the pump and tank, I have not driven the car any distance to check the fuel heating issue.

The car now runs Fine with no miss and does not want to die.

Without the check valve it is hard to start, so when I get a chance I will drop the tank and reinstall it.

Herb