Mark18
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| posted on 14/4/04 at 09:26 PM |
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Fuel tank in front?
What is to stop me putting the fuel tank under the bonnet with the engine? As far as I can see it would be simpler, safer and would free up a bit of
boot space. Any ideas? or has this been done already?
Mark
"I don't know what I may seem to the world. But as to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself
now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than the ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me." -
Isaac Newton
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Gripenland
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| posted on 14/4/04 at 10:04 PM |
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Dax uses the area where the geerbox is normally located, for their fueltanks. On BEC:s that is.
kokos-racing.com
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locoboy
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| posted on 15/4/04 at 11:02 AM |
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surely the engine is put just at the entrance to the prop tunnel? thats where the gearbox normally is when using a car engine.
ATB
Locoboy
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Gripenland
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| posted on 15/4/04 at 11:09 AM |
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Here are some pics of Dax setup, viewed from the engine compartment:
kokos-racing.com
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Alez
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| posted on 15/4/04 at 12:04 PM |
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Thoughts:
-You will need to remove the bonnet to put fuel.
-You will have a slightly worse weight distribution front / rear.
I'd rather make some sort of storage space at the front instead if need be, in addition to the rear space..
Cheers,
Alex
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Gripenland
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| posted on 15/4/04 at 01:34 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Alez
Thoughts:
-You will need to remove the bonnet to put fuel.
-You will have a slightly worse weight distribution front / rear.
I'd rather make some sort of storage space at the front instead if need be, in addition to the rear space..
Cheers,
Alex
You don't have to remove the hood to fill up fuel. The filler cap is located on the scuttle.
I'm not sure about the weight distribution. That will depend on what type of engine you've got. I weigh more then my engine and gearbox
 so my car might be slightely rear heavy.
Anyway, at least the tank will not be rearward of the rear axel. Wich is bad for vehicle dynamics and chrash safey.
kokos-racing.com
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Alez
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| posted on 15/4/04 at 02:15 PM |
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Hi Gripenland,
I should stop thinking, you are absolutely correct!
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timf
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| posted on 15/4/04 at 02:22 PM |
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imagine if the car had an spd prop adaptor
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Hellfire
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| posted on 15/4/04 at 02:29 PM |
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Tim,
thats exactly what I thought when I first saw it
Gripenland, why is having the fuel tank behind the rear axle bad for vehicle dynamics????
IMHO It's also important when the tank is so close behind the engine, that there is some type of tank venting as temperature fluctuation is
obviously greater. Also, in a fronter (crash) the engine (HOT) will be pushed into the tank (PETROL), which will presumably be where the battery
(SPARKS) is and most of the electrics... I'm glad ours is to the back 
Just had another thought - if you would like to fit a wind-deflector or windscreen, this may get in the way of the filler cap. Any overspill of fule
would fall INTO the vehicle (via clocks), or over the bulkhead (near battery) oooeeerrrr....
[Edited on 15-4-04 by Hellfire]
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timf
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| posted on 15/4/04 at 03:09 PM |
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have a read of this
then think about where your fuel tank is and mine and most other peoples are in a 7
http://www.autosafetyexpert.com/fire.html
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Gripenland
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| posted on 15/4/04 at 03:28 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Hellfire
Gripenland, why is having the fuel tank behind the rear axle bad for vehicle dynamics????
IMHO It's also important when the tank is so close behind the engine, that there is some type of tank venting as temperature fluctuation is
obviously greater. Also, in a fronter (crash) the engine (HOT) will be pushed into the tank (PETROL), which will presumably be where the battery
(SPARKS) is and most of the electrics... I'm glad ours is to the back
Just had another thought - if you would like to fit a wind-deflector or windscreen, this may get in the way of the filler cap. Any overspill of fule
would fall INTO the vehicle (via clocks), or over the bulkhead (near battery) oooeeerrrr....
[Edited on 15-4-04 by Hellfire]
Alez- Don't say that. Your thoughts vere justified, but fortunately some clever chap at Dax fixed the problem.
timf- What is a spd prop adaptor?
Hellfire- Weight behind the rear wheel axis will increase the forces required to turn the car.
You are absolutely right about about tank ventilation  A heat shield would be a good idea. Also warm fuel= less HP 
I work as a crash analyst at Volvo, so crash safety is very importent to me 
Since BEC:s have transverse mounted engines the engine will have to bend a number of tubes at the rear bulkhead before it hits the tank.
As you say, some thought must go in to how the electics are packaged.
IMHO
kokos-racing.com
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Mark18
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| posted on 15/4/04 at 05:15 PM |
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I like the way dax has done it, I was thinking more along the lines of puitting the tank in the actual engine bay, the only thing that strikes me
about the dax one it is that it looks very small.
the way I see it is that it has to be better than where it was, safety-wise and handling-wise, not to mention far less fuel lines (especially since I
am using fuel injection).
"I don't know what I may seem to the world. But as to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself
now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than the ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me." -
Isaac Newton
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Gripenland
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| posted on 15/4/04 at 05:20 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mark18
the only thing that strikes me about the dax one it is that it looks very small.
Yes, I'ts only 20 litres or so.
kokos-racing.com
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