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Ally Fuel tank fixing.
dhollin3 - 17/7/07 at 07:49 AM

Hey,

Just wondering if anyone has any good ideas on how to fix the fuel tank in place. There are flanges on the bottom which don't give it enough support, therefore i am thinking of having a strap around the filler neck at the top. I have got my second SVA test on Thursday so a quick and easy solution is needed.

Thanks
Dom

RazMan - 17/7/07 at 08:17 AM

Can you wrap a couple of steel bands around it (with foam inserts of course) and secure the bands to the chassis?

dhollin3 - 17/7/07 at 08:30 AM

ah ok, i think that will work fine. Just need to get hold of some steel bands now. Any ideas on where?

nick205 - 17/7/07 at 08:39 AM

The usual way is too make some straps out of 25mm x 3mm (or similar) steel strip bent to shape around the tank and secured to the chassis rails with nuts/bolts/rivnuts etc. As Razman says you need to pad the straps with sponge/foam to protect the tank itself.

Here's a quick pic of mine... Rescued attachment img_1.jpg
Rescued attachment img_1.jpg

RazMan - 17/7/07 at 08:53 AM

B&Q do some suitable steel & alloy strips

craig1410 - 17/7/07 at 11:56 AM

Yep, I used some aluminium 25mm wide 1.6mm strips which is much easier to shape than steel and plenty strong enough. I use self-adhesive closed cell foam rubber applied to the straps.

I made my strips in two parts with the long part going from bottom chassis rail up the front of the tank and half way over the top. I then had a second part bolted to two of the tubes at the back of the chassis. These two parts meet together where I have turned up the ends and drilled a hole for a long bolt (one for each strap). This allows me to tighten it up which holds the tank snugly in place.

Cheers,
Craig.

BenB - 17/7/07 at 03:01 PM

Your car looks like a STM Locoblade.... If it is and you've used a STM tank are you sure you need to add the straps.... Its an easy job to do but mine went through SVA without a problem...

Infact, at the first test in Nottingham it was about the only thing they didn't pull me up on!!!

dhollin3 - 17/7/07 at 03:15 PM

quote:
Originally posted by BenB
Your car looks like a STM Locoblade.... If it is and you've used a STM tank are you sure you need to add the straps.... Its an easy job to do but mine went through SVA without a problem...

Infact, at the first test in Nottingham it was about the only thing they didn't pull me up on!!!


You are right but it failed on the Tank being too loose. It does move around as the two small flanges at the bottom are very weak. I can only guess that they will check this on the re-test, so i will make the changes tonight.

Thanks

James - 17/7/07 at 04:42 PM

I used 2" wide 1.6mm ali strips.

Easy to cut and bend in ali!

Cheers,
James