the fuel tank is approx 100mm at the corner to the exhaust under the engine, Do you think its too close. Would this be an issue for IVA?
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i'm not sure theres any specifics about distance etc, but i wouldn't put it near the engine like that... imagine fuel splashing out the filler at the petrol station, and splashing on your exhaust. not cool

Isn't there a rule in IVA that the tank cannot be in the engine bay?

Nope sorry I don't like that at all, you should have at a minimum a fire proof bulkhead between the engine and the tank so as to give you time to exit the car in the event of an engine fire. Plus in a shunt the engine could very easily puncture the wall of that tank and up you go, in a ball of flames whooooosh!

Be sensible and put the tank at the opposite end of the car

I see your points. however....The tank cannot go the opposite end of the car as there is nowhere for it to go as the front slops down in front of you feet.
The filler was not to be in the engine bay so fuel would not splash. IVA states that the tank cannot be in the passenger bay and hence that is ruled out.
The Spire ZX1400 car has the tank in the engine bay. The tank is effectivly in the centre of the car. so as far away from impact as possible.
The only alternative is to sit it in the side pod which has little protection against impact.
The exhaust is lagged and the tank was to have heat shielding.
Looks like I might have to put it in the side pod...not ideal.

yeah looking at this pic
there seems precious little space for a tank. Personally I'd have then mounted it in front of the left rear wheel and made a steel tube framed box and skinned it in 1mm aluminum so its sealed away from the engine



[Edited on 24/4/09 by Mr Whippy]

I had the same problem, that position is pretty well protected and probably one of the safer places - I would however firewall between the engine/exhaust and tank

Thats the only other place. Later bodies have a mod though which would not make this possible as there are vents there for cooling. I might just have to have a vent on one side which makes the car not symetrical.
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Another thought is 2 tanks interlinked????. Problem there is interlink would run across exhaust.....AAAhhh

I had interlinked tanks on my old mirage countach which at first had wild fuel readings as the fuel surged from one side to the other (one sender on the left tank), when I later fitted a smaller diameter connector pipe, I struggled to fill the car up with fuel at the pump