Ascinder's 1-Ton VX... Cont'd

[Ascinder]

Well, it looks like bad weather this weekend, so maybe we will get some stuff done.....after all, that beer isn't going to drink itself In the spirit of this thread though, the diff covers are on their way as well as a pinion guard for the 14 bolt, and I'm going through all the brackets and tabs at ballistic right now to set up the link system. I am also looking really hard at this gas tank, since I will have to remove the stock one so the links can be properly positioned.



It is heavy duty 16 gauge 304 stainless steel. It's only 16 gallons though. Losing 6 gallons will suck a lot, but this new engine is supposed to be quite a bit more fuel efficient, so it might be a wash. I was getting a consistent 12MPG before, so hopefully I'll still see a boosted range with the new powerplant. If not, there's always Jerry cans As far as legalities go for replacing fuel tanks in vehicles, which Billy mentioned was a potential issue, I came across this:

What is a Legal Fuel Tank System?

In the aftermarket fuel tank system industry, there is a lot of confusion over what is “legal” when adding or replacing a fuel tank. We hope the following information helps clear up some of these very important concerns. Be advised that this information is not intended to be a complete list, but rather a general overview.

In order to address the question of which federal or state regulations a fuel system must meet or exceed, it is necessary to know the particular vehicle and fuel system being used. The following information is divided into two main categories, Vehicles less than 10,000 GVW, and vehicles greater than 10,000 GVW.

Regulations for vehicles less than 10,000 GVW
Regulations for vehicles greater than 10,000 GVW
ICC Fuel Tank Regulations
Refueling Tank Regulations
Miscellaneous Information
CAUTION Information


For Vehicles Less Than 10,000 GVW
TFI fuel systems meet FMVSS 301 (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards), VESC-22 (Vehicle Equipment Safety Commission), NFPA 1192, ANSI 119.2, RVIA (Recreational Vehicle Industry Association) regulations, CARB (California Air Resources Board), and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulations.

FMVSS 301 states that anyone who alters a vehicle must meet or exceed the structural integrity and performance of the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) fuel system. A fuel system includes anything associated with fuel systems such as the fillneck, tank, gasoline lines, fuel pump, emission canister and fasteners. In other words, if an alterer adds an auxiliary system to a vehicle thereby reducing the performance of the fuel system, he or she has violated FMVSS 301 standards. An example of performance reduction could be if fuel from the original system leaked because the auxiliary system was gravity feeding into the original tank. This creates a real concern as it not only violates FMVSS 301 regulations, but is also a hazardous waste problem.

TFI’s inboard chassis frame and in-bed tank systems meet and exceed the OEM systems in the following areas:
1. TFI tanks are designed using 14-gauge aluminized steel as a minimum instead of the 22 gauge terneplate or plastic that OEM typically uses. Transfer Flow’s aluminum diamond plate in-bed tanks are made from 1/8” thick aluminum.

2. TFI tanks are fully baffled unlike OEM tanks which have no baffles.

3. At a minimum, TFI tanks are drop tested in accordance with VESC-22. When drop tested, they are fully filled with water and cannot leak. Many of TFI’s fuel systems are also crash tested to FMVSS 301 standards.

4. Tanks are 100% pressure tested. Some are tested using a sophisticated automatic Helium testing machine. This machine is capable of finding leaks with a helium concentration of less that 1.00E-7 liters/sec (leak size of 0.0000000315 in-sq or 3.15 E-8 in-sq).

5. TFI tank systems meet the fastener (strap) regulations specified by ANSI, NFPA, and required by RVIA (Recreation Vehicle Industry Association).

6. TFI systems meet CARB and EPA emissions regulations. We design our systems with the correct emission canister capacity necessary for gasoline applications. GM, Ford, Dodge, etc. all use different canisters with different absorption characteristics. Each TFI fuel system is designed to be compatible with that vehicle’s emissions system.

7. TFI fillneck designs meet CARB fuel fill regulations. We design our fillnecks with proper alpha and beta angles and correct inclination angles for gasoline and diesel applications.

8. TFI systems meet CARB and EPA requirements concerning fuel fill rates. This test verifies that our system fills at a minimum of 10 gallons per minute - a rate equal to that dispensed at most gas stations.

Although the tank in the above picture is not from the same company, I have called and confirmed it exceeds our stock tanks' standards, so we're safe legally. I am planning on running either a Bosch 044 high pressure fuel pump or a Walbro 255. The former is a pump used by the vast majority of pro rally racers worldwide, and in other forms of racing. The latter is also a high pressure pump that is used more in the rock crawling/offroad arena. I plan on mounting either of them externally, with the VX stock pump acting as a "feeder pump" to a small accumulator that is mounted inline between the two. I'd like to get this fuel system sorted out soon, so I can begin to plan the rest of the systems.

[nfpgasmask]

I think you'll be fine with 16 gallons. I mean, you can always carry a 5 gallon jerry can and that will give you basically the same capacity you had before. Plus, it's not like you will be going on cross country road trips in it all the time, so...

Yeah, bummer about the weather, it was soooo nice last weekend. We should get some work done and drink a lot. Maybe Sunday morning it will be clear enough to take the Troop out back with some toys and spray a little lead...

Bart

[ZEUS]

Nice! I installed an aluminum version of that tank in my CJ. Mine was without baffles so I ordered two fuel pickups that have flappers. When the fuel pickup goes dry on one side it shuts and only one pick up feeds fuel. I installed a Y-fitting on my high-volume in-tank Walbro pump and cut the fuel lines long enough to put the pickups in alternate corners... no fuel starvation on ascents, descents, or sidehilling. I chose to use a fuel sending unit that has no moving parts and reads more accurately: http://www.stewartwarner.com/Comp/prel/intel00.html
http://www.maximatech.com/products/sendersandsensors

It drops right in and is not affected by the fuel pickups. Finding out what ohms to use and what depth to use are the only issues. See ya in 25 hours or so!

Well, it looks like bad weather this weekend, so maybe we will get some stuff done.....after all, that beer isn't going to drink itself In the spirit of this thread though, the diff covers are on their way as well as a pinion guard for the 14 bolt, and I'm going through all the brackets and tabs at ballistic right now to set up the link system. I am also looking really hard at this gas tank, since I will have to remove the stock one so the links can be properly positioned.



It is heavy duty 16 gauge 304 stainless steel. It's only 16 gallons though. Losing 6 gallons will suck a lot, but this new engine is supposed to be quite a bit more fuel efficient, so it might be a wash. I was getting a consistent 12MPG before, so hopefully I'll still see a boosted range with the new powerplant. If not, there's always Jerry cans As far as legalities go for replacing fuel tanks in vehicles, which Billy mentioned was a potential issue, I came across this:



Although the tank in the above picture is not from the same company, I have called and confirmed it exceeds our stock tanks' standards, so we're safe legally. I am planning on running either a Bosch 044 high pressure fuel pump or a Walbro 255. The former is a pump used by the vast majority of pro rally racers worldwide, and in other forms of racing. The latter is also a high pressure pump that is used more in the rock crawling/offroad arena. I plan on mounting either of them externally, with the VX stock pump acting as a "feeder pump" to a small accumulator that is mounted inline between the two. I'd like to get this fuel system sorted out soon, so I can begin to plan the rest of the systems.

[Ascinder]

What did that sensor setup run you? Sounds great to me!! I guess with the system I'm running(returnless), the fuel can overheat in the rails at very high temperatures, so I have to figure out a fix for that too, probably just some heatwrap.
On a sidenote, those awesome ORI struts Billy mentioned are only available in the ST version right now. I am thinking more along the lines of the DP3s, but they aren't expected to be produced until next year due to machining issues being worked out.

[ZEUS]

I got the sensor for around $100 but I have seen them as cheap as $70 - I can't find a link to the fuel pickups tho... I might have to scrounge receipts to find info - I bought all that 4 or 5 years ago. Why aren't you using a return line?

What did that sensor setup run you? Sounds great to me!! I guess with the system I'm running(returnless), the fuel can overheat in the rails at very high temperatures, so I have to figure out a fix for that too, probably just some heatwrap.
On a sidenote, those awesome ORI struts Billy mentioned are only available in the ST version right now. I am thinking more along the lines of the DP3s, but they aren't expected to be produced until next year due to machining issues being worked out.