Gas Tank/sump - will it pass tech?

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70DSTR

70DSTR

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I welded a Competition Engineering sump in my gas tank. The tech inspector at my local track told me it needs to be inside the frame. He let me race (street legal drags) and a couple guys in line around me told me my setup was ok after he left. I looked up the rule and it says the fuel tank should "be within the confines of the frame and/or steel body."

I'm driving the car 250 miles to MATSLV in April and I don't want to drive it over 500 miles and not be able to race. I'm going to enter stick class and maybe footbrake. What do you think? Am I ok or do have to take it out and put in a fuel cell? The sump has 7.5 inches of clearance. Thanks for your opinions.
 
I don't understand how you could possibly build one OUTSIDE the confines of the "frame or body?"

What did you do get one of these?

52018F_v3_1000.jpg
 
I think the tech meant it was too low Del.:D
 

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I would argue that if you can flatten both rear tires and sit it on the bumper

(I don't know who's gonna wheelie on the bumper with two flat rear tires)

and it doesn't come outside that line, then it should be OK. We're not running "that new" obstacle course drags, are we?

Montero+Carnegieframetwister2013ss.jpg
 
Well the original gas tank is not within the confines of the frame as it hangs lower than the frame. That's a tricky one, I personally think it's fine if it's constructed of steel and welded to the tank. If it was a plastic fuel cell They would want the sump protected with sheet metal I believe.

Maybe email NHRA tech for a clarification on the issue before Vegas.
 
Only thing I can think of is if it hangs below the line from tire patch to rear bumper/valance. If it's above that line, not an issue.

Don't want it to be the first point of contact in case of wheelies.
 
How about a picture, to see what the tech saw.............
 
Here is a picture of my tank & sump. I put the bottom dowel at the base of the tires and ran a second one from that dowel to the base of the bumper. There is about 1.25 inches of clearance even though it looks like more on the pic. Zhanfull, do you know any techs that would answer an email or should I just email the track? BTW, I'm not even close to pulling wheelies.
 

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IMO, it looks like if a tire got flattened or you REALLY wrinkled up the slicks you may be scrapping, so I can see the tech guy's concern. My Dart's tank is sumped also but I've got 12ins or better from the ground.
Since it's "within the confines of the body" I guess you could say it's legal, but I wouldn't want to drive it. (no offense).......
 
hemicop said:
IMO, it looks like if a tire got flattened or you REALLY wrinkled up the slicks you may be scrapping, so I can see the tech guy's concern.
Click to expand...

And there's the fact that the entire weight of the car will also be on the rear suspension in a launch or wheelie making it even lower.
 
crackedback said:
Only thing I can think of is if it hangs below the line from tire patch to rear bumper/valance. If it's above that line, not an issue.

Don't want it to be the first point of contact in case of wheelies.[/QUO
Cracked back's answer,the only one that makes sense....(to me).
Click to expand...
 
Tanks: When permitted by class regulations, fuel tanks located
outside body and/or frame must be enclosed in a steel tube frame
constructed of minimum 1 1/4-inch O.D. x .058 chromoly or .118 mild
steel tubing. All fuel tanks must be isolated from the driver’s
compartment by a firewall, completely sealed to prevent any fuel from
entering the driver’s compartment. All fuel tanks must have a pressure
cap and be vented outside of body. A positive-locking screw-on fuel
tank cap is mandatory on all open-bodied cars. Insulated fuel tanks
prohibited. When used, nonmetallic fuel cells must have a metal box
protecting the part of the fuel cell that is outside of body lines or trunk
floor, excluding hose connection area in rear. The metal box must be
constructed of minimum .024 steel or .032 aluminum. Nonmetallic fuel
cells or tanks must be grounded to frame.

probably needs a steel or aluminum box of some kind to protect it....

but then again...the tech guys in vegas hardly look for anything..lol
 
They passed mine and sonoma techs are sticklers......not critidizing them...
 
hemicop said:
IMO, it looks like if a tire got flattened or you REALLY wrinkled up the slicks you may be scrapping, so I can see the tech guy's concern.......
Click to expand...

TrailBeast said:
And there's the fact that the entire weight of the car will also be on the rear suspension in a launch or wheelie making it even lower.
Click to expand...

Abodybomber said:
Damn,that sits low...
Click to expand...

X3 'er whatever...........

What might be an "unwritten" concern would be something like loss of a wheel/ axle breakage. You would not want the car doing a belly landing on the sump
 
I think the silver tank paint,grabs too much attention.. (JMO).
 
You guys got me thinking about a lot of different scenarios. Thanks for all of your inputs and amusing pictures. Wheelies, flat tires, and broken axles. I'm not worried about wheelies since I can't even pull up a tire (best 60 foot 1.7). With bare 15" rims on the car the sump clears the ground by 1.25 inches and almost sits on my my caltracks. That would mean that it would likely hit if I had 2 flat tires. I'm not going to try to simulate a broken axle. I agree that the silver paint makes it look worse. If was your car, what would you do?
 
If it was my car I'd sell the tank to someone that could use it & either get a new tank sans sump or use a trunk monted fuel cell.
 
I'm a tech inspector at Mission Raceway Park in Mission BC.

As the rules state if it's non-metallic fuel cell it must be protected by steel or aluminum. Since it's a steel tank in stock location, it is legal. I would have no problem passing this aspect of your car. I've passed a few 5.0 mustang guys with the exact same setup on theirs. The tanks outside of the body they refer to are the wicked "moon-eyes" tanks of the great gasser days!!

So your car is good to go in my eyes as a tech inspector. Some other techs don't always know what they are looking at. If anyone has tech questions feel free to ask me in a pm or tag my name in a title or something so I see it. Pics always help too!

Kris.
 
hemicop said:
If it was my car I'd sell the tank to someone that could use it & either get a new tank sans sump or use a trunk monted fuel cell.
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Why? and what does that mean someone that can use it? You back a car into the wall hard and I would just assume the fuel dump in the ground not all over the inside trunk of the car by the battery an ignition source. Even with a typical fire wall panel behind the seat there is still openings in the quarter panel area's and rockers where fuel and fire can get to the driver.
 
Why not just run an in tank pump and a fuel tank that has baffles in it. Problems solved.
 
Not all tech inspectors are that technically savvy and some tend to interpret rules based on a variety of inputs....including personal opinion.
That should be legal in my opinion , but I am not a tech inspector.
I have run similar arrangements on a couple cars with no issues though.
Yes , I know the tires are on the wrong side......this was to roll it around during construction. :supz:
 

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zhandfull said:
Why? and what does that mean someone that can use it? You back a car into the wall hard and I would just assume the fuel dump in the ground not all over the inside trunk of the car by the battery an ignition source. Even with a typical fire wall panel behind the seat there is still openings in the quarter panel area's and rockers where fuel and fire can get to the driver.
Click to expand...

Simple---some guys don't care about the safety of a modification as the car may never see a strip & be tech'd. Trunk mounted fuel cells have been used for decades & are far safer than any current stock fuel tank. Why? Because they have a bladder in them to control the spillage. The fuel seepage you're talking about would be so small the driver would have time to get out if the fuel was even burning.
 
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