i want to put a 5gal fuel cell in front of my rad support. has anyone ever done this. if so can you post some pics of it so that i can get an idea of what im in for. thanks alot

 

I don't use a full size rad. I use a tiny rad from a Pontiac Firefly since my alcohol engine doesn't produce a lot of heat. My fuel cell is mounted beside the rad. My rad support has been cut out and a simple brace replaces it just to mount stuff.

How you mount it depends on the size and style. It's possible to mount a fuel cell on the driver's side behind the headlights/rad support.

 

I mounted mine in the right forward battery box area. Here's the link with the pics...

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/post...35-post21.html

 

Ever have any problems with that at the track? It used to be at a lot of races any modifications to the core support either automatically disqualified you or at least moved you up a class... haven't looked lately if that is still the case (had a friend with an almost stock mustang, with a junk motor and twin turbos that cut part of the core support for the charge pipe from the intercooler and it seemed like that ruined more fun than anything else, but it's been a few years and similar setups have gotten a lot more common.

 

Tony V did you make some sort of a box to go around the bottom of that. also was size is that cell?

 

Nothing in the rulebook says I can't change my car whichever way I want. I don't fall into those restrictive "classes". As a bracket racer, I can do just about anything I want to my car. There's a tubular brace going under the rad to add some support to the frame rails but even that's not really required.

 

I put some sheetmetal on the forward side of the wheelwell to keep debris kicked up by the front tire from hitting the cell. It's a 4 gal tank.

 

i too will be running alky with my new setup. this is my first time with alcohol. i worried that a 4 gal cell wont be enough for the motor. its a pretty healthy small block (about 720-730hp). i have a sumped tank but ill be using a belt driven fuel pump. i think it would be better to have a cell up front than use the one in the rear.

 

If you mount one in the rear, you should use an electric pump to push it up to a front surge tank. Some people have had no problems using a belt driven pump with a cell in the rear.

My fuel cell holds 4 gallons. I fill it up after every pass. I can make 2 full passes if I have to skip a refuel and do a hot lap. Typically I use up 5 gallons of fuel to make 3 passes down the track. That's 1/4 mile at WOT then all the way down to the end of the track and back to the pits. Total distance traveled is 2 miles (it's a road course route to return to the pits from the very end of the track). If I got towed through the staging lanes and back up the return road, I wouldn't use as much fuel. My sponsor buys me alcohol so I don't worry about how much I burn.

When I go to the track, the fuel cell is full and I have 3 full jugs. Warm up usually uses 1-2 gallons of fuel. Technically, I have enough fuel for 9 good full passes plus some warm up time or excess idling in the staging lanes trying to build heat in the engine.

 

ok thanks. i know alky burns faster than gasoline. i just didnt know how much faster. if your not having any problems, i doubt i will. i ordered a 4 gal cell from jegs tonite. i hope to have it on sat. im going to try and put it where the battery used to be( like above). i have to get a copy of the nhra rules as far as covering the portion that sticks out the bottom.

 

It doesn't so much burn faster. It's actually a slower burning fuel. You just burn twice as much to get the same perfect air/fuel ratio.

So I burn twice as much alcohol as gasoline. My sponsor buys me alcohol. I can currently get it for $300/drum. If I use 2 drums in a season, that's only $600. Because of the high compression in my engine, I would probably have to run C14 race gas at $1000/drum. Alcohol is much cheaper to use.

If for any reason, I run out of fuel, I can run down to Home Depot and buy all their methyl hydrate at an overinflated price but at least I'd have some fuel.

 

Not to get off subject but your getting 4 gallons to 1 mile in your car...that is awesome haha sorry now back to the subject at hand.....

 

No. I go 6 miles on 5 gallons. It's a 2 mile trip from the pits, down to the end of the track and all the way back to the pits following the road course. I make 3 passes on 5 gallons. Only a 1/4 mile is at WOT.

If I was pushed/towed through the staging lanes and all the way back to the pits after a run, I could probably do a lot more passes on 5 gallons.