Fuel Cell Reconditioning

[chapo]

i might be having cell issues in my vintage 912. Going into turn 8 and 1 at Willow it starts skipping and missing, thinking fuel delivery. Everything else checks out. New fuel pump coil, etc. The tank is ten years old to me, who knows how old before then. It is a generic square Fuel Safe 12 or 15 gal. model. Who can I send the bladder to? Fuel Safe? i took a Super Vee bladder to a place I think in santa Fe Springs, Ca for a new one for a friend, anyone know where the best place to go is?

[cstreit]

THe age of the cell itself doesn't really effect its operation, only safety.

Does it have a sump?

[skipdup]

The foam inside can break-down. I forget how long it's rated, but I'm sure 10 years is past.
I was able to order a new foam kit from fuelsafe... Had to cut-to-fit. No bid deal.
Have a collector? I had to add one to mine.

[cstreit]

True it can break down but I'm assuming he's already checked out his filters since he's replaced the fuel pump...

If not, do it. That foam degrades and can jam up the intake screen of your filter and pump in no time....

[turborat]

Get a surge box and install the pump inside. Also route the return, if any, to drop into the surge box.

[cstreit]

Btw are you running webers? have you checked the float levels?

[KTL]

Need to determine exactly what type of cell your Fuel Safe is. The universal/generic cells have various types of bladder construction.

http://www.fuelsafe.com/pdf/road_race.pdf

For instance the flexible bladders are seriously expensive. The more economical molded bladders are cheaper and just fine in terms of safety. Point being is that if you have a cell with a flexible bladder, you may want to consider just getting a whole new cell with an economical molded bladder.

Using my ATL Sport Cell fuel cell as an example it was only a bit more to get the whole new cell sans a fill plate instead of getting a bladder, foam kit (just some rectangular blocks you cut to size) and fill plate cork gasket.

Agree with the other guys that if you haven't replaced your foam in 10 years, you're likely going to find the foam very degraded. Modern fuels don't agree very well with the foam, even the newest foam, and it should be replaced to avoid foam breakdown problems.

[chapo]

thanks for the replies. I have a spin on Fram fuel filter, overkill for the car. It was clean when i changed it. I put a new Holley pump on, the old one made a lot of noise. After a few laps the new one made the same loud noise. Chad Plavan told me he had a piece of foam lodge against his pump with similar problems. I think i need to at least change the foam and see what is going on in there. Do the bladders themselves wear out? i only run race gas in it, no pump gas at all.

[cstreit]

The bladders themselves do get less flexible and start to leak over time, but wouldnt cause your issue.

Could also be the pump. I had the same thing happen, i think the new Holley pumps are garbage. They are designed to push only so it must be mounted at the lowest level of the cell. My original didnt care, the new one gave out within 2 hours.

I invested in an Aeromotive later and ended all my issues.

High Output (HO) (7 PSI) Billet Carbureted Fuel Pump (3/8 “ NPT) ports [ARO11209] - $234.59 : The ProRaceStore, Racing Parts for the Professional

Full disclosure that is my website.

[KTL]

Holleys are indeed sorta suspect. My carbed car has two red pumps in parallel (redundancy and volume?) and they work OK. Quite loud too. Mine were modified to be run upside down to make servicing them easier. That right there says it all about them. Most pump installations are an install and never touch it again affair.

[ted]

I had a 12 year old yellow vinyl bladder in my race car that appeared to have a couple pin hole leaks.

I sent it here to have it pressure tested and repaired.
AERO TECH Services - the time-honored choice for OEM replacement, vintage, and custom fuel cells, including necessary repairs, certification and testing. - AERO TECH Services

Found out it had gone soft and was just oozing fuel under pressure.
So instead of ordering another vinyl fuel cell I had them make one for me.
Its double layer poly nitrate with blue foam inside.
Having a new fuel cell is a safe feeling, like getting a new driving suit.

[Quinlan]

Originally Posted by ted

I had a 12 year old yellow vinyl bladder in my race car that appeared to have a couple pin hole leaks.

I sent it here to have it pressure tested and repaired.
AERO TECH Services - the time-honored choice for OEM replacement, vintage, and custom fuel cells, including necessary repairs, certification and testing. - AERO TECH Services

Found out it had gone soft and was just oozing fuel under pressure.
So instead of ordering another vinyl fuel cell I had them make one for me.
Its double layer poly nitrate with blue foam inside.
Having a new fuel cell is a safe feeling, like getting a new driving suit.

If you don't mind the question, how did the cost of this compare to a new cell? I have a cell in my race car, that was in the car when I bought it, so I don't know the age of it.
Also, when you have it rebuilt like this, do you get a compliance certification from the manufacturer?
The aluminum cell and the flexible bladder in my car have no manufacturer's mark on them.

As of this time, PCA does not have any regulations regarding the age/certification of fuel cells, however other organizations do.

A new cell would obviously have the correct certification stamp, but I am wondering about alternatives to buying new.
Thanks

[ted]

Cost wise depends on the complexity and size of your tank.
Mine was an easy rectangle so was close to the same price, $1,400.
I considered it a safety upgrade over a vinyl bladder.

[KTL]

$1,400 price ted mentioned is why I suggested the basic cell of the molded type (with metal case around it). My new ATL 15 gal. Sport cell was a no-brainer deal thru Chris at ProRaceStore. Cell with new foam, bladder, steel case and cork gasket was just over $500 plus ship. I saved a bit because I was able to deduct the cost of the fill plate by reusing my current one off the junk cell.

Here's an easy to view link for design and pricing. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/abt-sp115/overview/