Gas tank

[48builder]

Sorry to hog the board. I am working full steam ahead on this dumb car and am looking for answers from guys that know more than I do.

I had a new gas tank made. It's a beauty. 1/8" aluminum, about 16 gallon size. I just have to weld it together. I'm using the pump, along with the sump out of the Camaro donor car tank. It all works good, but the lowest entrace for the sump is about 1" off the tank bottom. I'm thinking about filling up some of the tank bottom so that I can use more of the gas before my sump runs dry. Right now, I figure I would have about 2 gallons left in the tank and still run out of gas.

I was thinking about welding in a section to take up some room. Or, if there is some kind of foam or dense rubber that I can glue in the bottom I could take up more of the room.

Anybody know of something that could be used to build up the floor a little?

Thanks,

Walt

[Bob Paulin]

Sorry to hog the board. I am working full steam ahead on this dumb car and am looking for answers from guys that know more than I do.

I had a new gas tank made. It's a beauty. 1/8" aluminum, about 16 gallon size. I just have to weld it together. I'm using the pump, along with the sump out of the Camaro donor car tank. It all works good, but the lowest entrace for the sump is about 1" off the tank bottom. I'm thinking about filling up some of the tank bottom so that I can use more of the gas before my sump runs dry. Right now, I figure I would have about 2 gallons left in the tank and still run out of gas.

I was thinking about welding in a section to take up some room. Or, if there is some kind of foam or dense rubber that I can glue in the bottom I could take up more of the room.

Anybody know of something that could be used to build up the floor a little?

Thanks,

Walt

I don't think any of that work would be worth it at all.

All you would be doing is filling the bottom of the tank with something other than gasoline - foam, welded-in piece, etc.

You would ALSO be decreasing the capacity of the tank by whatever volume you displace on the bottom. One gallon of "filler" on the bottom would be equal to one less gallon of gasoline that the tank can hold.

If it were me - and I could not get the pickup any lower - I'd leave it alone for at least two reasons....

1. With this "reserve" at the bottom of the tank, any crap that got into your tank - including water - would likely remain at the bottom of the tank - out of the reach of your pickup.

2. Even when the car "runs out of gas" you would still have a small reserve from which you might draw enough to keep going several hundred feet by swerving the car a bit to slosh the fuel - you know.....just like the NASCAR guys do on television.

3. One more solution might be to build a "trap door" setup that would help trap gasoline into the low sump area. Maybe you could tip the tank slightly to enhance this effect.

JMHO

B.P.

[Leon]

Lower the mount for the pump so it picks up that gas.  You could make a "cup" sort of thing that would weld into the top of the tank and lower the pump.

[GPster]

Lower the mount for the pump so it picks up that gas.  You could make a "cup" sort of thing that would weld into the top of the tank and lower the pump.

It would also allow for some liquid cooling for the pump which they strongly advise. GPster

[48builder]

[quote="Bob Paulin.

If it were me - and I could not get the pickup any lower - I'd leave it alone for at least two reasons....


JMHO

B.P.[/quote]

Thanks, Bob. That's what I'll do. Be easier all around.

Walt