SPENT-IT

iTrader: (15)

By looking at the pictures was this a good idea?

How do I get the 8 -AN fitting to hook up to my return fuel line?
Sorry im not familiar with -AN fittings any help would be great.

jgrewe

iTrader: (1)

You will need the special fittings to get the proper seal from the cell to anything else. You can get steel ones pretty cheap at a hydraulic shop. I would just run the return into one of you feed ports on the bottom.

The easiest way to think about AN fittings is to think of the number that they are as a fraction with 16 being the bottom number. So, AN-8 ---> 8/16... is 1/2"

Evil Aviator

That tank is not good for road racing, but I guess it would be OK for the street. I assume that is a drag race tank? The vent on the top should really have a hose to direct the fuel vapors outside of the car rather than vent them into the trunk area.

What kind of aftermarket fuel pressure regulator are you using? If you have not bought one yet, the Aeromotive and SX brands are good. Most aftermarket fuel pressure regulators for these cars will have a -6 AN fitting at the bottom. You attach the return line to this bottom fitting, and then run the return line back to the fuel cell. The more hard line you use, the less money it will cost you, and the easier it will be to hang it on the car. Braided line is expensive and difficult to hang. The rule of thumb is to make the return line one size smaller than the feed line. For example, if you have a -8 AN feed, then you would use a -6 AN return.

Do you happen to know if your fuel cell was designed to use one of the two sump union fittings as a return, or is there another place for the return? Does one or both of them have a pick-up and/or sock strainer on the inside of the fuel cell? If you are supposed to use one of them for the return, and if both sump fittings are -8 AN, you can use a -6 AN to -8 AN adapter if you want to use a -6 AN return line. Usually it is not such a great idea to have your feed and return next to each other because the return fuel is hot and it is better to dump it where it can cool off a bit before being sucked back into the feed line.

If you want to see examples of fuel systems to support a given horsepower level, see the Power Planner section of the Aeromotive catalog.
http://www.aeromotiveinc.com/catalog.php

Steel has corrosion issues and is usually of the lesser JIC spec which does not fit properly when jury-rigged to the better AN spec fittings.

arghx

iTrader: (3)

Are you sure this is necessary for your goals?

SPENT-IT

iTrader: (15)

I already have a Aeromotive regulator with boost sensing.

I would like to make it road race legal. I bought the wrong one for mounting inside.

What tank do you recommend?

How does the AN fittings work? Can you just put 3/8 ID hose in it and run it to the hard line?

Evil Aviator

It looks like he is past that point now, lol.

Good, it most likely has a -6 AN port on the bottom for the fuel line return to the fuel cell.

I guess I should also point out that most components (regulators, fuel pumps, filters, etc.) tend to use ORB fittings as opposed to AN fittings. Therefore, if you see a threaded hole in the component, it is probably ORB, but if you see a fitting sticking out of a component, it is probably AN. You can save yourself a lot of grief by checking the component's literature BEFORE you order parts.

The tank you bought may be OK, but it doesn't look like it would meet road racing criteria to me. You need to see the rules for your racing class to determine if it is legal or not. You will also need to see the rules for mounting, venting, fuel sample ports, etc. It is not a good idea to buy anything until you know that it will work for your particular application.

I like the Fuel Safe Pro Cell with the steel case and optional surge tank. However, you are looking at about $1,500-1,800 for a complete setup, so you may want to consider one of the cheaper models if money is an issue. I guess I should also warn you that the AN fittings, braided hoses, and hard line will cost several hundred dollars.

You really shouldn't try this yourself if you do not know how they work. It is rather difficult to cut the braided hoses properly, and the fittings need to be attached to the hoses in a certain manner to keep from leaking. The system must be planned carefully because the braided hoses have a minimum bending radius, they can't be twisted, they need to have a certain amount of slack, they need to be supported properly, and vibrations can make them wear away anything they touch. Also, any hard line will require bending and flaring, although that is not too difficult once you get the hang of it and your mistakes will not cost very much in lost material like it does with the braided hose. In order to do all the work yourself, you would need a tube bending/flaring kit, hack saw and blades, vice, tape, an aluminum AN wrench for each size fitting, and it really helps to have aluminum AN vice jaws. This FAA article tells more about the subject:
http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/a...83-30_Ch07.pdf

You can only do that for low-pressure lines. If your engine is fuel injected, the fuel feed lines will probably be pressurized to about 40-80psi, which will require proper high-pressure AN fittings, hoses, and hard line. Make sure that anything you buy is rated for fuel injection. Better yet, let a professional figure it out for you.

ITSWILL

iTrader: (12)

doesn't the fuel cell need to be completely separated from the interior of the car? Im not sure if what you have there is legal.

jgrewe

iTrader: (1)

In SCCA you will need metal covers for the holes in your floor. The cell isn't legal for SCCA and I doubt NASA would allow it either. Being plastic I would work on some heat shields from the exhaust if you are going to keep it.

Also think about how much the thing will weigh when its full. You may want more than aluminum straps supporting it with bolts loaded in tension.

Fuel Safe has a 'sportsman series' cell that is legal in SCCA and runs about $500-600. If you are going to go through the trouble of plumbing the car start with the right cell.

ITSWILL

iTrader: (12)

spent-it: you like the ultra violence as well I see.

SPENT-IT

iTrader: (15)

Evil Aviator:
I don't think you know what meant when I said how they work. I have the info I needed, 6-AN = 3/8 NPT.

The fuel cell has 8 -AN fittings out and I would like to run a 3/8th ID fuel line from ACE hardware to my pump.

Can I change the tank fittings 8 -AN to 6 -AN?

I have a carb, so it will be low pressure.

Should I buy the tank that you have to cut a hole and drop it in?

This is what will be on my pump and regulator. 3/8 NPT x 3/8 ID hose.

Sorry I didn't explain my set up to begin with.

Evil Aviator

Oh, I wish you stated that to start with, lol. Yes, your regulator is probably all 3/8" NPT in that case.

Not necessarily. NPT is based on the inside diameter, while AN is based on the outside diameter. Also, NPT uses a tapered thread that will not work with AN straight thread without an adapter.

Therefore, 3/8" NPT is actually more compatible with -8 AN. You can probably downgrade most of your lines to -6 AN if your engine is not intended to produce more than about 335bhp. However, if you have an external fuel pump, do not make the fuel pump's suction line any smaller than its inlet fitting.

Make sure the line is rated for fuel.

You can replace the fuel tank union fittings, or you can buy adapters for the existing fittings. If all of your other components use 3/8" NPT, you can just use -8 AN line for both feed and return. Your local race shop probably has -8 AN to 3/8" barb fitting adapters for your fuel tank. The -6 AN that I mentioned earlier assumed that you had an EFI setup which usually involves a pressure regulator with a -6 AN return fitting.

That depends on the rules for your racing class.