We have a leaking one in our E30 325i trackday car, Question is!
Has anybody any experience of using a fuel tank/cell mounted elsewhere, i.e. in the spare wheel well or up against the bulkhead in the boot. If so, what are the pros and cons?
Thanks for any help in advance.
edit - After searching a little harder on this site I found this article.
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... =fuel+tank
Would still be grateful for any further info..
Fuel tank
Moderator: martauto
-
funky-monkey
- E30 Zone Newbie
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- Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 11:00 pm
- Location: Lincoln
well I have seen a few with cells in the wheel well with swirl pots for fuel surge. But this does shift the center of gravity from the middle of the car (which is perfect) to the back end of the car . It may be better just to get another tank from a breakers yard.
Indeed, the standard fuel tank is in perfect position, under the rearseat.
E30 M50B25 racer soon-to-be E30 S50B30 racer
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GermanGorilla
- E30 Zone Regular
- Posts: 528
- Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 11:00 pm
Hi,
I to was of the same view as Tom that the original fuel tank is in the
perfect location.
However, for a track car with everything stripped out, fact remains
that the engine sits over the front axle on most BMW race / track
cars.
This makes the car front weight biais, so BMW in the M3 DTM days
moved the fuel cell further to the rear in order to counter balance
the front.
By moving the fuel tank / cell either over the rear axle, existing
sits in front or ideally just behind, then allowing for the driving position
to be set a little further back than stock, when you come to corner weight
the car, you have a chance of getting somewhere near to 50/50 weight
distribution.
Original std tank was around 65 ltrs and most spare wheel well fuel cells are around 40 -45 ltrs, so on a full tank a third less from the off.
The most successful touring car ever, in Race trim, did not use the original
fuel tank location, so there must be something in moving it ?.
Regards,
The Gorilla.
I to was of the same view as Tom that the original fuel tank is in the
perfect location.
However, for a track car with everything stripped out, fact remains
that the engine sits over the front axle on most BMW race / track
cars.
This makes the car front weight biais, so BMW in the M3 DTM days
moved the fuel cell further to the rear in order to counter balance
the front.
By moving the fuel tank / cell either over the rear axle, existing
sits in front or ideally just behind, then allowing for the driving position
to be set a little further back than stock, when you come to corner weight
the car, you have a chance of getting somewhere near to 50/50 weight
distribution.
Original std tank was around 65 ltrs and most spare wheel well fuel cells are around 40 -45 ltrs, so on a full tank a third less from the off.
The most successful touring car ever, in Race trim, did not use the original
fuel tank location, so there must be something in moving it ?.
Regards,
The Gorilla.
With an eye on the speed of those m3 touringcars I think they had problems with the fuel going from one side to another on corners using the standard tank. And also I think a safetycell was probably in the regulations. Maybe it wasn't allowed under the car. But this is just speculation.
However I think it would be better to pull your engine more behind the frontstruts rather than putting the fueltank far backwards. More expensive but hey, can't harm to dream about it ;).
edit : however, if I would put a safety cell in, I'd put it against the rearseat in the trunk
However I think it would be better to pull your engine more behind the frontstruts rather than putting the fueltank far backwards. More expensive but hey, can't harm to dream about it ;).
edit : however, if I would put a safety cell in, I'd put it against the rearseat in the trunk
E30 M50B25 racer soon-to-be E30 S50B30 racer
-
GermanGorilla
- E30 Zone Regular
- Posts: 528
- Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 11:00 pm
Hi,
Tom944- All what you say make good sense and I would not disagree.
But when you fit a Full FIA weld in roll Cage, pick up the rear diff mounts
via the Cage, and then brace the top of the rear strut towers across to
each other, then welded into the rear part of the Cage, putting a fuel cell
behind the rear Bulkhead is not an option !!!
Your left with the original position, which is restricted by side exit rear
exhaust and Gearbox / Diff Oil Cooler's, or the rear spare wheel well.
If you study it hard there is not a lot of places a Tank/ Fuel Cell can go
on a Race/ Track Car incorporating the above modifications.
Like your Idea about moving the engine back, don't like the cost of it
though !!!
Regards,
The Gorilla.
Tom944- All what you say make good sense and I would not disagree.
But when you fit a Full FIA weld in roll Cage, pick up the rear diff mounts
via the Cage, and then brace the top of the rear strut towers across to
each other, then welded into the rear part of the Cage, putting a fuel cell
behind the rear Bulkhead is not an option !!!
Your left with the original position, which is restricted by side exit rear
exhaust and Gearbox / Diff Oil Cooler's, or the rear spare wheel well.
If you study it hard there is not a lot of places a Tank/ Fuel Cell can go
on a Race/ Track Car incorporating the above modifications.
Like your Idea about moving the engine back, don't like the cost of it
though !!!
Regards,
The Gorilla.
-
lowpro
- E30 Zone Newbie
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Thu Jun 01, 2006 11:00 pm
- Location: North Yorkshire
- Contact:
Cheers guys, some good info.
Just wondering if anybody has used one of these from XLmotorsport, I would like to know a little more about them from someone who has actually fitted one. Good, Bad, easy to fit etc.
http://www.xlraceparts.com/index.asp?fu ... oductid=97
Just wondering if anybody has used one of these from XLmotorsport, I would like to know a little more about them from someone who has actually fitted one. Good, Bad, easy to fit etc.
http://www.xlraceparts.com/index.asp?fu ... oductid=97
[quote="GermanGorilla"]Hi,
However, for a track car with everything stripped out, fact remains
that the engine sits over the front axle on most BMW race / track
cars.
This makes the car front weight biais, so BMW in the M3 DTM days
moved the fuel cell further to the rear in order to counter balance
the front.
By moving the fuel tank / cell either over the rear axle, existing
sits in front or ideally just behind, then allowing for the driving position
to be set a little further back than stock, when you come to corner weight
the car, you have a chance of getting somewhere near to 50/50 weight
distribution.
Original std tank was around 65 ltrs and most spare wheel well fuel cells are around 40 -45 ltrs, so on a full tank a third less from the off.
The most successful touring car ever, in Race trim, did not use the original
fuel tank location, so there must be something in moving it ?.
quote]
Not strictly true i'm afraid, you need to realise that those cars were stripped of all non essentials and caged and this dramatically changes the weight distribution of the car, the fact that they might have had a tank out back does not mean that simply moving it there will help distribution on a different car, you NEED to corner weight to understand this before you can make such a decision.
There is another option, the OEM tank can be cut in half and welded back together, recucing its weight and capacity, you can then corner weight and move things accordingly, this is the best option other than going for a well tank.
However, for a track car with everything stripped out, fact remains
that the engine sits over the front axle on most BMW race / track
cars.
This makes the car front weight biais, so BMW in the M3 DTM days
moved the fuel cell further to the rear in order to counter balance
the front.
By moving the fuel tank / cell either over the rear axle, existing
sits in front or ideally just behind, then allowing for the driving position
to be set a little further back than stock, when you come to corner weight
the car, you have a chance of getting somewhere near to 50/50 weight
distribution.
Original std tank was around 65 ltrs and most spare wheel well fuel cells are around 40 -45 ltrs, so on a full tank a third less from the off.
The most successful touring car ever, in Race trim, did not use the original
fuel tank location, so there must be something in moving it ?.
quote]
Not strictly true i'm afraid, you need to realise that those cars were stripped of all non essentials and caged and this dramatically changes the weight distribution of the car, the fact that they might have had a tank out back does not mean that simply moving it there will help distribution on a different car, you NEED to corner weight to understand this before you can make such a decision.
There is another option, the OEM tank can be cut in half and welded back together, recucing its weight and capacity, you can then corner weight and move things accordingly, this is the best option other than going for a well tank.
please contact admin with regard to sig
-
GermanGorilla
- E30 Zone Regular
- Posts: 528
- Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 11:00 pm
Hi,
Taffy- I though we were talking about a Caged Car etc ?.
The fact remains that if you brace the Cage and incorporate the
Rear Strut Towers, pick up the rear diff so need access from above
for the bolts, then leaving the original Tank, does not work.
If your talking just a Track Day Car with no Cage or just a bolted hoop
then the original Tank position may well work.
Regards,
The Gorilla.
Taffy- I though we were talking about a Caged Car etc ?.
The fact remains that if you brace the Cage and incorporate the
Rear Strut Towers, pick up the rear diff so need access from above
for the bolts, then leaving the original Tank, does not work.
If your talking just a Track Day Car with no Cage or just a bolted hoop
then the original Tank position may well work.
Regards,
The Gorilla.