fuel tank baffling

[Limbo]

Hi all, just an idea on baffling my fuel tank. When i was out on the track i noticed my fuel tank level started dropping when i got to half tank.

I've noticed on motocycles, some of them stick fuel foam into their tanks to combat this effect.

ANyone done this to their EK or any other hondas?

[OMG.JAI xD]

Why not just get a fuel cell?

[LiL FiLo]

you can put foam in your fuel tank, you can get it from rocket industries in huntingwood (eastern creek) - much easier with a fuel cell tho.

[ZCroofrack]

If you do put foam in the tank, make sure you leave room for the fuel level sender, so that it does not jam. We always leave a gap around fuel senders and fuel pump pickup areas on aircraft tanks.

[fatboyz39]

Run a fuel surge tank setup if your planning to run low fuel. Tinkerbell has a neat surge tank setup on his dc2.

[lil_foy]

+1 for surge tank.

We have one in the 180, works a treat.

[JohnL]

My understanding is that one benefit of using tank foam is that it slows the rate at which fuel sloshes from side to side in the tank, and thus slows the rate at which a potentially fairly large mass of liquid moves laterally as the car changes direction.

Lessening this can have handling benefits because as the sloshing fuel moves vigorously to the side it creates a lateral weight transfer (as the fuel mass moves away from the inside wheels toward the outside wheels), but maybe more important, as the fuel stops moving when it hits the side of the tank there is a relatively sudden transfer of kinetic energy laterally into the chassis. This may see a sudden lateral loading on the contact patches.

This will still happen with a foam filled tank, but it's likely to be a gentler occurance. Probably not an issue for a road car, but for racing...

[Limbo]

As john says, i thought it was a good idea, does anyone know of the negative points of doing this?

Also how do you stop the foam getting into the pickup area?

[e240]

Is it really that much of an issue thats worth the hassle in a street car? 1/2 a tank of fuel is fine and movements on the fuel needle isn't really an indication or surge. Unless you're actually experiencing surge, and or, you're pulling some serious Gs..I really wouldn't bother and run with at least 1/2 to 3/4 (if not full) tank of fuel.

[ZCroofrack]

Lol, anything less than 1/2 a tank in the DA9 on a 'hard' right hand turn at speed and the engine cuts out till I straighten up lol!

[e240]

Better check your pump assembly - I can run up till less than a 1/4 tank and still not have any surging issues in my EG

I once did have surging issues at under 1/2 tank but it turns out I was using an incorrect fuel pump.. :-p shouldn't really pick stuff up from a parts bin without really checking.

[jords]

how does the surge tank work, how do you have it set up Tinks?

[Limbo]

yeah but i dun wanna have to drive to the servo if i dun need to.
If i can fix it easy then another mod for the car :)

i was thinking putting foam in was an easy thing that's all.

Tink where are you? show us your stuff!

[string]

Lol, anything less than 1/2 a tank in the DA9 on a 'hard' right hand turn at speed and the engine cuts out till I straighten up lol!

Strange. I've run my DA9 multiple times at Wakefield Park (mostly rights) with no fuel problems (last time I filled up 49L on the drive home). If you're running stock springs all that body roll might have something to do with it :D

[TODA AU]

Hi all, just an idea on baffling my fuel tank. When i was out on the track i noticed my fuel tank level started dropping when i got to half tank.

I've noticed on motocycles, some of them stick fuel foam into their tanks to combat this effect.

ANyone done this to their EK or any other hondas?

Sounds like you're looking at the fuel guage going up & down.. So what?
Are you getting fuel surge or not...
(I doubt it...)

[JohnL]

As is being suggested, the guage fluctuating is not hurting anything. You don't have a significant problem unless when cornering hard the pump is suddenly trying to pump air instead of fuel...

[fatboyz39]

Just fab up a 2L surge tank.

[bennjamin]

+1 vote for run half or more of a tank of fuel.
Dont bikes run so called foam , due to previous generations of carbied high revving setups ?

Dont run with a tiny amount of fuel...IE fuel light is coming on during hard corners or braking. Surged once in my setup but there was little to no fuel left.

[Limbo]

yeah i dun think i'm having problems of surging at the moment, but wasn't sure if my fuel level keeps going up & down that it may end up causing me to get surge.


Sounds like you're looking at the fuel guage going up & down.. So what?
Are you getting fuel surge or not...
(I doubt it...)

[MacDiZZle]

go with the surge tank dude... you can pick one up from autobarn for like $60... go to the wreckers and grab a vl fuel pump and slap it all together in 20mins. :thumbsup:

i do sprints and it makes a big difference. i just put about 5-10 litres in the tank before each 5 lap session... i know when the main tank is out if fuel because i can hear the pickup pump pumping air... its my low fuel warning :p