Mark,
Thanks for sharing your experience with old fuel cells. I sent this email (see
below) to the list about 1 1/2 years ago verifying my stupidity regarding fuel
cells.
Bud Rolofson
Extreme Parts Racing (more than just a haircut)
71TR6 CC57365 (Good 6)
71 Spitfire MK IV Race Car #3
69 Spitfire MK III (back up FE engine/dinghy car)
93 Minnie Winnie Race Support Vehicle
77 Z-50A Hardly Davidson Honda Mini-Trail Bike (Triumph Pit Bike)
On Feb 26, 2018, at 12:26 PM, DPPI - Mark Craig via Fot <fot at autox.team.net>
wrote:
> To all for a safe 2018 Race Season:
>
> Just a thought that ALL of you need to consider.
>
> I bought a 1972 Spitfire race car about 7 years ago out of the CT area.
> Decent runner and such and have been having a good time with it. At the last
> event of 2017 it sort of felt ?flat? checked all the normal stuff and just
> assumed she had a tired engine.
>
> As I always do at year end I siphoned all the race gas out of her that I can
> to let her rest on empty over the winter. When I did that I got a lot (and I
> mean a LOT) of red fibers in my 6 gallon jug. Didn?t worry much about it as
> it was months to race season. Well time is near so I got out in the garage
> Saturday and started to check the ATL fuel cell out. As usual you can?t see
> in the damn things especially if you are over 50 and lighting a match is a
> bad idea for extra light LOL!! So I pulled the multi bolt ring off the top
> of the cell. Guess what it?s full of, NOTHING at all. Well it did have one
> lump of foam left about the size of a softball, in the rest of the bladder
> was sludge of red fibers in some left over race fuel. No wonder the car was
> running flat, every line and filter is chocked up with cell material.
>
> So what to do, pull the entire thing out and see what can be done. When I got
> it all out and drained and cleaned up a bit I found the manufacturer ID label
> on the bladder, guess when it was built 19 frigg?in 78!!! The race gods have
> plainly been protecting the stupid as I haven?t had an accident where I
> needed the cell, thank goodness. Basically I had a steel can with a 40 year
> old plastic bladder in it and that is all. I guess the upside is now I know
> the car has history back to 1978 anyway HA HA!
>
> So my point in boring you all (and or letting you have ammunition to annoy me
> at the track) is check your dang fuel cell. I stated to think about it, the
> newest cell I got is approximately 9 years old and I never mess with them.
> Out of sight out of mind so they say. I have preached to others on safety and
> safety equipment and here I am being this dumb.
>
> So I just got off the phone with ATL and they are setting my diesel
> performance business up as a dealer for cells as we have had some customers
> have asked for fuel cells in the past in diesel race trucks. I am getting one
> for myself ASAP, if any of you are as dumb as I am and see that you have
> neglected your fuel cell to the point mine is, call me we?ll help you out on
> a new one.
>
> MOSTLY PROTECT YOURSELF AND THE CAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
> <image002.png>
>
> MARK CRAIG
> Diesel Performance Parts, Inc.
> 411 Allied Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
> www.dieselperformanceparts.com
> <image003.jpg> <image004.jpg> <image005.jpg> <image006.jpg>
>
>
> Phone: 615-834-0066
> Fax: 615-834-9923
> Email:mark at dieselperformanceparts.com
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
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>
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December 12, 2016
I recently discovered my ATL fuel cell was leaking. Upon removal here?s what it
looked like. All four sides were toast and the sides of the bladder literally
fell apart when I pulled the bladder out of the metal box. There was no
external damage to the box so this was all just fuel/bladder
interaction/reaction and old age. See pics.
I was a bit shaken to think I?d been naive enough to trust it and stupid enough
not to check it more thoroughly. Driving a molotov cocktail in the boot is not
a good idea. I read a receipt wrong that came with the car and thought the
bladder had been replaced but it was the baffling that had been replaced.
So if you may have a really old bladder (no old man jokes please) or don?t
really know how old it is please learn from my mistake and check and replace if
needed.
Regards
Bud
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