[Fot] Fuel Cells

Mon Feb 26 15:15:22 MST 2018

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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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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