ChrisGamlin
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| posted on 29/5/05 at 09:15 PM |
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Cutting a hole in a used fuel tank
I need to add a fuel level sender to my ally tank now that Ive got a Digidash (previously just used sight gauge).
So - how do you go about cutting a hole in an ally fuel tank thats previously had fuel in it without risking blowing yourself up? 
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Staple balls
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| posted on 29/5/05 at 09:17 PM |
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fill it with water
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need4speed
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| posted on 29/5/05 at 09:22 PM |
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Pump exhaust gas into it is another way.
Dave
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ChrisGamlin
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| posted on 29/5/05 at 09:29 PM |
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Yep have heard the exhaust gas one before, the only problem I have is that apart from the kit car (which obviously cant run without a tank!), the only
petrol engine I have is the lawnmower, the tintops are both diesel
Whats the best/safest way to cut it do you think, lots of small drill holes then file the remainder? ive also got the option of a jigsaw, I dont think
ive got a suitably sized hole saw tho
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clbarclay
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| posted on 29/5/05 at 10:37 PM |
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Its probably a non starter idea because of all the half moons that would end up in the tank, but a nibbler should have no ignition risk and be able to
make large holes of any size/shape.
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craig1410
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| posted on 29/5/05 at 10:44 PM |
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Does aluminium create a spark when you cut it? I've never seen that happen before. I agree better safe than sorry though.
What about filling it with CO2 gas from a pub gas or halfords welding gas bottle first? If it was me I'd probably just fill it with water to be
honest. You can always dry it out later by gently heating and ventilating the tank. It's not as if it is a particularly complex shape like some
cars and should be easy enough to dry out.
Cheers,
Craig.
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Cita
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| posted on 30/5/05 at 07:41 AM |
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The smallest opening will cause the gas to excit leaving the heavier fuel damp in the tank.(I think...)
Add some aluminium sawdust is allways good to make better explosions
Water is the cheapest and safest method except that you can get electrocuted but that's a minor problem compared to tank explosion
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gazza285
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| posted on 30/5/05 at 08:19 AM |
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A little bit of water with washing up liquid in it, fill the tank with bubbles.
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tks
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| posted on 30/5/05 at 12:20 PM |
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welll
if i was you i fill it up with water one thing is for sure... the petrol will rise
when you are at the top i would just test
with a bit of flame.....
petrol isn't that powerfull
and if there is still a bit of mixture..it will ignit and you even will feel it...(after you still live  )
you will see a blue flame come out nothing more nothing less..
and then you are sure it cant ignit again...
atleast when putting a bit of fire on it with weld glooves on and glassen you are prepared and you know what can happen..
if you fill with water but the jigsag / aluminium explodes maybe you can then hurt your slelf because of the chock it gives you you aren't
prepared then....
petrol lands on water soow all the petrol will go upwards.. (oil = 0,9 water = 1,00)
Regards,
Walter
The above comments are always meant to be from the above persons perspective.
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Hellfire
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| posted on 30/5/05 at 11:26 PM |
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Sounds like fun you will have... have you got an old fire extinguisher? Either way just be careful Chris!
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ChrisGamlin
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| posted on 31/5/05 at 08:48 AM |
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TKS, the main danger from explosion is petrol vapour rather than petrol in its fluid form, so if you fill it with water there's nowhere for the
vapour to accumulate therefore there's no real chance of anything igniting it, even if it is floating on the top. Ive never tried it but have
been told you could throw a lit match into a bucket of petrol and it wouldnt explode as long as there was little vapour coming off it at the time.
Hellfire, not what you meant I dont think but an old Halon fire extinguisher discharged into it would be another way I guess!
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NS Dev
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| posted on 31/5/05 at 08:50 AM |
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Filled with water it will be fine, but just make sure you have a pre-pump filter installed afterwards.
I have seen too many times modified tanks causing knackered fuel pumps due to bits of ally getting in them.
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ChrisGamlin
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| posted on 31/5/05 at 11:40 AM |
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Yep cheers, I have a pre and post pump filter in place already to catch those last little bits that are impossible to wash out
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ChrisGamlin
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| posted on 2/6/05 at 07:15 PM |
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Right chaps, Ive managed to cut the hole in the tank without blowing myself up using the water filled method but I notice that it has 6 holes to bolt
it all up together. How have you lot gone about holding nuts / bolts still to do them up, or is it sufficient to just use self tappers into the tank
itself and not bother with nuts? I could possibly use those sprung steel things that clamp on the edge of a piece of metal with a threaded hole on one
side but having those there will probably not allow the sender to seal properly. self tappers will be better but how do you ensure a half reasonable
seal around the bolt holes if using nuts n bolts?
cheers
Chris
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tks
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| posted on 2/6/05 at 07:43 PM |
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pfff
i have used self tappers in stainless steel
(drill first) a bit...(not all)
then i used some silicon stuff used for window changing on cars..its black and petrol doesn't change it state..etc..
Its rock solid..
Tks
The above comments are always meant to be from the above persons perspective.
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ChrisGamlin
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| posted on 3/6/05 at 02:42 PM |
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After thinking about it for a bit, I decided on Rivnuts (I forgot I bought the tool a couple of weeks ago!). I needed to use M4 rivnuts though as M6
are too bulky and dont allow the rubber gasket to sit on top of them and seal. I smeared a little instant gasket on the rivnuts before putting them in
and have bolted it all up and tested it with water, it all seals fine.
cheers
Chris
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James
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| posted on 6/6/05 at 04:02 PM |
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Chris,
Ali or steel rivnuts?
Have gotta do something similar myself.
Cheers,
James
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
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ChrisGamlin
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| posted on 6/6/05 at 04:17 PM |
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I went with ally because
a) thats all I had
and
b) cos I figured steel ones might react with the ally tank.
Filling with water was OK in the end to be honest, and you get so much crap in there whilst cutting that if you didnt want to use water you'd
need to use about 5 gallons of petrol to wash it all out again
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ChrisGamlin
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| posted on 6/6/05 at 04:21 PM |
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There was another way I thought afterwards of doing it if sealing over the rivnuts is an issue. What you could do is to make up an aluminium ring with
the 6 holes in it for the sender, put rivnuts into this ring, then put a cut in the ring so you can feed it inside the tank through the smaller hole.
Pictures / 1000 words etc
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Rorty
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| posted on 7/6/05 at 03:53 AM |
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Just like this: split ring
Cheers, Rorty.
"Faster than a speeding Pullet".
PLEASE DON'T U2U ME IF YOU WANT A QUICK RESPONSE. TRY EMAILING ME INSTEAD!
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ChrisGamlin
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| posted on 7/6/05 at 10:28 AM |
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Thats the chap
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indigoglyph
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| posted on 16/6/05 at 08:43 PM |
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Cutting my ring to make it split worked for me, too (VDO sender). Pics and a description are at http://mdround.blogs.com/striker/2005/01/index.html
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ayoungman
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| posted on 17/6/05 at 10:04 AM |
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Two things to add.
1) I spent a nervous 2 hours welding a 100 ltr landrover fuel tank .I had it filled to the top with water but I was still cacking myself each time I
pulled the Mig trigger !
2) A bloke near me blew himself and his garage to pieces doing a fuel pump change ! It closed the A2 for 30 hours.
Petrol and petrol vapour can and do kill !
"just like that !"
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tomm
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| posted on 17/6/05 at 11:29 PM |
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Use a Chisel to start a hole at centre of required hole and use a pair of tin snips - easy peasy, good luck !
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stevebubs
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| posted on 18/6/05 at 12:04 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by ChrisGamlin
After thinking about it for a bit, I decided on Rivnuts (I forgot I bought the tool a couple of weeks ago!). I needed to use M4 rivnuts though as M6
are too bulky and dont allow the rubber gasket to sit on top of them and seal. I smeared a little instant gasket on the rivnuts before putting them in
and have bolted it all up and tested it with water, it all seals fine.
cheers
Chris
Chris,
Just seen the thread. This is exactly what I did with mine a few weeks ago.
Stephen
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