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How often do you drain your racecar fuel cell (gas only)? #1872377 07/17/15 04:30 PM 07/17/15 04:30 PM
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 136 Dallas, TX 4 440Brian OP member
440Brian OP member 4 Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 136 Dallas, TX	I've always left the fuel in the cell during and between races (LODRS mostly now). I just fill it before the run. I noticed the fuel drum says not to store it in the vehicle. I wonder if the fuel is changing due to venting. Is there any consistency gains by draining or any practical way to seal the cell?

Re: How often do you drain your racecar fuel cell (gas only)? [Re: 440Brian] #1872380 07/17/15 04:36 PM 07/17/15 04:36 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 19,372 Las Vegas Al_Alguire I Live Here
Al_Alguire I Live Here Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 19,372 Las Vegas	After every race we drain ours. The vent will allow air to get to the fuel. Oxygen is the enemy of race fuel. When we race over an weekend like an LODRS deal we actually plug the vent with a rubber cap to keep air out. But it is drained after every weekend and always stored in metal cans as many plastic jugs are pourous enough to allow light or oxygen in. Sunlight can also have an affect on race fuel. "I am not ashamed to confess I am ignorant of what I do not know." "It's never wrong to do the right thing"

Re: How often do you drain your racecar fuel cell (gas only)? [Re: Al_Alguire] #1872393 07/17/15 05:06 PM 07/17/15 05:06 PM
Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio Challenger 1 Too Many Posts
Challenger 1 Too Many Posts Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio	Originally Posted By Al_Alguire After every race we drain ours. The vent will allow air to get to the fuel. Oxygen is the enemy of race fuel. When we race over an weekend like an LODRS deal we actually plug the vent with a rubber cap to keep air out. But it is drained after every weekend and always stored in metal cans as many plastic jugs are pourous enough to allow light or oxygen in. Sunlight can also have an affect on race fuel. Design your fuel system so it can be drained out on Sunday afternoon, hopefully late Sun night in the pits which would mean you went into the late rounds or even won it!

Re: How often do you drain your racecar fuel cell (gas only)? [Re: 440Brian] #1872402 07/17/15 05:20 PM 07/17/15 05:20 PM
Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 9,847 MI, usa dvw master
dvw master Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 9,847 MI, usa	I designed mine with a drain but never drain it. May not be the thing to do but even after the winter I've run the car on it. Performance has always been what the weather says it should be. The inside of the carbs look like new. Fuel is Renegade 114. Doug

Re: How often do you drain your racecar fuel cell (gas only)? [Re: Al_Alguire] #1872404 07/17/15 05:22 PM 07/17/15 05:22 PM
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 136 Dallas, TX 4 440Brian OP member
440Brian OP member 4 Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 136 Dallas, TX	I added a shut off valve to the vent line (on top of the roll over valve) when I installed a new aluminum fuel cell. Will that work with overnight temperature and atmospheric pressure changes or is a rubber cap/plug a better choice because it will flex? (sorry if I'm worried about ridiculous problems)

Re: How often do you drain your racecar fuel cell (gas only)? [Re: 440Brian] #1872516 07/17/15 08:19 PM 07/17/15 08:19 PM
Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 13,247 Mt. Vernon, Ohio dartman366 I Live Here
dartman366 I Live Here Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 13,247 Mt. Vernon, Ohio	only time I drain the regular racing fuel is when I put the car away for the winter, but I also fill it to the top after a race to keep the amount of air in the cell to a minimum. Last edited by dartman366; 07/17/15 08:20 PM. Light travels faster than the speed of sound,,,this is why some people seem bright untill you hear them speak.

Re: How often do you drain your racecar fuel cell (gas only)? [Re: dartman366] #1872570 07/17/15 10:03 PM 07/17/15 10:03 PM
Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 8,290 fredericksburg,va C cudaman1969 master
cudaman1969 master C Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 8,290 fredericksburg,va	Not sure about today's fuel. Back in the day we used cam 2 purple, left it in the cell all week, come race day it was almost empty. I thought it was evaporating so I put some in an open container and sure enough after a couple days it was gone, so I looked at the Cam 2 blue specks, it cost more but it didn't evaporate. I honestly think it was a marketing trick to sell more fuel, since every bracket racer used purple at that time.

Re: How often do you drain your racecar fuel cell (gas only)? [Re: 440Brian] #1872588 07/17/15 10:41 PM 07/17/15 10:41 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 19,372 Las Vegas Al_Alguire I Live Here
Al_Alguire I Live Here Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 19,372 Las Vegas	FWIW I run nothing but VP fuels. From our experience the extra insurance of draining the fuel after a race is cheap easy insurance and yes I have had fuel go bad. "I am not ashamed to confess I am ignorant of what I do not know." "It's never wrong to do the right thing"

Re: How often do you drain your racecar fuel cell (gas only)? [Re: 440Brian] #1872623 07/17/15 11:21 PM 07/17/15 11:21 PM
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 22,696 Bitopia J jcc If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
jcc If you can't dazzle em with diamonds.. J Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 22,696 Bitopia	Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.

Re: How often do you drain your racecar fuel cell (gas only)? [Re: 440Brian] #1872667 07/18/15 12:43 AM 07/18/15 12:43 AM
Joined: Jun 2003 Posts: 52,972 Romeo MI MR_P_BODY Master
MR_P_BODY Master Joined: Jun 2003 Posts: 52,972 Romeo MI	Originally Posted By 440Brian I added a shut off valve to the vent line (on top of the roll over valve) when I installed a new aluminum fuel cell. Will that work with overnight temperature and atmospheric pressure changes or is a rubber cap/plug a better choice because it will flex? (sorry if I'm worried about ridiculous problems) Its a good idea IF you let the temp cool down before closing the valve... if you have a 100+ degree day and you close the valve and it drops to about 30* or so... it will collapse a plastic tank... its the thermo change along with the fuel... when I was testing burst pressure in stock tanks it took about 55-60 psi to blow a tank open(we always use water so it wouldnt literally blow up EDIT These were on steel tanks... plastic ones we were always concerned with temp Last edited by MR_P_BODY; 07/18/15 12:48 AM.

Re: How often do you drain your racecar fuel cell (gas only)? [Re: MR_P_BODY] #1872681 07/18/15 01:04 AM 07/18/15 01:04 AM
Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 7,506 Az Crizila master
Crizila master Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 7,506 Az	Originally Posted By MR_P_BODY Originally Posted By 440Brian I added a shut off valve to the vent line (on top of the roll over valve) when I installed a new aluminum fuel cell. Will that work with overnight temperature and atmospheric pressure changes or is a rubber cap/plug a better choice because it will flex? (sorry if I'm worried about ridiculous problems) Its a good idea IF you let the temp cool down before closing the valve... if you have a 100+ degree day and you close the valve and it drops to about 30* or so... it will collapse a plastic tank... its the thermo change along with the fuel... when I was testing burst pressure in stock tanks it took about 55-60 psi to blow a tank open(we always use water so it wouldnt literally blow up EDIT These were on steel tanks... plastic ones we were always concerned with temp If you can't control the environment you store it in, you better vent it - even if you store it in your enema bag! Good luck if you are storing E85 for any length of time. Fastest 300

Re: How often do you drain your racecar fuel cell (gas only)? [Re: 440Brian] #1872735 07/18/15 02:55 AM 07/18/15 02:55 AM
Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,890 North Alabama M Monte_Smith master
Monte_Smith master M Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,890 North Alabama	You should never leave fuel in your cell. If you do, it should only be enough to warm the car on at the next race. In a plastic jug, or in a vented cell, the fuel will loose it aromatics package very quickly. Being able to close the vent off MIGHT work, provided the cell is not plastic

Re: How often do you drain your racecar fuel cell (gas only)? [Re: 440Brian] #1872782 07/18/15 10:06 AM 07/18/15 10:06 AM
Joined: Mar 2012 Posts: 220 J Jerry Kathe enthusiast
Jerry Kathe enthusiast J Joined: Mar 2012 Posts: 220	FWIW, I agree with the above - BUT do NOT store it in a unlined steel drum, or the potential for condensation development will get you and that's worse than the fuel boiling off from atmospheric exposure or UV deterioration.

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