In tank swivel fuel pickup

[76zimmer]

Thinking about using a swivel fuel fitting with a hose attached to rotate in a circle to allow fuel pickup no matter what angle the truck is at.
Anybody experiment with such a setup?

 

[imiceman44]

Thinking about using a swivel fuel fitting with a hose attached to rotate in a circle to allow fuel pickup no matter what angle the truck is at.
Anybody experiment with such a setup?

Don't know about the swivel, but when my brother and I had RC airplanes, they had a tube with a weight at the end of it inside the fuel tank to keep the pickup always where the fuel is which in an airplane that is doing tricks could be anywhere inertia throws it.

 

[wasted wages]

the idea I have been toying with is using a pony tank ( just a small tank about the size of a coffee can ) fed from the main tank....that way if you go on a steep incline the tank will hold a constant gallon or so to feed the electric fuel pump....

the main tank would gravity feed the pony tank ......

 

[76zimmer]

what did you use for a weight? I was contemplating a brass fitting on the end of the line, with a nylon washer for it to slide around on.

 

[ryoken]

I love the setup Kert did... when i have my guy put together a ss tank for me, I'm gonna copy it...

 

[imiceman44]

the idea I have been toying with is using a pony tank ( just a small tank about the size of a coffee can ) fed from the main tank....that way if you go on a steep incline the tank will hold a constant gallon or so to feed the electric fuel pump....

the main tank would gravity feed the pony tank ......

The system is already there and I am doing the exact same thing.
SOme have it pressurized some just fed with an electric pump with a pressure cut off so it always has pressure which I am using.
I had one of those pumps in my MG roadster that gave me the idea.

 

[imiceman44]

what did you use for a weight? I was contemplating a brass fitting on the end of the line, with a nylon washer for it to slide around on.

It was a brass fitting hollow as in pass thru, and round so it wouldn't bang with a sharp edge inside the tank.

 

[76zimmer]

the idea I have been toying with is using a pony tank ( just a small tank about the size of a coffee can ) fed from the main tank....that way if you go on a steep incline the tank will hold a constant gallon or so to feed the electric fuel pump....

the main tank would gravity feed the pony tank ......

Do you have a higher mounted fuel cell in relation to the stock location?

I moved my stock tank up about 3" in the frame, and have made a few mods to it, so hopefully with the 2" body lift I won't have to cut the floor to accomodate it.

 

[76zimmer]

It was a brass fitting hollow as in pass thru, and round so it wouldn't bang with a sharp edge inside the tank.

What type of fuel line did you use?
I'm thinking I'll need something pretty flexible.

 

[imiceman44]

What type of fuel line did you use?
I'm thinking I'll need something pretty flexible.

Well in those it was silicone hose, I know you can get a 5/16" or 3/8" silicone hose is the most flexible and it will not deteriorate in presence of fuel.

 

[76zimmer]

Awesome tip, I'll seek some out!

 

[Fordum]

In model airplanes that weight on the end of a hose in the gas tank is officially called a "Clunk". Sometimes spelled Klunk.
Because of the noise it makes when you turn the plane over.

One of these days I am going to put one in my winch's hydraulic tank. I laid the truck over in a ditch one time on the driver's side and the winch would barely pull me out.
The oil level was just above the right hand side hookup and it was sucking air.

Another thing you might consider.

I used to have a friend who ran a helicopter ride on the beach. There were a couple of others, but this was the only guy I would ever ride with. He was a retired helicopter instructor from Ft. Rucker.

Another friend and I drove up to his place in my jeep. While we were talking to him, one of his competition took off just down the beach a ways.

The guy banked out over the gulf, and his engine quit.
My pilot buddy whirled around and said "he ran out of gas!"

He and my other friend dove in his chopper, I dove in the Jeep.
I outran him to the wreak because it took a few seconds to get his engine up to speed.

He sat the chopper down next to the wreak on his pontoons, and my buddy jumped out with a rope tied to him.
He would grab one of the people, and the chopper would tow them back to me standing in chest deep water.
I would help them to the beach and go back for the next one.

After it was over, I asked him what had happened. He pointed to his gas tanks on the chopper. They were round and long.
Then he pointed to the wreaked one they had pulled to the beach.
Those tanks were rounded on the ends, but the bottoms were flat.

He said I never use those type tanks. If you don't keep them 3/4 full or better you will suck air in a hard bank.
These round bottom tanks you have to almost turn the chopper over to suck air.

Something to think about with your tanks.

He was also the only one of the choppers who used pontoons on his bird. Despite the fact that most of their flying was over the gulf.

 

[76zimmer]

so I should put a 25 gallon drum in sideways?

 

[Fordum]

That would do it, but you would be better off mounting the drum with a 4 way swivel, like those drink holders they sell for boats.

Then no matter which way the truck was, the drum would be right side up...

 

[wasted wages]

I also fly R/C and race R/C boats....the pony tank idea came from my boats...due to the extreme centrifugal forces involved when the boat carves a 70 ft radius turn at over 90 mph, a fuel klunk is really useless.

As well if you have to back off the throttle for a second....the fuel sloshes to the front of the tank and the engine takes a gulp of air and it dies..

the main 16 oz tank is plumbed to a 1 oz "pony Tank " that will buffer the burps of air in the main tank....the engines are fed from the bottom of the pony tank which is filled completely full by the main tank when the engines are running...

I built main tanks with several dams and ramps inside to help control the fuel slosh...

I would abandon the klunk idea...and go with small second tank.....just my .02

Do you have a higher mounted fuel cell in relation to the stock location?

yes, my fuel cell is mounted above the frame, and has a sump that the fuel lines exit from.

 

[imiceman44]

I also fly R/C and race R/C boats....the pony tank idea came from my boats...due to the extreme centrifugal forces involved when the boat carves a 70 ft radius turn at over 90 mph, a fuel klunk is really useless.

As well if you have to back off the throttle for a second....the fuel sloshes to the front of the tank and the engine takes a gulp of air and it dies..

the main 16 oz tank is plumbed to a 1 oz "pony Tank " that will buffer the burps of air in the main tank....the engines are fed from the bottom of the pony tank which is filled completely full by the main tank when the engines are running...

I built main tanks with several dams and ramps inside to help control the fuel slosh...

I would abandon the klunk idea...and go with small second tank.....just my .02


yes, my fuel cell is mounted above the frame, and has a sump that the fuel lines exit from.

I don't think the klunk system is bad but I definitely think the pony tank works better, which is why I am going with that design.
I am making it a bit bigger than some make it because I want to be able to keep the engine running for a while if I lay it on the side, I already have a solution for the oil on my engine and the one thing I was missing is the fuel.
I am thinking probably 10 gallons at least, maybe a even more.

 

[MNorby]

I use a pair of walbro snowmobile fuel pickups in opposite corners of my tank.
Also your swivel will prob not swivel anymore once its been tightened onto a hose fitting.

 

[76zimmer]

I use a pair of walbro snowmobile fuel pickups in opposite corners of my tank.
Also your swivel will prob not swivel anymore once its been tightened onto a hose fitting.

Good point Matt, they only swivel when not tightened up huh?
Never knew that.
I'll check into the snowmobile pickups...I just don't know where I could put a tank mounted lower than my gas tank without being susceptible to damage or other suspension pieces hitting it.

 

[ryoken]

do you remember the one Kert did? i'm betting that worked nice.. maybe he'll post a pic of it...

 

[imiceman44]

You don't need it to be lower.
Just have a pump pushing fuel into it and it can be level or even higher.
DOn't rely on gravity to feed it especially if you have a thirsty engine, it will not keep up.

Good point Matt, they only swivel when not tightened up huh?
Never knew that.
I'll check into the snowmobile pickups...I just don't know where I could put a tank mounted lower than my gas tank without being susceptible to damage or other suspension pieces hitting it.