I'm working on a new fuel filler and would like to use regular PVC pipe to fill the gas tank with fuel on a regular basis. So: Is PVC pipe fuel safe or does it get affected and eventually disintegrate and leak and shed itself into the fuel mixture?
Seems like it'd be ok. I recommend checking out this link which has articles on this subject matter: http://www.pvc4pipes.org/documents/documents_new.html
Andreas, I wouldn't use it. You need to check out how I did my fuel filler. I gave you the main assembly. I would use gas rated hosing for the short distance that the lfeed line would have to travel. Call me and we can talk about it.
Andreas, I would use either the hose that Rick has suggested, or short pieces of hose to couple a section of metal tubing in the middle. go to www.mcmaster.com search for aluminum tubing, then 1.25" OD, or whatever size you might desire. Part Number: 89965K99 $10.85 Each Type General Purpose Aluminum Tubing Material Aluminum Alloy 6061 Shape Single Line Outside Dia. 1-1/4" (1.25") Outside Dia. Tolerance ±.01" Inside Dia. 1.18" Wall Thickness .035" Maximum Pressure 525 psi @ 72º F Operating Temperature Range -454º to +400º F Metal Bendability Bendable Temper Hard T6 Tensile Strength High Metal Construction Seamless Metal Flareability Not Flareable Sterilize With Steam (autoclave) Specifications Met Aerospace Material Specifications (AMS) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) ASTM Specification ASTM B210 AMS Specification AMS-WW-T-700/6 Compatible Fittings Compression Length 36"
Andreaes, I'm assuming you're going to go from the stock vette tank to a filler on the body. As your car is a body on rubber mounts bolted to a frame with the tank mounted to the frame and filler mounted to the body, I would personally recommend having the connection between the two be somewhat flexible. It's going to have to endure vibrations due to both over the road use and the continuous shifting of the body on the mounts. Granted, the shifting is going to be minor, and with sufficiant plasticizer added it would be flexible enough to not end up cracking, but there's the big question. What grade is best for this application? Too much plasticizer to make it soft and flexible and it ends up not being sturdy enough and not having the service life to last in a car, not enough and it's too hard and ends up with millions of tiny stress fractures and leaks. Additionally, the plasticizers that make various grades of PVC flexible continuously outgas over the life of the piece and it gradually becomes harder and breaks down. I don't know if fuel flowing through it would accelerate this process or not. I agree with Bill and Rick - either a full length of fuel grade hose(we did this on our tank filler), or fuel hose at each end with a piece of steel or aluminum tube the right shape and size in the middle(similar to how we did our radiator lines). We found a good selection in the big sizes at a farm and tractor trailer hydraulic supplier, but McMaster-Carr has even more I'm sure.. the hard line part of our radiator lines was fabricated from stainless steel tube. A vent tube is a good idea too, this allows the air that's being displaced as the fuel rushes into the tank to get out. I once plugged off our filler neck vent trying to eliminate gas fumes inside and when we were filling the tank next time it ended up shooting gas out the filler neck like 5 feet!! Chelle
Thanks all! I learnt a good deal from your comments and will act accordingly. Guess I'll have to return all that heavy duty Chicago water works steel pipe I stole from one of the bridges...
Ok you experts, here is the next question: If I go with a hose, what is the minimum diameter it has to have to allow the fuel from the pump at the station to freely flow into the tank? I'm afraid that if that diameter is not big enough the fuel won't go down fast enough and I'll have an overflow situation at the pump. Come to think of it, Bill, aren't you somewhat experienced in that field?
1.25" to 1.75" ID should be plenty, I believe those are sort of a standard sizes for filler neck hose. There should be plenty of room for the fuel to flow down to the tank and for the air to escape. I have a brand new 1 foot piece of fuel proof 1.75" wire reinforced hose in the back of my office at this moment.
He sure is! If I recall correctly, it took about an hour for him to fill the tank in the 365, during that jaunt we all took a few years ago.
I agree that 1.25" would do the trick. Problem is that catalogs like Jegs don't sell anything bigger than 3/8" (by the way, what measure is AN?). As a matter of fact 1.25" is the diameter of the filler I plan on using. Any chance you'd sell me that hose sitting in your office? Or have me a source where I could get some more of that? Ideally would like to have about 4 feet.
www.mcmaster.com Flexible Buna-N Rubber Petroleum Hose • Use with petroleum products • Tube: Buna-N • Cover: Blended Buna-N/PVC • Reinforcement: Synthetic fabric with a wire spiral • Temperature Range: -35° to +200° F • Vacuum: 29" Hg @ 72° F ID = 1 1/2" OD=2 1/32" Max PSI=150 Stock # 56315K51 Per foot/ less than 100 = $8.45 General Purpose Buna-N Rubber Petroleum Hose • Use with gasoline, fuel oil, diesel fuel, hydraulic oil, grease • Tube: Buna-N • Cover: Blended Buna-N/PVC • Reinforcement: Steel wire spiral • Temperature Range: -40° to +212° F ID = 1 1/4" OD=1 21/32" Max PSI=150 Stock # 5282K63 Per foot/ less than 100 = $5.69 (630) 600-3600 if you call them and order it, you can probably have it at your door Wednesday (UPS ground).
Four feet??? If it's got to cover that kind of distance you REALLY need a vent hose. if you're using the stock Vette tank it should have a vent on the left side of the tank near the top - I believe it is about a 5/16" tube AN Hose sizes are in terms of 1/16-inch increments. Aircraft hose dash size is not the I.D. of the hose. Dash size is the tube equivalent. For example, a -4 aluminum tube is 4/16 outside diameter. A -4 aircraft hose's inside diameter is equivalent to the inside diameter of a -4 tube, usually 3/16 inch.of the Inner Diameter of the hose measured in units of 1/16th of an inch. So looking at the list below figure the hose to fit a little snug on a tube listed.. The example of your vent tube being about 5/16 outside diameter I'd suggest a -6 AN line - because the inside diameter is going to be just under 6/16" (3/8"). A -5 might be too tight of a fit -2 = 1/8" -3 = 3/16" -4 = 1/4" -5 = 5/16" -6 = 3/8" -8 = 1/2" -10 = 5/8" -12 = 3/4" -16 = 1" -20 = 1 1/4" Chelle
Great choice Bill, The wire spiral reinforcement will prevent it collapsing wherever it might go around a corner... and somehow I doubt he'll ever exceed the max PSI of 150 in the filler neck Andreas, I can attest - they deliver superfast... Chelle
Thanks Bill and Chelle. No rush here as all these things take forever. But I'm starting to run low on parts to bolt on so I'm looking for resupplies. 4 feet was an exaggeration, realistically it is more like under 2 feet. Can't say whether there is a vent line as the whole tank is somewhat buried and enclosed. Maybe from underneath? Meanwhile I found some useful bits and pieces at...Crate&Barrel. Seriously.
Vent line from under the tank? I don't think so. I drilled one on the top of my tank because I thought I was getting vapor lock everytime I first took it out. (Landed up being a part of the sending unit gasket getting sucked into the fuel line opening.
