Hiya All
Ok so as you might have read elsewhere.. I have been away a bit.
One of the things I did was a trip to NC to visit Deals Gap/Tail of the Dragon. Found info is here:
http://www.dealsgap.com/ or here:
http://www.tailofthedragon.com/The event itself is the Deals Gap Rotary Rally.
http://dealsgaprotaryrally.com/Here is a Pic of my Car at the car show.. not sure when took.
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x70/RotaryTech/DGRR09/DSC02127.jpgCrossing a Dam there:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3566/3468860829_28141d0e06_b.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3515/3469675676_5b7bb17232_b.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3591/3468864997_7980baa626_b.jpgBasically.. its 11 Miles with 318 Turns through the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. People come from all over the world to ride motorcycles there.
ALSO.. people bring cars there... And Once a year I drive there with my F350 Dually, as well as my 1984 RX-7 Race car on the trailer.
The dually gets a bit over 19MPG on the flat ground ticking along at 67mph, fully loaded.
The problem... when I get into the mountains.. I take a road called Highway 28. A Lovely road, that as you get closer and closer to the destination gets more and more convoluted. I am in 1st and 2nd gear MAX for 4 HOURS... And my MPG falls through the floor. I use a LOT of fuel creeping thorough the mountains.
The last couple years, I had to pull over BEFORE the mountains, and top off the tanks before the fun starts. And refuel again when I get out.
SO.
I decided to make an external Fuel Tank for the truck VS spending 800 Dollars on one.
As the event got closer I realised I had a week and needed to move quicker.
SO.
A 50 Gallon Oil drum from the race shop, some misc supplies and about 50 bucks into things.. I had a fuel tank!
The pictures are anoying... The Pics I took in the garage of the parts were fine, until I put things together the night before. Then a couple blurry ones. Then I slept for a hour. Then I ended up dropping my camera and that was that.
SO here is the deal.
Drum on its side against the cab, and then I made a 2x4 frame work that had a cutout to angle the drum so it was sitting with the 1" end lower than the other. I had a brace across the bed that locked into a couple of slats in the bed, that was tied into the ones under the drum.
I then turned down some SS rod that fits into the grooves of the bedliner.... drilled a hole in them, and down through the bed. I then laid a 4' 1.5" angle plate across the works, and bolted it to the bed with Stainless bolts, and nylock nuts with loctite and fender washers.
Two 1.5 inch wide steel straps bolted to the front of the bed with Stainless hardware, bent over the drum, and stainless turnbuckles welded to the end of the straps, and hooked into the angle plate.
The filler for the drum is 2" NPT pipe, and a 45' coupling, with a 2" long pipe, and a Pipe cap on the end.
The feed is 1" pipe out, with a 1" ball valve, then a 90' fitting through the bed, to another 90' fitting. Then some poly hose for the fuel over to a 2" diameter section of SS pipe with a SS fitting I turned welded to it.
Hole diameter for the feeds is 3/4 ID.
Fuel tank cap is a semi vented style. If turned CCW it vents, turn it CW and it ratchets, and seals.
SO on to the bits that are "fun"
I had to make a fuel cap vent. I couldnt find anything at Home Depot.. so I simply decided to make one on the lathe the day before I left.
Of course it needs to vent.. but not allow rain into it, nor any bugs like wasps lay larvae in the hole.
I started with a piece of .5" brass. Turned it in the lathe and cut threads into it with a Die.
I also left a shoulder at the end that was .1 IIRC
Thennn.. I broke out the handy Peck Drill and a 1/8" bit to bore the hole into it, but not all the way through.
From there I cross drilled the necked down area in a X pattern as you can see here.
Next I cut down a piece of KB tubing that I had turned it to fit snugly into. But of course... it wont vent if its sealed up like that...
SO the next thing to do is make the thing vent!
Soooo I had to make something to hold the vent piece... so out comes the steel
Then the trust Peck Drill to spot it, then drill a smaller hole... then the big hole before tapping it
Little tapping
And the parting tool comes into play
Then to mount the end mill in the chuck, the vent in the steel.. and the steel in the boring bar holder....
And then we have the sleeve to fit over it.. and Voila A Vent.
A little quick work in the mill to make a flat spot, a quick drill and tap.. and tada!! A Blurry Picture.
Here we go its in place....
Ball Valve
Hose under the bed
Hose connected to the filler hose
In the end... I was able to buy 90 Gallons of Diesel fuel for 30 Cents Less than the going rate from a tiny station in town. Then drive to NC. After the drive I was able to re-fill at a station in NC that was 5 Cents cheaper per gallon than the one in my hometown.
The filling worked real nice. When driving I had my son reach out the back slider window, and turn the valve off. When at a half tank on the front fuel tank, I had him turn it back on. Going 65 down the flat road it re-filled apx 10 gallons in 3 or so minutes, and then gravity feed kept it topped off for the rest of the drive with no leaks and or drips of any sort, even when parked over night.
The only issue I had, of any sort, was when filling I over filled it some and had a little drizzle down the front of the drum, from the 2" opening.
Time for the project.. one afternoon/evening.
Scott
