Baffle foam

[Bramble banker]

Does anyone have any experience with this or personal views welcome

 

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/Product.do?method=view&n=1545&g=240867&p=239698&d=124&c=4&l=2&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Base&utm_campaign=Fuel%20Tank%20Baffles&gclid=CJuBuO-99c4CFYUy0wodRHQAig

 

 

 

 

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[Rob]

i see it looses 5% of your fuel capacity so fairly insignificant - you have baffles built in to the new tanks you propose to have made. 

 

At £100 per block and you might need say 7 (guess 200 lite tank) - that is a lot of cash, where in built baffles seem ok for the majority!

 

They seem to use\d this on F1 fuel cells, sorry, to advise but the Pirate ain't an F1 car or P1 offshore racer (well not quite anyway)!

 

R

[Steve S]

What problem are you trying to solve with them Graham?

[Bramble banker]

Lol thanks Rob.

 

Baffles it is,

 

I wanted to be able to have a small access in a tank that gives access to the hole thing baffles are going to get in the way... No?

 

Anyway I'm not paying that much money on foam! so it was an 'idea'

 

 

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[Ian.Jones]

My neighbour is the sole European importer, selling to the Motorsport industry and increasingly to various military bodies. Equipping a tank is quite profitable I believe, but this is an expensive and high tech alternative to simple baffles to stop fuel surge.

 

Also I would be concerned as to whether this would encourage fuel bug growth, as it could increase the potential water to fuel surface area within the tank.

 

Ian

[gaffa]

 I have had major problems with condensation on my 100litre baffled stainless steel petrol tank so much so that I have removed it and gone to Quicksilver 23litre portable plastic tanks.

The change has been dramatic and would never contemplate a metal tank especially as the % ethanol content of the fuel is ever increasing.

 

Hope your tank is plastic Graham as if not baffles will be the least of your concerns

[Steve S]

I don't think condensation is a problem with stainless tanks per say, my current boat (diesel) is fitted with a stainless tank and I've not had condensation issues or indeed any fuel issues like yours did.

 

As well as the tank material there must have been some other contributing factor/s.

[Rob]

Is there a difference where Graham & Gaffa are using petrol as opposed to diesel?

[gaffa]

Steve,

The problem is exasperated due to the addition of ethanol in petrol  which attracts water..(Plenty of info on internet and an even bigger issue in the states where the percentage of ethanol in petrol is much higher))

The problem doesn't seem to affect diesel to the same extent.

 

My stainless tank was of course permanently  vented to atmosphere via hull fixings and flexi pipework and I originally thought the water was entering through this but I sealed all fittings from rainwater ingress although still allowing a "breather" and tried adding fuel pollishers but still had the same problems.

I came to the conclusion that the ethanol was sucking the water into the fuel from the humid/damp atrmosphere increasing  condensation on and in the tank.

 

It is a common problem at the marina with numerous boats( inboard and outboard petrol ) exibiting the same issues if left for any length of time. .The water gets past the Fuel filter separators and enters the injectors on starting  requiring if lucky only  a  major cleanup of the fuel system and injectors and removal and disposal of existing fuel via pump out and replenishment with fresh. If unlucky new injectors assuming no further damage caused to the engine plus the fuel etc.Whatever happens its expensive! and I had it happen on 3 occassions before I managed a solution.

 

Cars don't have the same issue with the fuel for 2 reasons 1. the fuel is used up quickly and regularly replenished and 2. Most current cars have Plastic Tanks

 

Since changing to plastic manually vented tanks (which I leave closed between trips) I have had absolutely no issues

[Steve S]

Yes its a problem and certainly revisiting how tanks are vented for petrol is worthwhile given the changing formulations and water in fuel is a big problem no mistake.

 

My point was that the tank construction material be it plastic or stainless does not affect the problem both are passive to petrol as you describe it venting is the issue.

[gaffa]

Other than controlling the venting the main benefit of Plastic tanks is the reduced levels of condensation due to its thermal properties. .It seems to me that water condenses easier on the cold surface of metal rather than plastic under the same ambient conditions..

 

Even leaving my partially filled Plastic tank vented for a number of months I haven't had the issues experienced with trhe stainless steel one.They were both fitted in identical locations under the foredeck and the compartment vented to atmosphere using the original flexi hose and hull fittings

 

I  tried to order  a 100Litre plastic tank to fit in the space but the space was too restricted and unlike diesel they can't be fabricated as they have to comply with some onerous standards and testing hence the portable tank options where 2 will fit under the fordeck and a third in the cabin as a reserve.The system works brilliantly and I can regularly cycle old to new fuel so much so that I prefer it to a permanent tank.

I am a plastic convert no mistake

[Bramble banker]

Oh great...!

 

The current tanks are plastic and a massive waste of space as they only made selected sizes ( like before mentioned ).

 

there is about a 5" gap under them in places where they just don't fit. I would like to have one made to fit in the front section that works out to be similar volume. This free up space in the back for a wet locker that these boats generally do not have due to the hull structure, in my eyes win win but not this about s/s tanks .

 

Surely other people have s/s tanks that can add some thoughts here?!

 

G

 

 

 

 

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[Adam F]

I'm failing to see the problem? Sounds like you are trying to fix bit of a non issue and spending a shed load of cashin the process? They look like decent well positioned tanks to me?