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Building a Fuel Cell

3K views 20 replies 10 participants last post by  bill 
#1 ·
A lot of the members of our riding group run after market tanks and/or custom fuel cells

Here is a link to someone's winter work project for their GSA

http://www.kk3an.com/tank2.html

Nice workmanship
 
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#7 ·
OK for an amateur. Fuel tanks should be made from 5052. 6061 is more of a structural material and MIG welding a tank keeps us TIG welders
employed, I can't remember how many MIG welded tanks out of boats I welded with pin holes at the welds.
You only have to use Brake clean if it's oily or greasy AND THEN YOU WASH IT WITH WATER!!! If you don't it can produce phosgene (sp) gas.
 
#13 ·
Interesting comment, I learned something new again today. My last fuel cell was Stainless Steel. Long story it was build for a Navy Chief by a Navy Chief both working in the place where they built hush a bombs.It was the best cell i ever owned, just a little too small in capacity.
 
#14 ·
Nice workmanship
Well, for a home built job, maybe.

I really hope those fittings are fuel rated. An awful lot aren't, he may find fuel pissing out of the tank halfway to Alaska if he wasn't careful.

The bedliner isn't a great idea either. Welds crack, and anyone having to do repair work on that thing is going to have a heck of a time cleaning it off to do a repair. I bet it's poisonous as heck if you heat it or grind it off.

MIG can be done, but you really have to know what you're doing, which means proper setup for the metal gauge, position etc. TIG can be better for small jobs like that, but has a steeper learning curve and more expensive equipment.

The brake cleaner is a big no-no, there's been threads about it on ADV for ages now. Acetone is probably a much better choice.

I dunno. I don't have shop access anymore, but I'd almost want something like that to be properly built by a pro myself. Insurance isn't going to cover a home built rolling bomb......
 
#15 ·
So if I make a weld before I have let my cleaner flash off completely and my cleaner contains chlorine and I am welding without proper ventilation and I am welding without a respirator I risk death or injury of the bad kind ?
Sorry for asking for clairification but after 25 years of welding some things just dont make sence to me :laughing...... EVEN at the best of times the toxicity of stuff coming off a common mig or tig or arc weld is NOT good for you !!
 
#21 ·
Kaz, I would guess Rok Straps would work. I would add a bike lock for overnights. I would wrap the tires completely in that packing shrink wrap and then a layer of duct tape before attaching them to the bike.
 
#19 ·
I wrote to the fellow who built the cell and shared with him the link.

He asked me to provide his commnets into this thread. ( smart guy - he doesn't need to join another MC forum)

His Comments


There are some good comments in the thread - including those
regarding the MIG process versus TIG which I agree with.

On the welding, as the photos clearly show , I did both
inside and outside welds to mitigate the chance of pinholes -
which really is overkill. Also used the brake cleaner only after
welding to clean up the inside before I closed it up - not before
welding (also indicated this in the write-up I did).

The fittings are fuel rated - I wouldn't have gone to this much
trouble and substituted fittings not rated for fuel.

The grade of aluminum boils down to personal preference -
the 6061 Gr. that I used has only "good" corrosion resistance,
while an alternate aluminum of 5052 Gr. has "very good" corrosion
resistance. However since I coated the outside of the tank
completely, this becomes a moot point as the aluminum is not
exposed to the environment.

I do agree though that extra care indeed has to be taken welding
with MIG, as I did, in order to not create holes.

The comment about not welding galvanized steel is 100% correct.
 
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