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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Alloy Fuel Tanks

Last year, there was a discussion regarding a group buy of alloy tanks. Was any progress made?


Thanks
d cusworth

anyone?
d cusworth

Not quite relevant perhaps, but I had a very nice large capacity stainless tank made recently, all contact numbers in archive. If you are dead set on alloy for some weight (?) related reason that's no help of course.
Paul
Paul MkIMkIV

Stainless IS an alloy, no?
David "strictly anonymous" Lieb
David Lieb

David,

Nice one, pedantic mode on?. Stainless is an alloy of iron, chrome, and nickel typically in varying quantities with other elemental additions to control various properties http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel . I think you can also consider basic carbon steel an iron carbon alloy when you go that far.
David Billington

I did have someone lined up to make a batch of alloy fuel tanks for Spridgets but there was little interest from here, so I didn't proceed. The guy who was going to make them was a little slow in getting a price for me and has subsiquently changed his business direction. However, I do know of someone else that is also in the same field who could help... Let me know if interested. These can be foam filled too (for safety and anti surge).

Mark.
M T Boldry

Mark, it's for a friend, for his racer . He wants to replace a standard steel one - as a bolt on replacement. any info would be good.

Thanks

Danny
d cusworth

In pedantic mode, what metal do we ever see that is NOT an alloy?

In practical mode, I could be interested in a couple of tanks that would enhance the capacity and life expectancy.
David "tank-full" Lieb
David Lieb

David,

Probably to most common I can think of at the moment would be copper for its electrical and thermal conductivity. In the US I think the use of aluminium or aluminum wire is quite common and I would expect that is virtually pure as alloying often has a significant effect on electrical and thermal properties IIRC.
David Billington

David B. Many years ago, copper in this country became very expensive. In fact the copper mines in Zambia at the time were making so much money, that many of my colleagues went to work in Zambia for excellent salaries.
So we too in this country started using Aluminium for power cables, even though the conducting abilities of aluminium were inferior to copper. As I remember tis phase did not last to long and it is a long time since I have seen an aluminium cable.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

Aren't many cables ally with copper outer?

A
Anthony Cutler

Not seen that Ant but who knows, I certainly would not be surprised. When I did my electrical degree, many years ago, I seem to remember having a lecture on electron/current flow and being told that the main flow of electrons flow on the surface of a wire and not down the centre. So that would make sense to have a cable constructed in the manner you have described.

I am sure that is true about flow along the surface as since then I have done a lot on fluidics and both liquids and gases flowing in a pipe will tend to stick to the sides! Note water flowingin a drain.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

I can remember working with some aluminum house wiring about 30 years or so ago. Very brittle and seemed to break just sitting there. I am not sure about the copper in wiring here, but I know that the copper water pipes come in several different alloys.
David "We will not mention the travesty of the USA penny which looks like copper..." Lieb
David Lieb

ho ho Bob good story, I can just imagine all those electrons rushing along the surface of the wire cores ! Makes a good cartoon ..
David (davidDOTsmithAT stonesDOTcom)

Robert,

I think high tension power lines may be aluminium with a steel? core for support.

Regarding aluminium house wiring it reminds me of going to school one morning in the mid 1970s in the US and a neighbours house was fully ablaze, luckily as the house burnt to the ground they were on holiday, that was put down to aluminium wiring. At the time the problems weren't understood and caused many such fires IIRC. These days the problems with aluminiums expansion coefficient and insulating oxide layer are better understood and the appropriate regs in place to make sure suitable connections have to be used with aluminium wiring.

Regarding electron flow down the surface of a wire rather than throughout, that is called the "skin effect" IIRC and doesn't play a significant part at the low frequencies of mains power distribution like 50Hz or 60Hz until you get to larger conductor sizes.
David Billington

Ok chaps! how about a supplier of a MG midget fuel tank made from aluminium alloy....

;-)
d cusworth

How dare you attempt to derail our derailment of your thread?!???
David "any particular capacity you want?" Lieb
David Lieb

couldnt tell you now, I got mine off ebay several years ago, but its been a while scence they have been advertized... Id think a good fab shop could make one up easily if he had a used one to mock off of.

Prop
Prop

Danny,

you might want to check out these people. I have no first hand knowledge, but a new tank is on my "to do" list: http://design-fabrication.org/STAINLESS-ALLOY-FUEL-TANKS-

Let us know how you get on.

Paul
Paul Clark

The 2nd one in the photo (with JIC fittings) is mine...

Craftsmanship is good but not sure on the fit yet...

Drop me a line and I will let you know Pauls email address.
Toby Anscombe

email address and phone no are on the website...
David (davidDOTsmithAT stonesDOTcom)

thanks
d cusworth

Hi Toby

What would be great would be a little extra capacity and some baffling for a swirl-pot effect... is your tank standard design? The 'site says 20 litres... something like 40l would suit me...

A
Anthony Cutler

Ant - mine is half as deep again with a set of internal baffles for an EFI setup. I'll see if I can find the drawings and email them over to you.

The one thing that I would change is my return comes in the top of the tank which means a hole in the boot floor...
Toby Anscombe

Ant, the address above is for the bloke who made my stainless tank, I had mine made only slightly deeper, longer, a fraction wider and slopped up at the back rather like the old Frontline Alloy (aluminium alloy before someone comments on that again)tank. Its baffled with swirlpot, he has the drawings and my amendments so the next one shouldn't need any tweaks to fit easily.

I measured the capacity to be 38litres give or take and it appeared very well made. I put a photo on the archived thread.
Paul
Paul MkIMkIV

Hi Paul/Cumbria

Spoke to the guy today; he's going to email me info.

I couldn't find you photo in the archive... would you kindly email it to me?

firstname.lastname@btinternet.com

Thx vm

A
Anthony Cutler

Hi Paul/Cumbria


The stainless tank-maker has asked if I could arrange re-sending the design you created? Would you please email to me?

Thx and BRs

A

first.last@btinternet.com
Anthony Cutler

Ant, will do.
Paul
Paul MkIMkIV

This thread was discussed between 26/05/2009 and 11/06/2009

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.