Bad Fuel Cell?

[Bernica]

I have a 42 gal Fuel Safe fuel cell in CSX4250. The car has been sitting for a couple of years, and the fuel cell is approx 5 years old. I have been fighting fuel leaks in lines and trouble getting fuel to the carb. I am being told that the Fuel Safe fuel cell bladders are only good for 5 years, and that mine appears to be deteriorated, causing contamination in the system. The recommendation is to remove the tank and ship it to Fuel Safe to have a new bladder installed at a cost north of $2k!! Another recommendation was to remove the bladder and have baffles installed instead.
Has anyone encountered this? The car has been sitting for a long time with the same gas in it, which I am sure didn't help.
Any input appreciated. Thanks guys......

[Randy Rosenberg]

My Fuel Safe cell is over 10 years old. I opened the fuel filter (installed just outside the cell) and inspected it 2 years ago. Clean as a whistle, as I was expecting to see bit's and pieces of fuel cell in the filter. I have not taken any further action...

[Jamo]

Bernica

I haven't checked recently, but I believe all sanctioning bodies require replacement of the bladders every five years. There should be a date of mfg on it so that it can be readily checked .

Generally speaking though, they will last a decade or maybe even a bit longer...depending on all sorts of things. The most critical is what you are putting in it. Gas bags cannot take alcohol...so no octane improvers, etc. and, unfortunately, a steady diet of ethanol will break down the rubber sooner rather than later (there are specific alcohol bags). Storage...having a car sit with gas in the bag, especially if ethanol-laced, is going to shorten the life.

Sounds like yours may be breaking down. Had that happen to a 20-year old bag in my Butler (my first Cobra) that was built in 82...about a month after I started adding octane boosters for a little extra umph autocrossing. the whole bag just fell apart and dumpred gas everywhere (the container was not designed to be leak proof)...thankfully, there wasn't much gas in it.

They are suggesting you send the container in so they can custom build the bladder. Seems to me Shelby was giving its customers a choice back when yours was built, so they must've ordered more than a few. I'm not suggesting you find out if Shelby has some leftover. I am suggesting that you might be able to get someone at Fuel safe to do a little research to see if they can come across the patterns they used for their Shelby orders, and see if they can make you the replacement bladder from them, rather than yanking out the container and shipping it.

Worth a try at least...you just need to connect with a Fuel safe person willing to look around a bit.

it's like when you go to Pep Boys and ask for something behind the counter...sometimes they will get off their asses and go look, and sometimes they won't.

Hope this helps...and good luck.

[mickmate]

Hey Michael, give me a holler on it.

You did already ha ha.