Track use fuel line routing

[shortrack]

The original fuel line in my Winston Cup car ran in a protected metal sleeve from the fuel cell right through the inside of the car right where the passenger seat would normally be, normal practice in Cup to this day.

Im going to run a passenger seat so I was just going to clamp it to the inside of the frame rail......Then I read in "The 14 car safety thread" saying in many racing organizations clamping a fuel line to the inside of a frame rail is not allowed because if a clutch explodes it can rupture the fuel line....makes sense actually......Mr "Not A TA" the poster of the thread ran his fuel line on the other side of the frame rail thus protecting it from errant pieces of clutch.

Im my case "the other side of the frame rail" is the outside of the car so I cant do that....I dont want to run it inside the frame rail because lead weight goes in there and I dont like the thought of running it inside the car.....any other track guys have a suggestion on how I could run it and pass tech?.....I was wondering if I could run it in a piece of heavy metal square tube welded to the inside of the frame rail???....anybody??

[monteboy84]

That's odd, we run our race car fuel lines on the inner side of the frame rail to protect them from crash damage, per our sanctioning body's rules. I guess if it were me in your shoes I'd probably run a tube that you can feed it through, as you mentioned there. I don't think you'd even need a tube the full length of the rail, maybe just a couple feet in the area around your bellhousing. That said, if you run an SFI rated scattershield or bellhousing, I don't think running it bare would be a big deal.

The main thing of importance is that you're taking the time to think about it, the next step is to make a judgement call that you're comfortable with, or that complies with the rules of any sanctioning body you may run under if you ever decide to run it in an event of some kind.

-matt

[chicane67]

As per various sanctioning bodies... you can run a fuel line on the inboard side of the frame rail, outside the passenger compartment.

For instance, per FIA/SCTA rule book: "All fuel lines in the area of the clutch and flywheel shall be run through heavy steel tubing or outside the frame rail, regardless of the presence of a scattershield."

So, it only needs to be through the tubing in the area where the flywheel and clutch could possibly and effectively impact the fuel line itself.

[shortrack]

As per various sanctioning bodies... you can run a fuel line on the inboard side of the frame rail, outside the passenger compartment.

For instance, per FIA/SCTA rule book: "All fuel lines in the area of the clutch and flywheel shall be run through heavy steel tubing or outside the frame rail, regardless of the presence of a scattershield."

So, it only needs to be through the tubing in the area where the flywheel and clutch could possibly and effectively impact the fuel line itself.

Cool thanks, I thought that would be a reasonable solution.......other than a short piece of braided steel line coming out of the fuel cell and the empty tubing that ran through the passenger compartment there was no other fuel line with the car......would they have ran braided steel from front to back.....what is standard race car procedure????

[chicane67]

Well... I dont know of an actual "standard"... but from the three rule books I have (SCTA, IMSA and NHRA) there is a sort of consistancy to the fuel system requirements.

In summation for rear mount fuel cell/tank:

* No more than 12" of rubber of rubber fuel line for vibration isolation/connections. (I myself would include stainless braided in that definition) with the exclusion of stock or OEM classes.

* Fuel lines inside the rail shall be inclosed in a 16" length of steel tubing, minimum wall thickness of 0.125".

[CarlC]

Would it have to be a complete tube? What about a 1/2-round 1/8"-wall shape attached to the inside frame rail in the offending areas? It might get dicey trying to thread a hardline through some of the multiple-curve sections. Could the tube be removeable?

[shortrack]

Would it have to be a complete tube? What about a 1/2-round 1/8"-wall shape attached to the inside frame rail in the offending areas? It might get dicey trying to thread a hardline through some of the multiple-curve sections. Could the tube be removeable?

In my case Im ok because the frame rails in a Nascar are perfectly straight.....but if you want something removable I would think it could be as long as its secured with nuts and a bolts.....nylock nuts preferably.....all over this car, everywhere, everything, even the little wee aluminum cushion clamps for wiring has a nylock nut and a bolt...there is no self tappers anywhere......In many cases they drill a hole and tack weld a nut to the backside......(a standard nut in this case, not a nylock).....then screw in bolt from the top.....your tightening something up and your like "wow I can really clamp down on this...."pretty cool actually.....D