Fuel cell
 

Is it legal to put a fuel cell in the engine compartment of a super stocker?

Re: Fuel cell
 

I see nothing to prohibit it...see General regs 1.5.

Re: Fuel cell
 

nothing in the rules says you cannot---BUT I will bet ya the first time you show up at the track they are gonna change the ruling to it has to be in a rear location.---FED 387

Re: Fuel cell
 

And I quote from Bruce B from NHRA....."There is not a rule that says you can't, but it doesn't say you CAN".....Therefore you can't do it without getting an Ok.....Just decide if you want to ask permission or beg for forgiveness.

Re: Fuel cell
 

Plenty of fuel up front already...what's a little more? I would like to hear their reasoning if bounced.

Re: Fuel cell
 

Why would somebody need a fuel cell in the engine compartment ?

Re: Fuel cell
 

I ran a Chevy II at one time with a Hilborn injection system on alcohol with the fuel tank up front. Made sense with a belt driven pump. For a SS car I don't know other than carrying less fuel onboard and not having to overcome G-forces with a fuel column. Heck, I would even consider it on a Stocker if I knew it would fly by tech. How much fuel do we really need anyway...maybe two gallons at the most?

Re: Fuel cell
 

I've often wondered about the wording in the rulebook regarding fuel tanks and fuel cells.

Apparently a racer cannot alter the stock fuel tank for Stock Eliminator. (last sentence)

However, the stock tank can be replaced by an aftermarket cell up to a maximum of 16 gallons.
That's a big difference there. lol

From the 2014 rulebook:


gas tank is used, it must remain unaltered.

Re: Fuel cell
 

I would love to run a 1 gallon tank up front.
It would save on the weight (and cost) of the fuel line ( 3 feet vs. 14 ft.) from rear to front.

I have no problem adding 1/2 gallon (or so) of fuel between runs to top it off.

Plus the 1 gallon tank weighs less than a 5 gallon one.

Re: Fuel cell
 

This is from the Super Stock section in the rulebook regarding gas tanks:

GAS TANKS

Original stock-type fuel tank permitted; must be mounted in stock
location. Tank may be notched or sectioned for suspension
clearance or to fit narrowed rear-frame unit. If filler neck is relocated
into trunk, tank must have pressure cap and be vented to outside of
body. Trunk must be completely isolated from driver compartment
with firewall, minimum .024-inch steel or .032-inch aluminum.
Accessory tank(s) prohibited. Fuel cell permitted, minimum 3-
gallon, maximum 16-gallon capacity; may be mounted in trunk. Cool
cans, fuel blocks permitted. Only one fuel cell or tank permitted.

See General Regulations 1:5.

Re: Fuel cell
 

I too would put one in the latest Stocker build Alan if allowed. I just emailed NHRA tech and asked the question...let's see what they say about it.

Re: Fuel cell
 

It clearly states "Must be in stock location" This is also the same for a battery. A few years ago batteries were being moved where people wanted to put them in the engine compartment. They are also supposed to be in the original as produced location.

Honestly why would you want to put 20-30 lbs on the front of the car when you can use it to your advantage for rear ballast? If you have ever raced at a place like Heartland Park Topeka, it is nothing to go through a lot of fuel just getting from the pits to the staging lanes and back. If you run your car light it could bite you.

Sean

Re: Fuel cell
 

It is anything but clear Sean..."stock location" is referring to a factory tank, not a fuel cell. A cell located in the trunk is not in a stock location.

Re: Fuel cell
 

Stock location sure isn't in the front of the car either! Unless it is a Volkswagen bug! "Trunk floor
may be modified to accommodate fuel-cell sump. Where OEM gas
tank is in the trunk floor," They sure state TRUNK several times. Last time I checked a trunk of a car was in the back. Good luck and maybe there will be another amendment to the rulebook for better clarification.

Sean

Re: Fuel cell
 

Double negatives don't work in regard to the rule book. In other words, saying 'the rule book didn't say I couldn't do it' will usually get you booted. Trust me, I've been there more than once. There is a 'not within the spirit of the rules' catch all that applies in these cases. Maybe the wording is a little confusing but it's pretty clear to me that they meant to say that a replacement fuel cell need to be in the stock location, I think it's safe to bet that a fuel cell in the engine compartment is going to get bounced.

Jim Caughlin
SS 6019

Re: Fuel cell
 

This is the exact reason that NHRA considers us a pain in the butt......

Re: Fuel cell
 

I don't understand that reasoning. The majority of NHRA race vehicles already have fuel cells mounted forward. At any rate I have sent emails asking the question.

Re: Fuel cell
 

The reasoning is..............

If in your mind, after reading the rulebook it looks like it would pick up your car and pass tech, just install it and let NHRA at the track make the call......

You might get lucky and pick your car up........

Plus you would be the only racecar with this trick that makes a racecar faster.....

Usually that's how it's done........

Re: Fuel cell
 

Really, you believe that the majority of NHRA race cars have fuel cells mounted in the front? Thats certainly not the case of the race cars I see. Maybe the majority of dragsters and funny cars......

Re: Fuel cell
 

A quick glance at the contents of the 2014 rule book shows something like 28 classes of cars that compete in Lucas Oil and Mellow Yellow races. About 20 of them allow foreword fuel tanks. That’s “most” in my book.

Dale

Re: Fuel cell
 

after thinking this over where would you put a small fuel cell??? there really is not a lot of room for a 1 -2 gal cell and a pump too in a lot of the cars I am familiar with---FED 387---

Re: Fuel cell
 

You nailed it !!! Where ?

Re: Fuel cell
 

26 of the 28 classes allow all kinds of things that aren't legal in Stock and SS, I don't think I'd use that one as a basis to defend this idea. If you want to build a car with less restrictive rules, feel free to build a Pro Stocker.

Re: Fuel cell
 

I have a tube chassis car with a V-6 that will fit in the X class in super stock but i have never ran it in ss only super street and it was legal in super street ,but I called division 7 and ask if it would be legal in superstock and they said no front fuel cell even in that really open class.

Re: Fuel cell
 

I know of at least 1 SS/AX car that has a fuel cell in the front.

Re: Fuel cell
 

Email response from Division 3 tech says no to a fuel cell in the engine compartment.

Re: Fuel cell
 

I said "in the Front" I didn't say in the engine compartment. Did you word your question correctly?
BTW I also know of some Comp cars that have come over to SS and run with fuel cells 'in the front'.
with all the rules being a moving target this could have been something that has changed in the last couple of years and I'm not aware of it. It could also be the wording of your question. I have never, last 30 years, known of fuel cells being allowed in the engine compartment.

Re: Fuel cell
 

Per recent emails to National and Div 3 tech fuel cells are not allowed in the engine compartment for Stock or SuperStock. They specifically say the trunk area only.