fuel tank dual pick up

[90nutter]

hi

i am replacing the fuel tank in my bobtail discovery to one which will fit between the wheel arches in the rear, i am going to use a standard discovery sender unit for ease of fitting. i am looking for a dual pick up system so i can have one pick up at each side of the tank so when on a side slope i don`t run out of fuel!! i will always try to have plenty of fuel in the tank but i want to make sure i always have fuel available.what i need to find is a way of shutting one pick upif it is left high and dry in one end of the tank. you know what i mean. have you fine people found an easy way of doing this or a clever product to make this happen.

thanks in advance.

tom

[pitmole]

Hi, not really any way that you can make this work with 2 pick up pipes as one will always be uncovered if the fuel gets that low/ side slope is that steep.However, when I used to work on fast power boats, I used to install a "clunk pipe" just like they use on petrol powered strimmers and chainsaws, it will follow the angle of lean to a point.

[Gromit]

Clunk tanks are used in model aircraft too. It's just a flexible pipe with a weight on the end, so it follows the fuel around the tank. The pipe needs to be quite flexible, without kinking, and the interior of the tank free from anything the clunk could snag on. As you can imagine, the length of pipe, and where it flexes from, is important to it working properly.

[FridgeFreezer]

The shape of the tank and a half decent sump for the pickup is about the easiest way to ensure it works.

[BeBobbed]

Could you fit 2 fuel pumps or is it a diesel with only the lift pump on the block?

[Orgasmic Farmer]

You may not need anything at all. I run a Triumph spitfire tank on my trayback and have a rigid pickup pipe straight down the middle to effectively the lowest point. I have never suffered fuel starvation, even at the end of a challenge event on the last punch while stuck on point of balance on a side slope for 10-15 minutes. Just make sure it is full at the start of each day. Remember that shape of the tank has a big role to play. Ideally needs to be smaller at the top than the bottom and if you can build in a sump then so much the better

[fozsug]

we use these tanks, pickup goes right to the bottom, lots of sizes

http://www.tek-group.co.uk/acatalog/Series_C_Supreme_.html

[zim]

Use a fuel swirl pot (surge tank). A little tank, about the size of a big milk jug (2l).

So you have 2 low pressure pumps pumping into it, with an overflow return back to the tank... Then another pump taking from the bottom of this to your engine. The engine's return line comes back into this little tank.

Meaning, that when on flat ground both pumps feed the surge tank, keeping it full. Your main fuel pump will always have fuel available. If at an angle where one feed pump looses suction, the other will hopefully still have. Bearing in mind that your engines return line also goes back to the little tank.

You could effectively have as many pumps feeding the surge tank as you like.

Hope that makes sense

Gordon

[zim]

From google images :

[FridgeFreezer]

I run that setup, albeit with only one lift pump and one pressure pump. I used to have problems with fuel starvation before I fitted the swirl pot, now there is enough circulating through the system that it can be at any angle and the pump is never starved.

That said, I'm looking to go to an in-tank HP pump mounted in a baffled sump to simplify the system and free up the space under my seat.