Gas Tanks

[fabr]

I'm interested in everyones opinion on best practices for building and mounting gas tanks. Show us what you got. Of course like nearly all of us I will be building mine but I have a couple of questions as to placement. Does anyone have any real concerns about having the tanks fitted beside the driver/passenger like this on specs buggy? I don't really seee any safety issues with this position anymore than elsewhere for offroad driving. Might make for a better balanced car?

[Baloo]

do you guys use gas bottles for petrol tanks over there, by gas l mean lpg that you have in bottles for use in fork lift trucks and things, or is it considered dangerous or not suitable over there,
l have never liked the idea of fabricating up a tank from sheet metal and then subjecting it to twisting forces as you around the countryside, l just feel its bound to leek sooner or later  but l am probally wrong since you guys have been doing it for years and havent had all your buggies reduced to smouldering wrecks,
heres a link to a buggy l biult on a vitara ( sidekick tracker) chassis a few years back half way down the page is some pics of how l have done tanks in the past, the strong construction of a lpg tank sort of gives me confidence that it will survive a heavy roll or impact
http://forum.difflock.com/viewtopic.php?t=4499&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30

as for where to mount it, dont think there is a good/safe  spot, if it mounted low down then it above you when you are upside down
so l think its a case of put it where it fits best

[Doug Heim]

Master I use rubber grommits in the mounting tabs for vib mounts. works well

[Yummi]

I saw picturees of a roller where the tank was mounted under the rear seat - large flat tank - made good sense to keep the cg low - it was a four seat car. 

[fabr]

I see your point on the fabbed up tanks but I'd also not wish to cut into an lp tank for any reason. THere was a member that suggested overlapping the pieces and welding the inside corner instead of welding on the outside of a corner. Don't know if that made any sense how I explained it or not.

[fabr]

Yeah,I'd LIKE to put it under the seat but no room. I'm thinking of  possibly doing the side tanks. I also like the idea of the side tanks for the natural sump the tall skinny tank would provide.

[Baloo]

I see your point on the fabbed up tanks but I'd also not wish to cut into an lp tank for any reason. THere was a member that suggested overlapping the pieces and welding the inside corner instead of welding on the outside of a corner. Don't know if that made any sense how I explained it or not.

cant say as l blame you for not wanting to cut into an lpg tank, dosent sound safe practice dose it, although a lot of folk  over here cut a 12 " sqaure out of the side and use them as workshop stoves/heaters,
l think the standard practice is to undo the valve, put a hose pipe in and fill them with water  and then cut into it, on the assumption that if its full of water then there cant be any gas left in it
l supose location of the tank on the buggy depends on where you are going to use the buggy,  side tanks on a buggy used in the dunes dosent sound unduly dangerous ( not that l have ever seen a dune in real life ) over here there is an abundance of trees to slide into and side impacts or glancing blows are common enough that l think the tank would end up split, under or behind the seat sounds safer from a protection point of view but l think l would worry about sitting on 10 gallons of petrol seeing how well/fast it burns 
not an easy one is it 

[Yummi]

cant say as l blame you for not wanting to cut into an lpg tank, dosent sound safe practice dose it, although a lot of folk  over here cut a 12 " sqaure out of the side and use them as workshop stoves/heaters,
l think the standard practice is to undo the valve, put a hose pipe in and fill them with water  and then cut into it, on the assumption that if its full of water then there cant be any gas left in it

Not good - if you are going to cut into one - place dry ice chunks into it - the ice will melt leaving CO2 that will not ignite.  Water will turn to steam, and that shit burns. 

[Baloo]

Not good - if you are going to cut into one - place dry ice chunks into it - the ice will melt leaving CO2 that will not ignite.  Water will turn to steam, and that shit burns.

l was thinking of cutting in to the tank with a 2" holesaw in a battery drill rather than something hot like a torch or plasma, or as you you say would be pretty steamy

[fabr]

I agree that perhaps racing on a track or trail running the side tanks MAY be a bad idea but for open dunes/desert not much worry about side impacts.

[fabr]

l was thinking of cutting in to the tank with a 2" holesaw in a battery drill rather than something hot like a torch or plasma, or as you you say would be pretty steamy

Chips from a holesaw are pretty hot. If I were to cut into a tank I'd purge it with argon , CO2 oir some other inert gas first

[fabr]

OK,has anyone given any thought of a kevlar or carbon fiber composite tank? If so what would a person do for a bladder or liner for it?

[Wyattboche]

Not good - if you are going to cut into one - place dry ice chunks into it - the ice will melt leaving CO2 that will not ignite.  Water will turn to steam, and that shit burns.

Just don't hit it with a hammer it will shader into pieces.

[455bird]

[Reidy02]

Here's one of the tail tanks I made for a Piranah, and a Cuda tank.
 Yeah sorry master I didn't read too much of what you had written I just wanted to show off the tanks I did!  I was look'n at Specs buggy last night actually and I don't know that I'd be too happy siting right next to that much gas, but that's just me.