Fueling by myself - overflow

[zookie]

Going to be taking a formula car to some local events but I will have no crew. It will be just me.

Was thinking about getting the VP racing fuel jug with Flo-Fast jug pump but even when two of us fill a car with these we sometimes overfill it and I get to sit in the constant smell of fuel (yes I wipe it down when it happens).

Just curious what others who fuel their cars by themselves are doing. Is there some type of meter/sensor I can put down in the opening that I can tell when it's full or is there a nozzle or some other type of jug that I should look into that will let me do this without spilling fuel behind my seat?

Thanks!

[fitfan]

you can wrap a rag around the neck of the fuel cell, that helps the inevitable... i remove my seat when i fill it - not an option of all... flow fast can reverse and suck, so that helps if you have the 200 bux! to have one. also, once i "think" I'm getting close to full'ish i like to have some stick like thing (a chop stick would work) and kind put it down there an inch or two to see if I'm close to the top and go slow and in increments. still overfill it at least once or twice a weekend, hence the rag wrapped around the fuel cell neck! - in my swift - i can't see anything... the flashlight trick is useless.

i don't worry too much about its being 101% full because i generally let it warm up / idle for a few minute prior to a session anyways and that burns off enough so it won't pump out when i get bolted in.

another perspective is overfilling beats the alternative of forgetting to fill it!

[cgscgs]

I crew for myself as well. On my car I can look directly into the cell through the filler neck which helps prevent overfill. I marked a dowel rod to correspond with fuel level and stick it in there to measure. Then I pour in what I need to fill it to the level I want, using the marks on the fuel jug.
Speaking of which, I have 5 gal fuel jugs from two manufacturers, and the level markings on the jugs are notably off (that assumes that the pumps at the gas statin are correct). Anyone else have that problem?

[John Robinson II]

unless you are using fuel as a ballast, there is no need to fill completely. we use 12 mpg to do fuel calculations, so most races take 4 gals or less. we pump out between sessions to make sure fuel level stays where we want it. best to use an external pump. I have a length of metal tube with a double flare on the probe end that I stick in the cell, fuel line attached to that with a small 12v pump.

john

[Ralph Z.]

Buy an electric fuel pump...battery operated. Has a narrow hose to place in the filler neck so you can see when you approach re top. Siphons right out of the fuel jug. Costs about 20 bucks. Best thing I did for our spilling problems.

[Fred Michael]

I pump my fuel out after every session so that I know how much that I use.
I then fill slowly so that I don't spill and I rarely need to fill to the top for a session.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Buy an electric fuel pump...battery operated. Has a narrow hose to place in the filler neck so you can see when you approach re top. Siphons right out of the fuel jug. Costs about 20 bucks. Best thing I did for our spilling problems.

I did something like this. Bought an $8 home depot plastic toolbox and attached the electric pump to the pull out tray. Bought a remote starter trigger to act as a switch.

During fueling I'm just watching and holding the trigger.

No trying to control a 35# can...

I am jealous of those with elec pumps on the car. That makes unloading easy...
Still working on a solution for that..

[zookie]

Thanks for the advice. For an electric fuel pump, do you mean an mounted fuel pump on the car or do you have one on the gas can.

Something like this or do you have a link so I can understand this better. Sounds like the solution I need!

http://www.amazon.com/backache-TERAP.../dp/B00SBZRR8O

[SWMyers]

Speaking of which, I have 5 gal fuel jugs from two manufacturers, and the level markings on the jugs are notably off (that assumes that the pumps at the gas statin are correct). Anyone else have that problem?

Yes, found this as well. I've remarked my jugs based on what the fuel pump says a is a gallon.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Thanks for the advice. For an electric fuel pump, do you mean an mounted fuel pump on the car or do you have one on the gas can.

Something like this or do you have a link so I can understand this better. Sounds like the solution I need!

http://www.amazon.com/backache-TERAP.../dp/B00SBZRR8O

This is what I use.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/mrg-12e
(I think I paid $40 for it)

I also use a car battery to power it. Drop a hose in the can and one in the filler neck.
I use light clamps to hold everything in place.

They I just pull the trigger and watch..
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/anm-cp7853/overview/

[fitfan]

maybe i am just old fashioned from engineering DC power plants for telco's.... but car batteries and gas in close proximity to each other scare me.

[Fred Michael]

Yes, found this as well. I've remarked my jugs based on what the fuel pump says a is a gallon.

Jugs expand and contract. Don't trust your markings.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

maybe i am just old fashioned from engineering DC power plants for telco's.... but car batteries and gas in close proximity to each other scare me.

Well I have to assume the electric fuel pump is fairly safe since it exist in every car sold for the last 30 years?

My battery sits about 10ft away. The pump is 5 ft away from the car and the fuel jug. With this method I haven't spilled more than a drop. Sometimes you have to shake the hose a bit longer than you want to make sure there are no drops left...

My biggest concern holding 5 gals of fuel and attempting to pour and over filling inches from a hot header...

I think whatever works for you safely is the best solution.

[zookie]

I'm assuming I need fuel compliant hoses that fit that pump. Do you remember where you picked these up or what size things need to be?

Does the pump have reverse? I am reading about it online and don't see that it does. If your pump is 5' from the jug and the car I'm assuming when the cell is full that you have 10' of fuel left in the hoses from the jug through the pump to the car that needs to get back to the jug. Does the pump allow it just to freely flow back if I life the hose up high and let gravity to it's thing? Reverse would be nice to empty the cell after an event.

Thanks for the advice everyone. While the thought of electricity near fuel while I'm hovering over the fuel cell with my face looking down to see how full it is makes me nervous, it sounds like it's safe enough. The fuel pump would have to fail and short to cause a serious problem and like you said, all non-race cars have them.

[Ralph Z.]

Thanks for the advice. For an electric fuel pump, do you mean an mounted fuel pump on the car or do you have one on the gas can.

Something like this or do you have a link so I can understand this better. Sounds like the solution I need!

http://www.amazon.com/backache-TERAP.../dp/B00SBZRR8O

I use a c sized battery, not a car battery. Yes, similar to the one you show.

[BLS]

I used this without issue:

http://www.amazon.com/TRHD01-Origina...TVCT0TP8EE5DAC


This one supposedly will shut off automatically when full:

http://www.amazon.com/TERAPUMP-Opera...TVCT0TP8EE5DAC


Simple and easy, and cheap...

[Ralph Z.]

I used this without issue:

http://www.amazon.com/TRHD01-Origina...TVCT0TP8EE5DAC


This one supposedly will shut off automatically when full:

http://www.amazon.com/TERAPUMP-Opera...TVCT0TP8EE5DAC


Simple and easy, and cheap...

The first one is what I use. Works very well.

[fitfan]

Well I have to assume the electric fuel pump is fairly safe since it exist in every car sold for the last 30 years?

My battery sits about 10ft away. The pump is 5 ft away from the car and the fuel jug. With this method I haven't spilled more than a drop. Sometimes you have to shake the hose a bit longer than you want to make sure there are no drops left...

My biggest concern holding 5 gals of fuel and attempting to pour and over filling inches from a hot header...

I think whatever works for you safely is the best solution.

i just meant it scares s ME, and why i decided to not do something similar. ( i contemplated hardwiring something but then since i don't have the header or other issues with the swift - i didn't have a need.

ill admit i have somewhat unreasonable fears of 'big' (car, not electronics, sized) batteries having seen what happens when they spark, go boom or weld things together...

[Jerry B.]

Nothing worse than lifting 5 gallons of gas to fill the tank ...and your hand slips.
Also I don't feel good using a battery operated pump (stick type).
Here's what I use....
Always have the step stool in the trailer....set the jug on top and squeeze away on the red bellows and then gravity takes over. The siphon "pump" is $3 at Ace hardware. The outlet hose is about 5/8" and you might have some eyesight in the filler neck.

[EYERACE]

1. Get a big black sharpie.........go to your place where you pump out your fuel with all your jugs empty.........pump out one gallon on the pump meter..........mark your jug...........repeat........repeat ......repeat..........but that would be only four gallons so far huh?

don't rinse......that's for Prom Queens

2. Put the car up on stands ......about waist high or more...........empty your cell via breaking the fuel line behind your cell/filter

3. fill your cell and think 12 miles to the gallon if it's a Kent

4. make up, using a dowel rod, if your cell will allow it to go to the bottom of your cell, a measuring stick after adding one gallon at a time and notch and mark accordingly........make up at least two spare sticks.

5. don't sweat the first decimal point.

6. avoid electricity and fuel on the same stage

[donnie b]

the wood dowel works for me. I use it for two purposes, one is for fuel level and one for oil level. I bought a 3' wood dowel at lowes. I removed all gas from fuel cell and put one gallon in at a time and marked the dowel with a sharpie, put in second gallon and marked, etc. then i took the other end of the dowel and put the dowel in the oil tank when the oil level was correct and marked it also.

the one gallon notches for the gas does a couple of things, it lets you know what level your gas is with out removing gas. you can use it as ballast to fine tune your weight to keep the car in the correct weight. the scales at different tracks are never the same and you have to scale your car at each track to learn that scale and adjust from there.

good luck and have fun with it
don

[thomschoon]

I use a fast flo pump, I marked the hose for how far to insert it into the filler neck for the proper amount of fuel, I pump in until I can see it in the filler neck, reverse the pump and remove until it sucks air, level is correct and it is easy as I crew for myself.