MTK

The topic in not new of course; many have made water bottles into gas tanks. What may be new is the type of plastic fittings I have been able to source, and show here-in. Assembly is simple and the rubber washers provide all the seal we need. Here are a few photos:

MTK

Here's my set-up. It is a two line set-up that fills the tank through a Tee ( through the carb line). Walbro carbs do not allow gas in during filling so the chance of flooding a gas engine is zip. In the middle photo you can see how I secure the cap....it is simple electrical mastic tape, the type you stretch and stick to itself. It works great and the best feature is it is removable for disassembly

If you have a glow non-pumped engine, then a 3 line set-up would be better. Two vent fittings, either straight or elbow, would be needed. Actually for filling a 3 line system, it is a good idea to use a vent fitting with two nipples (bulkhead type) and running a short tube to the bottom of the tank. Either a straight bulkhead of 90 degree elbow could be used

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

In playing around and comparing caps, it appears that the neck of the Fiji bottles is the same as Coke and Pepsi so a PSP cap or Fox cap could be used on a Fiji bottle if a person was so inclined.

MetallicaJunkie

water/soda bottles are the way to go for fuel tanks IMO..... i have 5 gassers and they all have water/soda bottles with fittings and are stopper free


where did you buy your fittings?


they are clear and easy to diagnose a loose fuel line or clunk

mounting the fittings on a screw on cap makes it a breeze to service the tank

fuel stoppers are a pain in the butt to change.. especially if you solder on barbs on both ends. they also dont seem to last as long as they used to, has to do with ethanol in the gas... they are even more of a pain to put back in to the fuel tank after they been used

a1pcfixer

My Feedback: (7)

Are the white 90 degree fittings from Eldon James?

Same as these......
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00..._ya_os_product

MTK

Similar but not the same....Mine will not cost 5$ per fitting.

Contact me directly at [email protected] or PM me please, if interested...

BTW- having used stopper tanks for nearly 45 years, this style is far superior to ANY of those. Absolutely leak free and it is trully easy to get them to a leak free state. No other sealants of any kind are used or are necessary.....

SkidMan

My Feedback: (17)

The ones a1pcfixer linked to are about $1 each. A pack of 5 is $5.18. But it looks like you need to buy the nuts at $2.25 for a pack of 5.


Are you going to share your source or is this an advertisement to sell fittings?

spaceworm

Are the rubber washers compatible with both gas (including 10% ethanol) and glow fuel? Or are different compound rubber washers supplied for each application? Thanks.

a1pcfixer

My Feedback: (7)

Correct, those I noted are NOT $5 each, but for the group of 5.

LOL....come on now, he's wanting to make bit on the service.

Fwiw; Eldon James Coorporation pretty much supplies ALL such fittings for a vast array of businesses....
http://www.eldonjames.com/index.html

MTK

The washers will work with gas and right now I only want them to be used in gas applications. I have not verified the chemistry for glow use.

If the purchaser wants the fittings for glow fuel use, silicone washers can be used.

Fellas, look, I'm a modeler like you, trying to help other modelers that may not have my knowledge of materials. I don't expect this to be a big deal and it isn't so much an ad. I can't afford an ad so if you want the fittings, contact me off-line directly. If not, then leave it alone

Champ-RCU

My Feedback: (132)

Thanks Matt, quick shipping. Can't wait to try the tubing.

MTY

MTK

You're welcome Mark,

For a very secure, tight connection what I do is to use a 1/4" segment of tubing as sleeving around the nipples. I open the tubing segment with a pair of needle nose and slip the tube end inside.

Wire ties work fine too. Polyurethane is tough material and the wire will not cut through as can happen sometimes with other rubber materials.

raptureboy

How are you getting the nuts on inside the bottle? I understand the cap, but what about the ones where the fitting is coming out the side of the bottle.

MTK

I feed a length of monofilament line through the fitting and through the bottle hole. Then I feed the nut to the fitting with the line as my guide. I hold the nut in place with my pinky while screwing the fitting on. Then I remove the line. A hemostat will probably work the same as a pinky, I suppose

dant-RCU

My Feedback: (3)

Yes, a hemostat with a CURVED tip works just fine.

Dan

MTK

I have found a source for wide mouth square and round bottles in 8, 16, 24 and 32 oz capacities, to go with the fittings. These are not water bottles but are made of the same identical material as water bottles. They are a little thicker walled than water bottles too, which means a little more robust for gas tank applications. I was surprised at how inexpensive these are...only a few dollars for the bottle and cap. I'll try to post a photo tonight if I remember

earlwb

Fox manufacturing makes a nice cap setup for Coke or Pepsi bottles too.
http://www.foxmanufacturing.com/inde...1594ddea9524f3

MTK

Nice cap...but 25$ for the cap alone? A bit pricy, no?

For much less than that you will get the cap, bottle, fittings and fuel tube from me. PM me if interested

earlwb

Yeah I like your setup and fittings too. But sometimes people want a metal anodized version too.
Thanks for sharing your information and capability to provide them too.

MTK

Time to bring this thread back. I've gotten several email lately on these fittings

Ernie Misner

Thanks for the info Matt. What type of blue tubing is that? I've seen yellow tygon and black neoprene. Is neoprene a better way to go if using non ethanol based fuel?

Thanks, Ernie Misner

MTK

Ernie,

Neoprene is a crap shoot for any type of gasoline. I know the LHS carries it as the in-tank alternative but in my experience, it all depends on the formulation. Properly compounded, neoprene will work fine, unfortunately much of the small neoprene tubing will craze and crack around fitting stems because it isn't compounded correctly. Oxygen and ozone destroy the stressed area that surrounds a fitting nipple

The blue tubing is something I bought from another guy who sells bits and pieces here on RCU. I forget his name, but he's great to deal with too. This is the same kind of tubing you can buy at your local small engine repair shop

The clear tubing further inside the fuse on one of the photos and inside my tank is the type of tubing I use most of the time in my applications. It is properly formulated for gasoline and can be purchased at Mc Master Carr....you want the 1/8"x3/16" size on the Biodiesel page. It is ester based polyurethane. Stay away from the ether based polyurethane; good for benign water applications but will crack quickly in gas.

I still have some of the blue tube too which is also ester based polyurethane; it is thicker walled and not as flexible as the McMaster Carr Tygothane (actually St Gobain Tygothane, C210 formulation).

If there is enough interest in colored 1/8" x 3/16" Tygothane, I can have a small run made to a color spec at St Gobain. But it is a 5000 foot min buy at 0.75$ a foot; too much money to tie up on that. The clear tubing works great; try it!

Ernie Misner

The neoprene sounds to iffy then, although one posted did swear by the Hayes brand of neoprene for non ethanol gas. Your ester based poly from McMaster Carr sounds excellent. I'm not clear on it's advantages over the yellow tygon tubing that is so popular...?

Thanks again, Ernie

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

I have found it nice to use a short piece of neoprene at the fuel dot, as the tygon does not like to let go of the barbed dot. Easily to replace when it wheres out.

Also, the Tygon will stay soft in the tank if you leave some gas in there.


Funny how all of these components for gas are really a pain I believe. Glow fuel is so less caustic on tubing and stoppers and such. Raw gas does play hell with your finish as well. Mainly the latest synth oils I believe.

Ernie Misner

Seems like in all my motorcycle and go kart racing days we never fussed much over the fuel tanks and tubing much at all. I don't think the synthetic oils are hard on paint or anything.

Ernie Misner