surge tank setup: is this dodgy?

[STR8 2.8]

i want to mount a surge tank upside down, but i have one of those off the shelf surge tanks.
does it make a difference if the fuel inlets are at the bottom or the top of the tank?
do i need to have another tank made with the inlets at the top?
this is how i want to use it:

[Cplus]

engine return up near top (one side) = better

Overflow should be at the highest point of all though.

the engine return should create a "swirl" on entry, and the feed from the low pressure side should compliment this - ie: tricky inlet designs to create a vortex. Not mission critical though.

Ideally you should relocate the warm return to the top of the tank. You want to maximise the chance of the warmer fuel going back to the main tank in preference of the cooler fuel in the tank/being fed to the tank.

C+

[slide86]

you would want to make sure that the lift pump is a good one. why do you need to mount it upside down?

the tank would have to be primed well in teh tank before starting due to the fact that the feed and the suck are right next to each other.

personally i dont like it. but thats just me, others may have done this and made it work well

[Cplus]

"Feed & Suck" - as you put it - being close to one another should not be a problem.

the surge tank won't be empty prior to every start up and priming of the pumps.

[Kaos]

It kind of defeats the purpose of the surge tank if the feed pump doesn't create a head of fuel for when the feed pump is unable to supply.

Tim

[STR8 2.8]

but it should pump enough during idle/cruising to create a head of fuel shouldnt it?
the efi pump isnt going to suck the fuel at the same rate as the lift pump pumps it in will it?

[STR8 2.8]

it is going to be mounted upside down under the car, relocated from the boot. just incase anyone was wondering

[mullett]

you can't turn it over? Seems to me you're best to run it how it was origionally intended to be used, I wouldn't take risks with fuel...maybe look at gettting that one modified or a new one made? There's a sweet surgetank/fuel pump setup in the ForSale right now...

RM.

[thomasbl]

Its not ideal by any stretch of the imagination. Having it upside down is defeating the pupose a little. If you are going to the trouble of cleverly mounting it somewhere, make sure you do it right the first time. Find someone that can weld ally and put a new bracket on it or something. It will save you hassles and possibly cash doing it right the first time.

Just my 2 cents....

[merc-blue]

under the car is another concern, i can get see you driving over a gutter, or over a cardboard box and having fuel going everywere

[STR8 2.8]

yeh i can understand that, i was intent on making up a new one, but i thought id see if i could use what i had.
under the car is no concern, its up high and well protected.

[Starfire]

I would assume that the bottom plate has 4 or so bolt holes in it?

Why not just get some alloy tube with an internal diameter slightly larger than the bolts that you are going to use and some really long bolts (or threaded rod).

Cut the tube in to lengths slightly shorter than the bolts and use it as a spacer (kind of like a really thick washer).

Mount it the right way up under the car with the sleeved bolts holding it in place.

It shouldnt cost more than about $20 in parts and require nothing more specialised than hand tools.

Cheers,

Terry.

[STR8 2.8]

but that would block off the top inlet.
thanks heaps for everyones input, i think ill just get a make a new one the right way and sell the other one on ebay or something.

[cranker]

I don't see a problem with that setup. Mine is mounted upside down similar to that and works a treat.

[MWP]

Using it upside down as in your diagram will work perfectly.
So dont bother making another one.