Auxiliary Fuel Transfer

[devinsixtyseven]

Found this:

http://www.transferflow.com/trax-ll.html

Anyone used it?

What are people using--jerrycan and a nozzle, aux tank and a hose, pump, etc?

 

[Scott Brady]

That is pretty cool...

I use a Longranger integrated switch and gauge. Fits right into the Toyota switch blanks like a glove.

 

[pwc]

Looks neat, but kinda too hightech for what's needed. I've got a fuel pump mounted to the frame and a line going back to the main tank from the aux. When my main tank gets low, I flip the switch and it all transfers. Then I shut it off. Not elegant, but I can change any part out in the field fairly easily (assuming I have a spare pump).

 

[devinsixtyseven]

When you say switch blanks, do you mean the rectangular blanks to the left (or right) of the steering column?

I like the idea of a remote-operated pump, of the sort I can engage while driving to refill the main tank. A Super Siphon would work as the backup solution.

Have you guys ever had a malfunction that resulted in gravity feed overfilling the main tank, since they're connected? Does the setup use some sort of solenoid-off/valve shut system to prevent that? How (where?) do you plumb the one to the other? The aux tank I'm planning has a greater capacity than the main tank, so preventing gravity feed overflow is an issue I had originally thought to overcome by manual transfer.

I'd prefer the aux tank to be up higher than the main, that's the only way to guarantee a manual transfer using gravity feed.

 

[HenryJ]

I used a fuel tank selector valve as a shut off to prevent siphoning and the resulting overfilling.

The ideas for my rear auxiliary tank were taken from Mr.Bradys install - Auxiliary Fuel Tank System

Here is mine- Auxiliary Fuel Tank

One thing is missing in the above picture. The cap on that bottom left line is gone now and the line from the Isuzu tank mounted under the back attaches there. That fuel tank selector valve has an output and two inlets. One inlet is normally closed. This is where I attached the line coming from the upper tank. When I activate the fuel pump , I also energize the selector valve to pump fuel to the main tank. When I stop the valve switches and shuts off the flow of fuel that would otherwise continue to siphon. The Isuzu tank that I added later has its own fuel pump and is mounted at or below the stock fuel tank. Overfilling due to siphoning was not an issue, so attaching a the normally open port on the selector valve was not an issue. It really did work out great.

 

[calamaridog]

Henry,

The little electric fuel pump transfers the fuel to the main tank?

 

[devinsixtyseven]

So you both plumbed the return line, or what? I was thinking I could plumb the vent line that follows the fill tube, would that be a bad idea?

If I plumbed the return line, wouldn't I need some sort of one-way valve or gravity assist or similar to make sure I wasn't pumping fuel the wrong direction by accident?

 

[HenryJ]

The little electric fuel pump transfers the fuel to the main tank?

Yes. From the Marine tank located in my tool box.
The 22 gallon Isuzu tank underneath uses the stock Isuzu fuel pump to transfer fuel to the main tank as well.

I was thinking I could plumb the vent line that follows the fill tube, would that be a bad idea?

That is exactly what I did-

I just installed a tee in the vent line from the filler neck of the stock fuel tank.

 

[xcmountain80]

Not to hijack but here goes. I have a 13 or 13 gallon RCI AL fuel cell. I found I can get a 45 deg. filler neck for it. I had a few questions for the actual hook up of the system. Where can I find a y filler neck? Can the aux tank drain in to the main tank? Will I need a sending unit? The tank is not equipped to handle a sending but I could modify that if need be. IM not certain if the gravity fed will work seeing as how they will be almost even.

Aaron

 

[xcmountain80]

Bump ! Does no one other than expowest has a aux. tank?

Aaron

 

[HenryJ]

Bump ! Does no one other than expowest has a aux. tank?

Ahem...

Here is mine- Auxiliary Fuel Tank

I will admit that one of them was copied. Works great.

 

[ntsqd]

On Early Broncos that get a late 5.0 Mustang engine or it's EFI installed they usually drill & NPT tap the fill tube for the injection system return. This could work for a transfer system as well. A potential issue in using the vent line/hose is flooding the charcoal cannister.

The reason that TransferFlow has the unit that they do can be found in their page on what is legal and what isn't legal.
http://www.transferflow.com/fuel_tank_regulations.html
Near the bottom under Misc Notes:
"2. When an auxiliary system is added to a gasoline powered vehicle, the fuel must be drawn through a pipe at the top of the tank. Balance lines or tanks in series so that one tank supplies another is not permitted. Gravity feeding from one tank to another using a balance line is illegal for all systems except ICC diesel systems."

 

[xcmountain80]

Heres what IM thinking. I dont know where to aquire the y filler so I could mount the tank I have and use the RCI 45 degree filler neck run some hose and put a marine type flat tank fill on the top of my rear bumper, then run a vent line off the tank inline with the stock one. Instead of using a sending unit I will use a small fuel pump to transfer the fuel from one tank to the other. I will time the flow rate prior to install and see if I can t find a timer switch like the one the Rear defrost uses on my truck currently so that it can shut the pump down after transfer is complete. I will have to modify the stock tank or just tap the fuel filler hose to insert my aux in.


Aaron

 

[xcmountain80]

Ok so I might go a different way again. For the filler I was thinking about using the marine flush mounted type and mounting it on the rear bumper, just under the rear door so you have to have the door open to fill it.

Currently the picture in my head has an issue with the 1 1/2" size on the filer marine filler neck and 1 3/4 on the fuel cell filler neck. I more than likely can use a reducer, but my next thought is the filler neck on the cell, should I use 45 deg. and attach a filler hose or a 0 deg. and use a 90 deg elbow with reducer attached to the marine filler.

As for the cell itself since its free, I will build a small steel cage to fit around it and bolt to the existing hitch frame bolts. Will need to add a skid to it but that will come later. I will cap off the unused plugs run the drivers side plug to tie into the OE filler neck after using a fuel pump and a top cap to tie into the OE vent system.

Am I missing anything?

Aaron

 

[ntsqd]

snip.......
Am I missing anything?

Aaron

The so-called "Beta Angle". It is the angle that the fill neck needs to be at for modern fillers to work properly. If the fill neck isn't at this angle they usually won't automatically dispense, even at the lowest flow setting.
One truck I drove was so bad about this that I not only had to stand there with my hand on the lever, but even with the fill nozzle inverted it still couldn't go full throttle. Wouldn't have been so bad except that this was a 100 gallon tank........

Work truck flatbed builders can supply a stamping that has the correct angle when installed in a vertical panel. TransferFlow (linked above somewhere) can also supply them, but their's are spendy for some reason. I want to say that I've also seen this part in the Northern Tool catalog.
I'm sure that somewhere out there the actual angle is called out, I just don't know what it is.