F40 Fire in Odawara (Kanagawa Prefecture), Japan

The intrusion bars in those flimsy composite doors were a box ticking exercise to get the USA cars through DOT, they may help slightly in a minor fender bender but that is about it, after that the door would simply fragment, the bar in the frame under the raised cill cover links directly to the frame and provides the main intrusion protection for occupants for all versions. None of them have a properly protected fuel cell.

As an aside, I have an original bag tank here from a 1988 Reynard F3000 single seater, so same era as the F40, the outer covering of rubber is cracked much like you see with old tyres, but internally its still fine, and holding fuel with no leaks, as they are multi layered, much like those old tyres which still hold air fine.

The biggest risk for bag tanks in the USA is the ethanol in the fuel, which rots the bags from the inside out.

Yes replacement with new is the sensible option, but aircraft have also used such bag tanks since ww2, low pressure fuel is rarely the risk, its when it gets pressurised and can mist when it escapes is when ignition is the greatest risk.

Remember how the stored fuel in the SR71 Blackbird leaked out from it like a sieve when on the ground, it only sealed itself at altitude and speed when the fuel cells expanded.

 

they have a compounded effect.
i was explained all this in some detail by f40 tech experts, which is why when i was contemplating the switch to usa spec alu tanks, i ultimately decided against that option.

 

now that the original 30 year old bags were replaced in my car, we have had a close look at them.....they were intact inside and out.
however, the baffle material had started to degrade and posed a different risk.

 

Correct.

They don't.

The side-collision bars in the doors of the USA car are for the side-collision protection of passengers, not the fuel tanks, in a side collision of a USA F40 they provide zero protection of the fuel tanks.

The fuel tanks of all F40s sit rear of the passenger doors, the fuel tank area of all F40s is unprotected in both Eu/ROW cars and USA cars.

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

tell that to @Rifledriver

 

Hes correct. My only recollection about our discussion was the use of non OE fabricated metal tanks. Reengineering of the car puts the burden of proof on you if something unfortunate happened.

 

The last set I replaced were original. The internal foam had turned entirely to red dust. The car reeked of gas and stunk up any area it was parked.
The ATL bladders I installed were top shelf stuff.

 

Having seen bladders from a P51 they were vastly better made than any automotive bladder I have seen and made from the best materials known to man. Many originals are still in use but removed and inspected on a regular basis and treated with some nature of rubber preservative. Aircraft also have the benefit of not being subjected to additives and reformulated gas with chemical compositions based on the whim of legislators or lobbyists.

 

The tanks rarely are to blame but the metal round bit at the top where the fuel pumps mount and the return metal tit (sorry but I can't remember the english word for it) are the ones to blame as tanks are changed but these left for decades. When tanks are filled it will throw gasoline out of there, one of the hottest spots on the whole engine bay.

 

Hope you took all the injection system apart and cleaned the injectors. That's how engines give their life to the dark lord of salvage yards

 

No, I ignored it because this is all new to me.

 

No need, meanwhile rather than speak to him over the phone, I can recommend any F40 owner just send him the car.

Funny that, I recall an F40 owner complaining of this very thing.

True, as illustrated in the diagram I posted above, we've seen this also, fortunately it was addressed in time.

I didn't think my day could get any better, but your priceless response made it happen