A fuel tank was provided by the powertrain team. By using it as a model during spill guard fabrication, it is hoped that an effective mounting system will be achieved with superior fit and functionality.
Spill Guard: Mounting Base
A consistent problem over the years has been to securely affix a spill guard to the fuel tank. The plastic of the tank does not accept adhesives well, and puncturing it with any kind of mechanical fastener is right out, so the idea here is to maximize the strength of the union between the tank and the guard by increasing the area of the mating surfaces as much as possible.
A fuel tank was provided by the powertrain team. By using it as a model during spill guard fabrication, it is hoped that an effective mounting system will be achieved with superior fit and functionality.
To protect the tank, and act as a release agent of the fiberglass part, a heavy layer of wax was used.
The entire upper surface of the tank was coated in wax . . .
. . . and the lower portion and threaded filler opening were masked off with tape to aid in part removal and protect against contamination.
The tank was then covered with one layer of chopped fiberglass cloth, and one layer of fiberglass mesh cloth. Extra care was required due to the tight feature geometry of the part.
A close up of the rough fiberglass. It should be noted that the fiberglass itself is fairly transparent, and the black color seen in the picture is actually the plastic tank showing through.
The part was removed from the tank fairly easily. Actually, the exothermic nature of the resin setting process served to melt the wax layer, further aiding in the extrication of the part from the tank/mold.
The inside mating surface of the part. When in service, the new spill guard will fit precisely on the upper surface of the fuel tank, and rest on the raised horizontal seam. This should make for a very stable spill protection system.