Plate Baffles Vs Tank Foam

[nisskid]

Just looking to get some opinions on the pro's and cons of the foam as opposed to the usual plate baffles. Basically i've just pulled out my standard fuel tank and noticed the stock baffle is loose at the bottom and moving around, i'm in 2 minds as to whether i try and solder it back into place, or remove it and stuff tank foam in. It's a track car which runs E85, changing it every few years isn't an issue, i'm just not sure if there's anything more i need to know about the foam before i look at it as an option. I'm assuming it's fine to use within the standard tanks, and that there's no issues getting it in through the inspection hole. The car is used for drift, baffling is fairly important, i have a surge tank sitting on my shelves, but not keen to put it in and lose boot space unless i need to.

cheers

[XKLABA]

My offroad race car had foam in the tank when i brought it and after losing 1st in class and 3rd outright cause the foam started to break down and blocked the fuel filter I swore I'd never use it again and custom made a tank with baffles and built in/under surge tank and haven't worried about it since

[GTScotT]

^ that was a valuable response, thanks

[nisskid]

My offroad race car had foam in the tank when i brought it and after losing 1st in class and 3rd outright cause the foam started to break down and blocked the fuel filter I swore I'd never use it again and custom made a tank with baffles and built in/under surge tank and haven't worried about it since

thanks mate, how long had it been in there though? i recognise that i will need to replace it every year or 2, but the stuff i'm looking at is from autosport and designed for ethanol/methanol use so i'd expect it would work fine until then.

[Risking]

Foam only slows down the movement of the fuel sloshing it does not prevent it at all.

If you drifting the vehicle the fast direction changes will allow the fuel to build up momentum then foam will be useless.

You need swinging baffles to prevent surge in those circumstances.

You have two simple options.

Run the tank close to full or an external surge tank.

In all my experience foam will not help sustained fuel sloshing.

[boostn0199]

What about mounting the surge under the car if you dont want to lose boot space?

[XKLABA]

thanks mate, how long had it been in there though? i recognise that i will need to replace it every year or 2, but the stuff i'm looking at is from autosport and designed for ethanol/methanol use so i'd expect it would work fine until then.

I had had the car 4 months and the guy I brought it off told me he had changed it about a year before i brought it, even so changing the foam is a shit job no matter how you look at it, even worse if you have to do it every year or so and if it does give up early you are in the same boat i was or worse, is it worth it.

Just run a full or near full tank or a surge tank, personally I am not a fan of external surge tanks with the return line from the engine going to it and heating the fuel in the surge tank up, my surge tank is welded on the tank and is gravity fed with the return going into the top of the tank on the opposite side from the pick up

[nisskid]

What about mounting the surge under the car if you dont want to lose boot space?

makes the car vulnerable unfortunately, ok for 99.9% of cars, not for what this car sees.

[nisskid]

Foam only slows down the movement of the fuel sloshing it does not prevent it at all.

If you drifting the vehicle the fast direction changes will allow the fuel to build up momentum then foam will be useless.

You need swinging baffles to prevent surge in those circumstances.

You have two simple options.

Run the tank close to full or an external surge tank.

In all my experience foam will not help sustained fuel sloshing.

thanks mate.

[KiwiRS4T]

I had had the car 4 months and the guy I brought it off told me he had changed it about a year before i brought it, even so changing the foam is a shit job no matter how you look at it, even worse if you have to do it every year or so and if it does give up early you are in the same boat i was or worse, is it worth it.

Just run a full or near full tank or a surge tank, personally I am not a fan of external surge tanks with the return line from the engine going to it and heating the fuel in the surge tank up, my surge tank is welded on the tank and is gravity fed with the return going into the top of the tank on the opposite side from the pick up

So no lift pump? Sounds like a great set-up. Is the pump in the surge tank or external?

[XKLABA]

No lift pump, the surge tank is welded to the bottom of the main tank and gravity feed through a series of 8 ( if think ) 1/2" holes then twin Bosch external pumps

[Piggaz]

I had had the car 4 months and the guy I brought it off told me he had changed it about a year before i brought it, even so changing the foam is a shit job no matter how you look at it, even worse if you have to do it every year or so and if it does give up early you are in the same boat i was or worse, is it worth it.

Just run a full or near full tank or a surge tank, personally I am not a fan of external surge tanks with the return line from the engine going to it and heating the fuel in the surge tank up, my surge tank is welded on the tank and is gravity fed with the return going into the top of the tank on the opposite side from the pick up

Fuel cooler FTW!

[GTXR34]

im gonna be running just a fuel cell with baffles and e85 foam in it and to be safe change it once a year.. running two external pump under the tank and also looking at maybe running a "fuel cooler" if i see temperatures creeping up too high..

i agree with XKLABA.. run a tank and be done with it... saves u a lot of time trying to get ur normal tank suit your needs..

just my 2cents anyway..