818 FIA Fuel Cell Design/Quote

[fact5racer]

If they made the tank just wide enough to be placed only on the passenger side and the center up until it would interfere with the driver's seat I wonder how much fuel that would carry?

[FFRSpec72]

I'm using a Ultrashield Pro Rally seat with 10 degree layback, so that saves me like 4" over a standard 20 degree layback seat. The cell and firewall take up 6 and 3/4" and gives me back 4.5" that I can move the seat back and the 10 degrees layback give me an additional 4" before the seatback would touch the rear FFR firewall.

[Bill Waters]

Thanks for the follow-up, Tony. Did the new fuel cell necessitate the modification to the FFR-supplied rear firewall, or was that done for another reason such as seat fitment?


EDit: you may have just answered the question while I was typing it!

[FFRSpec72]

it was done to get me the additional 4.5 inches, as the rear FFR firewall hugs the Harmon fuel cell now and there is no room between the FFR rear firewall and the Harmon fuel cell, if you don't need he extra 4.5" then no need to rebend the FFR rear firewall.

[Bill Waters]

Hard to know whether I'll need the additional room. I'm about 6'; how tall are you?

[FFRSpec72]

Hard to know whether I'll need the additional room. I'm about 6'; how tall are you?

i'm 6' 170lbs and I just want al the room I can get in case I have other drivers for like enduros

[Doowop]

Very cool. Do you know the price for a new bladder? Thanks.

[Sgt.Gator]

Very Nice! Sorry I missed getting together a couple of weeks ago when we were racing at Pacific. I really want to see this build in person! Hope to see you again at ORP July 25-27.

[FFRSpec72]

Very cool. Do you know the price for a new bladder? Thanks.

Recertification is free. 619.97 for a new bladder, but you may need a new collector as well (which I don't think you would after only 7 years), though I don't know if that will still be the price 7 years from now. Harmon has some new vendors that should help keep the current prices consistent for the next few years, but since most of the fuel cell is made from petroleum byproducts if the price of oil goes up considerably then so too will the cells.

[Doowop]

Tony, I'm not sure what re-certification means on a fuel cell. Don't you have to change the bladder when it expires or they can just recert it?

[FFRSpec72]

Some bodies require bladder replacement after a given number of years no matter what. FIA certification is good for 7 years, after 7 year you have to have the cell tested and recertified. Bladder replacement is different than certification but may happen at same time. You must always have A certified fuel cell.

[Wayne Presley]

Why didn't you have the tank made full width?

[C.Plavan]

I think he wanted to put his fire bottle on the side behind the firewall.

Tony- You might get some flak from tech. They will want to "See" the fire bottle to verify its in the "Green" or the C02 cartridge is not pierced. It would be easy to make a little door as long a a passenger seat is not in there.

[FFRSpec72]

I think he wanted to put his fire bottle on the side behind the firewall.

Tony- You might get some flak from tech. They will want to "See" the fire bottle to verify its in the "Green" or the C02 cartridge is not pierced. It would be easy to make a little door as long a a passenger seat is not in there.

Correct, that is where my fire system will go, there will be an access panel there for inspection, there is like 7" space left.

[FFRSpec72]

So I installed the lower portion of the FFR rear firewall and also put in my seat floors (1/8" steel) and set the seat in the car (Ultrashield Pro Rally) and I get the exact same leg room I get in my challenge car, which is 49" from front aluminum bulkhead to seat back. Here are some picks of the length (add 3.5" for length of tape measure), my legs are flat out. I'm 6 foot and my inseam is 32"
WP_20140713_0101.jpg WP_20140713_0081.jpg WP_20140713_0111.jpg

Also here is the fuel cell with rear FFR firewall

WP_20140713_007.jpg WP_20140713_004.jpg

[Sgt.Gator]

How are you going to put a back brace on the seat?

Will you be at ORP this weekend?

[FFRSpec72]

How are you going to put a back brace on the seat?

Will you be at ORP this weekend?

So I don't yet have the seat height set, I want to put the brace somewhere just below my shoulder blades and it looks like I may be able to use the cross bar on the rear firewall if not than I will have to weld in a new vertical bar from the cross bar to the top bar (base of roll hoop)

I will not be at ORP but Steve in the yellow challenge car will be as I'm travelling. I will be at PIR the following week

[Dave Wiedman]

So what was the final price for the fuel cell and can they be purchased? Are there any plans for a group buy?

[FFRSpec72]

So what was the final price for the fuel cell and can they be purchased? Are there any plans for a group buy?

My final price was around $1950 with shipping and mounting straps, if you can get 5+ people you should save around 15%.