I need an opinion on alum. vs. poly gas tanks. I know the aluminum are more durable, but the poly are cheaper (that's not always better). Is it true the line fitting on the bottom of a poly tank will leak after awhile? Anyone ever have problems with a poly tank in a rollover?

Thanks.

I assume you mean the round spun tanks. I don't think you would have a problem with either but I have heard of the square or rectangular aluminum tanks cracking if they aren't strapped down properly. I have used a spun aluminum round tank and never had a problem, no experience with the poly. If the poly had metal inserts to thread the bungs into I wouldn't worry to much about it. If you just thread into the plastic I wouldn't buy it.

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"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -Henry Ford

I have used both and liked both. I had the poly one in a buggy for 5 years and not a single problem with it. I even rolled it a few times still no problems

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When in doubt, hit it in second gear!

I have 2-5 gal. poly tanks, no problems with either one. Be carefull on which lid you get, the avation style lid suck. They will leak water and dirt in and gas out. Get one with a raised filler neck and you won't have any problems.

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Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.
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I went with a square aluminum scince it had a built in sump id guess youd say.. Then i angled it a little back towardst the sump to get every last drop of that sweet expensive gas.. And also foamed filled

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Bye Bye Buggy, I'll always miss you and never forget you, your going to a better place now.

Nick nice Gums

I sell spun aluminum tanks and used to sell poly tanks too.
That was up till I heard about some guy taking a violent flip in his buggy and the poly tank ruptured.
I guess it flung 8 gallons of race gas all over him, his buggy and the hillside he flipped on.
Thank God it didn't light off.

No more poly tanks here.
I couldn't bear the thought of something like that happening to someone I had sold a poly tank too.

Just my 2 cents worth.

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Gary

Turbo VW Sand Racer
Polaris Ranger



"If you don't run into the Devil every once in awhile, you must be going in the same direction!"

Davis Motorsports FaceBook Page

Well by-goly I'm with you .

IF the tank is mounted properly it is no more likly to rupture than a spun aluminum tank. I'll bet there's a whole bunch more to the story than that.

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Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.
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Oh i done found my next avatar too..

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Bye Bye Buggy, I'll always miss you and never forget you, your going to a better place now.

poly tanks suck bought 2 and had to drill the cap that came with them on a hot day it pushed all the fuel into the motor

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i dont always ride my buggy but when i do im glad it has a bad ass bow tie makin the horsepower

Jesus loves me, but everyone else thinks im an asshole.

Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, don't fail us now!

Might be but it doesn't matter to me.
Get a 8 gallon tube of poly tank half full of fuel and then sling it around in a snap roll.
I can see one rupturing.
I won't sell them anymore.

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Gary

Turbo VW Sand Racer
Polaris Ranger



"If you don't run into the Devil every once in awhile, you must be going in the same direction!"

Davis Motorsports FaceBook Page

The problem with Poly tanks is they are made of plastic that uses oil for the process. The suns UV rays dry out the oil over time and they become brittle.

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Water cooled Dry Sumped Subaru Powered Turbo Charged Fuel Injected 2500CC Tank. Oh Rah! He who dies with the most Toys not only wins, He also wears them out!

Poly tanks have always scared me. I have never run one and never will. Anything that is weak enough that is sags badly when full of fuel is not what I want to have my fuel in. Just my 2 cents.

John

One thing I have learned while building my rail was that you get what you pay for. Too many times, I tried to save a buck or two by purchasing the less expensive option. Unfortunately, in most cases, I end up spending more later on.

I have always used aluminum tanks and I have never had a problem. I even wrapped the buggy around a tree going about 60 mph and the tank bent with the frame but not not bust open. I am not sure what a poly tank would have done..

Under normal driving conditions, they are probably both the same. However, when something extreme happens, what tank would you feel more comfortable with?

Just my 2 cents.. I must also qualify this by saying that I have never used a poly tank...

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Woodsbuggy forum is now on the Tapatalk Mobile app... (iPhone, iPad and Android devices)

Why not run a real fuel cell? I just scored one here for 245.00 delivered:

http://www.daymotorsports.com/product/1615/RCI-FUEL-CELL-IN-CAN-NO-FOAM

It has a poly tank inside a steel can.

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Scott

This is all we have experienced with poly tanks. On hot days they make so much vapor it forced fuel into the carbs. Take off the cap and they wooosh. Switched to spun alum no problems since.

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2332cc Air Cooled Screaming Meanie. Predator Singleseat.

"Lets go get stupid"

Sounds like poor installations on both counts.

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Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.
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http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp ... C10%2D2502

this the tank i got and when i flipped i hit so hard the cap came off and gas went all over me i got lucky is their a better cap that will lock

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I DO NOT FREE BASE COCAINE

Poor installation or not aluminum doesn't swell and build pressure

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2332cc Air Cooled Screaming Meanie. Predator Singleseat.

"Lets go get stupid"

One thing to consider, the main reason that off-road racing doesn't allow either of the formentioned tanks (spun alum or round poly) is not because of them rupturing, but because they are very hard to mount effectively. Woods riding, I have had those straps break, and have seen several straps break. When that happens, I don't care if it is alum, or poly, chances of it rupturing are MUCH better. I have had a "square" tank in my woods buggy for years not only for that reason, but it is much more space efficiant than a round one. You can fit a 15 gallon rectangle tank in the same spot as a 10 gal. round tank, without taking up any more space. You can even step up to a steel wraped foam filled fuel cell for less than $200. Check out http://www.speedwaymotors.com/8-GALLON- ... L,447.html

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Maybe you should chug on over to mamby pamby land....

please explain that

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i dont always ride my buggy but when i do im glad it has a bad ass bow tie makin the horsepower

Jesus loves me, but everyone else thinks im an asshole.

Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, don't fail us now!

Are you kidding me?? An aluminum tank won't build pressure and a plastic one will.
What did you do for a tank vent?? Every fuel cell I've ever seen or used has a -6 fitting at the top of the tank, that's for a vent line. Are you telling me that a spun aluminum tank dosen't have a vent? That it uses a vented cap?

The reason there is a vent line in the top of a fuel cell is because the right kind of cap is not vented. In my first post I cautioned about the avation or flush style lid. They suck, they are a vented lid, leak water in, gas out and when you open it dirt always go's in. The raised 4" D ring cap is not vented, nothing out, nothing in, not even dirt.

Now I'm sure your vented lid has a check flap or something that may stop gas from leaking out when it's new, what's it going to do in 5 years?

My poly fuel cells are incased in an 1/8" wall aluminum box. Nothing short of gun fire is going to rupture them. That's why in my second post I said IF properly installed you won't have any problems.

My decision to run a fuel cell is baced on years of racing. Everywhere I ever raced or had anything to do with racing you HAD to have either a poly or a rubber bladder fuel cell. HAD to be in a steel box made a certain way, HAD to be secured in a certain way, HAD to have a roll-over valve and a vent hose that ran a peticular way. In dirt late model we HAD to paint the cell box red so the track workers knew where it was at. On a sprint car the rubber bladder is in a plastic "tail tank" with a small push bumper covering the back side, now that's scary.

I have seen some race car fires. They don't happen often, when they do they get ugly, fast.
I wouldn't be in a panic hanging up-side down in my car waiting to smell gasoline, are you.
Sorry for the rant, but this is important stuff.

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Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.
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im talking about the round poly tanks ya know the 89 dollar piece of shit that vents in the cap. not a fuel cell

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i dont always ride my buggy but when i do im glad it has a bad ass bow tie makin the horsepower

Jesus loves me, but everyone else thinks im an asshole.

Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, don't fail us now!

http://www.chircoestore.com/catalog/ind ... 36_338_341
this junk

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i dont always ride my buggy but when i do im glad it has a bad ass bow tie makin the horsepower

Jesus loves me, but everyone else thinks im an asshole.

Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, don't fail us now!