Plastic fuel Cells Vs. Aluminum

[nbpro]

Originally Posted by 3r!c84

its for safety reasons. along with you can mold them to any shape you want.

I'm going to have to disagree with the safety issue. Yeah, you can mold them any shape you want, but it's also the cost in making them is why they're being used. Less labor involved. Cost of materials is cheaper. IMO. <<<Former Pinto owner.joke

[Dru]

Isnt it 99% of a vehicle is made of plastic nowdays? lol. It all boils down to cost, as nbpro said. Shoot they used to stamp out fenders with curves all over, but its a lot cheaper to manufacture plastic tanks, hence the prices of the aftermarkets. They would lose money bigtime on tooling, as much as they change designs nowdays.

The only way I would run a plastic, would be to enclose it in a metal box, or sit it in the bed, unless you have a boulevard cruiser, that never see's dirt. Have to consider that car companies mount theirs a lot better than aftermarkets, hours of testing have went in to make sure nothing rubbed or chaffed, like a strap with a rock stuck in it over time.

The metal one isnt even over $100.00 more, I don't know why someone would even fool with a plastic one.

[3r!c84]

Originally Posted by nbpro

I'm going to have to disagree with the safety issue. Yeah, you can mold them any shape you want, but it's also the cost in making them is why they're being used. Less labor involved. Cost of materials is cheaper. IMO. <<<Former Pinto owner.joke

start beating a alum and a plastic fuel cell with a hammer see what cracks first. they use them because they are safer in a crash. wont crack or burst as easy as a metal one. also alum can make a spark that can ignite the fuel. unlike the plastic

[draggin86]

Originally Posted by 3r!c84

start beating a alum and a plastic fuel cell with a hammer see what cracks first. they use them because they are safer in a crash. wont crack or burst as easy as a metal one. also alum can make a spark that can ignite the fuel. unlike the plastic

I bet the Aluminum would would at the weld seam..

you guys for got the one of the biggest reason besides cost and shape.. plastic doesn't rust or corrode over time.

[nbpro]

Originally Posted by 3r!c84

start beating a alum and a plastic fuel cell with a hammer see what cracks first. they use them because they are safer in a crash. wont crack or burst as easy as a metal one. also alum can make a spark that can ignite the fuel. unlike the plastic

if you hit a car hard enough to rupture the fuel cell, there's a chance of fire anyways. I just don't like the way they look. they look cheap and that's why they were put in cars. yeah there was a thing back in the day with a lot of fires in cars in a lot of crashes. it was more feasable to go with the plastic design than it was to reinforce where fuel cells are mounted. it all comes down to cost. if i had a dollar for every recall did on a ford pinto, i could build one hell of a truck. and that was one of biggest reason of the changeover was the ford pinto.