The Fuel Cell Surge Tank is a drop-in fuel pump system for Radium Engineering's popular fuel cells or any cell that uses the industry standard 6x10 24-bolt fill plate bolt pattern. The FCST is designed to protect EFI vehicles that experience fuel starvation. It is NOT a glorified trap door box with baffles. It features a true dual-chamber fuel tank utilizing a single lift pump and up to 3 surge tank pumps all packaged inside the fuel cell. It provides all the benefits of a traditional external fuel surge tank without safety concerns and plumbing complexity.
IS THIS COMPATIBLE WITH MY FUEL CELL?
To install a Radium Engineering FCST into a fuel cell, the following criteria must be met:
1. The cell must have the industry standard 6"x10" 24-bolt flange opening.
2. The opening must be on the top face of the fuel cell (i.e. not a side face).
3. The cell depth must be at least 7.7" (196mm) measured from the outer top face to the internal bottom face.
HOW IT WORKS
A lift pump scavenges fuel from the bottom of the fuel cell and pumps it into the 2L surge tank. Inside the surge tank canister, up to 3 EFI fuel pumps can be used to feed high pressure fuel to the engine. If the lift pump starves, the volume inside the surge tank canister will keep the surge tank pumps fed and the engine supplied with fuel. The return from the pressure regulator is also routed to the surge tank canister to help keep it full. There are 3 fill valves integrated to the bottom of the surge tank. These 1-way FKM fill valves are sealed shut unless the fuel level in the cell rises above the fuel level in the surge tank. If this happens, each fill valve opens and sends 355LPH of fuel (1065LPH total) into the surge tank until fuel level reaches an equilibrium.
Excess fuel in the surge tank simply overflows back into the fuel cell. This dynamic sequence is all done inside the safety of a fuel cell.
FEATURES
Over the years, Radium Engineering has continued to refine the FCST into a robust and highly functional piece of hardware.
-Merged single 10AN ORB female threaded outlet. All pumps use check valves that prevent back-flow in multi-pump applications.
-One-way fill valves located on the bottom of the canister that allows fuel in, but not out, keeping the surge tank full.
-Multiple fuel pump options including gerotor, turbine, and brushless DC motor pumps.
-Hermetically sealed high-current stainless steel electrical studs capable of handling all pumps.
-Simplified servicing features eliminating nylon sealing washers and fuel cell retaining brackets.
-Full CNC aluminum construction with anodized surfacing for superior corrosion resistance.
-Fuel compatibility: leaded and unleaded gasoline, methanol, ethanol, E85, etc.
-Dynamic safety vent valve with rollover protection and fuel fill shut-off protection.
-Optional fuel surge tank level switch and diagnostic LED failsafe port (shown below).
WHATS IN THE BOX?
The following comes standard with every FCST variation configured per part number
-8AN DSV (dynamic safety vent) valve
-6x10 24-hole FKM gasket
-6AN male return fitting (other sizes must be purchased separately)
-8AN male pump out fitting (other sizes must be purchased separately)
-Fuel level sensor block-off plate
-Fuel level switch block-off plug
-Three FKM 1-way fill valves
-Stainless steel mounting hardware
-Insulated anodized aluminum acorn nuts
-Electrical power wire ring terminals