Monday, July 4, 2016

Summer Update #7

Replacement solar panels have arrived.  Due to the cell cracking issues on the original panels, the manufacturer has sent me 4 new ones free of charge.  I am concerned that the new ones may crack as well.  So I need to budget a bunch of time to beef up the mounting frame.  






Work has begun on the radiator for the AC unit. After some rough math I figured that a 2” radiator with ~150 square inches and about 300 CFM of airflow would be sufficient. Obviously I do not have a temp/pressure chart of the Webasto AC unit, so this is just a rough estimate.

After scoping out locations I decided on a 26x7” water to air intercooler radiator. I also selected a 7” radiator fan (supposedly 1000CFM, I don’t believe it).



To get any reasonable airflow a shroud is needed. I had some 0.25” LDPE left over from the gray tank which worked well.









I still need to make some mounting brackets and run the lines. The water pump is the same unit that is used in the chassis system for the AUX pump. This way I have a spare if needed. Figuring out how to fill and bleed the system will be interesting.

The aux fuel tank is coming along. I got all the welding finished on Sunday, and the tank test fitted. I have a pump and fittings on order. As you can see the tank hangs down a bit below the body.

At this point I need to pressure test the tank, paint the outside, and seal the inside. I also need to figure out how I am going to tap into the main tank. I might end up adding a bulkhead fitting, or welding a NPT fitting. Some insulation for the muffler side of the tank will need to be sourced. Mcmaster Carr probable has high temp reflective materials.







4 comments:

  1. Are my eyes deceiving me or is that tank made from galvanized steel? If so, that's a no-no from what I'm told. Both my Ford and John Deere have stickers warning against using galvanized tanks for fuel.

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    1. Thanks for the info. I did some research, and the biggest issue appears to be with bio-fuels and high sulfur diesel (off road diesel). The problem can cause fuel filter plugging in some situations. I have 2 add-on filters, so I do have good protection in the worst case. Thankfully I sealed the inside of the tank with fuel tank sealer. So hopefully the zinc coating will be a moot point. I will keep an on the filters though. Better safe then sorry.

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  2. Fuel-filter plugging is the good side of the issue. Zinc deposits in injectors, on valves, and in your injection pump are the bad side. High-sulfur diesel is what you'll find most places south of Texas. Not trying to be a negative nancy. Hope it works for you!

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    1. Yeah, If I have a chance I will drop the fuel tank and put another coating of tank liner in it. Just another thing on my list....

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