Shaving Pounds with a Fluid Control Solutions Fuel Cell

When shaving weight off a race car, many people don’t think about the fuel tank. In the case of a Civic, the stock tank is made out of steel and weighs 32 lbs dry. Now imagine upgrading to an ultra-light 7.9 lb aluminum racing fuel cell from Fluid Control Solutions. Straight off the bat, you will save an instant 24 lbs. And the savings don’t end there. That’s because the smaller physical dimensions and rear sump design of this race tank, will allow you to run the car with less fuel on-board. According to FCS, under harsh racing conditions, the stock tank on a Civic could begin to starve the fuel pump when it gets down to 5-6 gallons; in contrast, the FCS race tank can safely be run all the way down to 1.5 gallons. Considering that each gallon of gas weighs an estimated 6 lbs, being able to carry just 3 gallons less on board could net you an additional 18 lbs in weight savings.

While the weight savings convinced us to do the upgrade, our secondary reason was to facilitate the plumbing of an external fuel pump. Unlike the stock tank which is designed for a standard in-tank pump and only provides a wimpy 5/16" outlet, the FCS fuel cell offers a rear sump design and two giant -10 AN outlets to work with. Because each tank is made to order, you can get your tank with whatever outlet configuration suits your needs, including a dual in-tank setup if you chose to take that route. For the Rat Wad, we chose a dual -8 AN outlet configuration to match our -8 AN lines.

While not recommended for your grandma’s grocery-getter, this direct fit Honda/Acura tank is a popular upgrade for the hardcore racing crowd. As you’ll see in the next few pages, the installation is quite simple and the installed look is quite impressive.

1. Custom built for Hondas, this FCS 5-Gallon race tank offers a huge weight savings over the factory tank and the ease of plumbing a high volume external race pump. For those who need a larger capacity, FCS has just released an 8 gallon version.

1. Custom built for Hondas, this FCS 5-Gallon race tank offers a huge weight savings over
2. Here’s a close-up of the rear sump and AN outlets. While the standard setup comes with dual -10 AN outlets, we ordered ours with a dual -8 AN setup to better match our needs.

2. Here’s a close-up of the rear sump and AN outlets. While the standard setup comes with
3. The first step is to remove the stock tank. Start by draining fuel through the drain plug. Make sure you are working in a well-ventilated area.

3. The first step is to remove the stock tank. Start by draining fuel through the drain p

4. While the tank is draining, hop into the car, remove the fuel pump access panel and disconnect any attached wires and hoses.

4. While the tank is draining, hop into the car, remove the fuel pump access panel and di
5. Moving back under the car, replace the drain plug and support the tank with a jack.

5. Moving back under the car, replace the drain plug and support the tank with a jack.
6. Now remove the two straps that retain the tank to the car.

7. Next, drop the tank part way to access and remove any hoses connecting the tank to the car.

7. Next, drop the tank part way to access and remove any hoses connecting the tank to the
8. Lower the jack and remove the tank.
9. The next step is to test fit the FCS tank. When doing this, check for any points of contact between the tank and the car.

9. The next step is to test fit the FCS tank. When doing this, check for any points of co

10. To secure the new mounting straps, FCS recommends drilling and tapping the area just inboard of where the lower control arms mount to the chassis, as shown here.

10. To secure the new mounting straps, FCS recommends drilling and tapping the area just
10a. This is where multiple layers of the sheetmetal meet, creating a thick enough wall to tap threads into.

10a. This is where multiple layers of the sheetmetal meet, creating a thick enough wall t
11. Looking at our threaded hole, you can see that the metal in this area is thicker than you would expect.

11. Looking at our threaded hole, you can see that the metal in this area is thicker than

12. When mounting the aluminum tank, it’s important to keep it from rubbing against the chassis.

12. When mounting the aluminum tank, it’s important to keep it from rubbing against the c
12a. We found that this threaded nub got close to touching the tank, so we knocked it down with an angle grinder.

12a. We found that this threaded nub got close to touching the tank, so we knocked it down
13. To create a protective barrier between the tank and the car, FCS includes a few feet of insulating foam. Cut a few small strips and apply them to all the contact points. Use the foam sparingly; you’ll need to save about a foot for each of the mounting straps.

13. To create a protective barrier between the tank and the car, FCS includes a few feet

14. To attach the front side of the strap to the body, drill a hole through the floor pan and mount it using the provided bolts, washers and nuts. This is a two man job since you’ll need to hold the head of the bolt from underneath while having a helper thread and tighten the nut from inside the car.

14. To attach the front side of the strap to the body, drill a hole through the floor pan
15. Here’s the tank mounted to the car. If you look closely at the corners of the straps near the rear mounting holes, you can see where we cut notches for a better fitment. This step may or may not be needed, depending on how you position the straps.

15. Here’s the tank mounted to the car. If you look closely at the corners of the straps
16. One of the nice things about this tank is that it utilizes the factory fill hole.

16. One of the nice things about this tank is that it utilizes the factory fill hole.

16a. To connect it to the filler pipe, FCS recommends using a shortened Gates 21794 rubber hose.

16a. To connect it to the filler pipe, FCS recommends using a shortened Gates 21794 rubbe
17. The last connection is for the breather. Off the tank we used a -6 AN push-lock style fitting sourced from Techna-Fit together with a piece of 3/8" fuel hose.

17. The last connection is for the breather. Off the tank we used a -6 AN push-lock style
17a. We then clamped the other end of the hose to the small diameter fitting on the filler pipe.

17a. We then clamped the other end of the hose to the small diameter fitting on the fille