Do fuel cells have an age limitation?

[tomlinmgt]

According to the SCCA vehicle logbook the car started competing in '97 and I remember seeing that year enscribed on the bladder when I inspected everything. I called ATL and asked what I might need to be concerned with in regards to using a fuel cell of this age. They said the bladder's only real enemy is UV exposure and that the foam, pick-up tubes and seals can dry rot. UV exposure has been ruled out since it has always been encased in the metal enclosure that houses the bladder and covered by the metal top plate and a thorough visual inspection confirmed it's integrity (no fading or cracking). I could find no deterioration of the foam (difficult to tear apart) or the pick-up tubes (still flexible) either. The seal at the fuel filler neck was in good condition as well. Is the likelihood pretty hight that I will need to totally remove the cell and disassemble it at my first tech inspection?

[Wirtz]

Of course the answer can highly depend on the inspector you end up working with, but when I brought my car out for the first time this year, they did not check inside the cell, only the exterior mounting and enclosure.

Sounds like you did the right checks on the cell itself. Just for a data point for everyone; we used to run a forumla car and the foam inside the cell started coming apart. It took us a while to find out what was happening, but cutting open the second fuel filter we put on the car showed us.

Jeff

[Todd Covini]

Is the likelihood pretty hight that I will need to totally remove the cell and disassemble it at my first tech inspection?

Pretty high likelihood that "someone" will ask about the age of the bladder in your cell. Make sure it meets manufacturer's specs and CCR rules at your first annual inspection. :wink:

-=- Todd

[David Love AI27]

The fuel cell was the very first item on my car that did not pass inspection... the manufacturer would not recertify it, so I paid over $600 for a new one. Aftermarket cells have an age limit in most series...

[tomlinmgt]

This is exactly what I was hoping to not hear.....but better to be prepared than show up at the track and get turned away. I have questions...of course, and hope that you can answer them for me.
1. What brand cell did you have and how old was it.?
2. Do you know how the inspector determines if a cell is "certified"?
3. Did the inspector happen to mention if there is a limit to the number of years a cell is usable beyond the manufactured date (the CCRs don't have an age stipulation)?
4. What exactly was up with asking the cell manufacturer for a recert and on what grounds did they deny it?
Thanks for all of your input.