Fuel Probe ?

[PopPop]

"Ross DQ'ed in inspection for fuel probe not going in the tank. "
Is there a rule about the size of the opening for the fuel tank. Whatever happened to the turkey baster and tupperware cup?

[Bill Huson]

Or . . .

draining a cup of fuel from the tank.

[Richard K.C. Mo.]

Oh Well!!!

I think it says if it don't fit it don't work. !!
RichartdF

[Brett L. Pruett]

The (at least) 1 inch opening rule has been in effect for at least 2 years now, for the stockers. I'm sure a seasoned vet like Ross knows the rule.

[sam]

Yes

"Ross DQ'ed in inspection for fuel probe not going in the tank. "
Is there a rule about the size of the opening for the fuel tank. Whatever happened to the turkey baster and tupperware cup?

Page 13 of the Stock, Mod, PRO & J rulebook

Modified Outboard Fuel Rule 3

"All fuel tanks must have an opening sufficient for a Digitron fuel meter probe to pass unobstructed into the fuel tank. 1.050" is the diameter of the probe."

I think it was on last year's ballot for Mod, but it seems like longer. If you missed it, you weren't paying attention. It is the driver's responsibilty to read and know the rules.

[Ron Hill]

Drivers Should Know The Rules...

But with all this "CLEAN AIR" gas and all, is there really any differences in the "LEGAL" Fuel and what we buy in California???

Can the meter really tell "HOT FUEL" or are more scientific tests required???

Seems a NICE guy from Texas came to the Winter Nationals and got DQ'd for fuel...I loaned...GAVE him Race Gas the next day....same speed as illegal fuel....

Kind of seems like companies checking Social Security cards at work...when you can buy them on the corner of Bristol and McFadden...

This Gas Cap rule seems like a DUMB RULE to me....Hmmm, I won the Nationals, but got DQ'd because my gas cap HOLE was too small.....Is there no rule for too large of gas cap hole?? Can I run a 30 over HOLE??? If a small hole is fast, then a BIG HOLE should be faster!!!! Right???

[Jeff Brewster 59s]

Sportsmanship

I was put down on my comments on another thread, but oh well, this is hydroracer and you have to be thick skinned.

I come from a simpler time when the inspector gave you the benefit of the doubt and could realize when a violation of the rules was of a non speed advantage.
When that occured the driver was given a warning to have it fixed by the next heat or in some occasions the next race.
That is how situations like this should be handled if we want our sport to grow.
Too much money, time, and agony goes into actually getting to finish a heat to have it all taken away for something so simple.

I understand the inspectors were tired of the turkey baster approach, but for the sake of loosing racers that we so desperately need, I think a verbal would be ok.

Sure, I would bet Mike remembers this rule being slid into our rule book. He has been around a long time and can handle it. It was just a mistake on his part and he will go on.

But what about the new guy at his first nationals? Would he come back after one of these?

And before you all start slammin' away I want you to understand that I appreciate all our inspectors do. I have nothing against them, its the rules that are negative to our sport is my only issue.

A inspector's job can be explained as a turn boat duty that takes all day!

[hydroplay]

I kinda thought this was an ill-conceived rule when it was proposed. Just because the probe can fit through the cap doesn't necessarily ensure that it can contact the fuel. I suggested that they revise it to say that gas tank & cap construction must provide for the fuel probe to be used or it would be the drivers responsibility to provide a sample to be inspected. Too many commissioners have tunnel vision and saw the cap rule as fitting their needs so my solution was ignored.

So for our last A hydro, I built a tank that mounted on the outside of the transom with a 1 1/4 inch plastic pipe cap that met the rule. However the tank had a couple of baffles to stabilize the fuel and the probe unfortunately could not get to the fuel unless that tank was really full- not likely after a heat of racing. We never had an issue at local races and at the last Dayton Nationals, the inspection crew was confounded since the probe couldn't measure anything but I simply removed the fuel line at the motor connection and used the primer bulb to fill the inverted cap with fuel. They could easily measure it there and the sample could be poured back into the tank and off we go. Additional time required, maybe 20 seconds.

I don't know if Ross could have done something as simple as I did to provide a sample but often we lose sight of the real goal. The goal here was to make it easy for the inspector to meter the fuel.

[PopPop]

I remember one year at Dayton, after a year on nit-pic inspections, that the race committee and inspectors said that they were going to make every reasonable effort to find you legal, not illegal. Maybe it should be the drivers responsibility to draw or drain a sample into a cup, for inspection.

[sam]

I remember one year at Dayton, after a year on nit-pic inspections, that the race committee and inspectors said that they were going to make every reasonable effort to find you legal, not illegal. Maybe it should be the drivers responsibility to draw or drain a sample into a cup, for inspection.

Mr. Phil, put your scientist had on

Your suggestion would require cleaning of each cup with a solvent certain to not affect the results (sort of like the procedure for cleaning the probe itself) and cups that are certain not to affect the results one way or the other. The same cleaning procedure and material restriction would have to be applied to the syringe used to draw the sample. - The procedure would become more complicated and more expensive, not less.

[Gootz 142M]

What if you built marathon tanks to accept the 1 inch rule and then the rule is changed to 1.050 the next year? They are not cheap to build$$$$$$

[Ron Hill]

I've Had My Mind Changed....

I won't say who I talked to, but this is somewhat what was said to me, and as a result I have changed my mind on several levels.

1. If you drain fuel from a line, gas usually ends up in the lake or river or on the grass or ground (A little, not a lot). But who's job is it to have a contrainer to hold the fuel to be checked? What do you do with the fuel after it is checked? Is the contain GUARANTEED TO BE CLEAN??? Why put an official at reisk of touching unknown chemicals?

2. If you use a Turkey Baster or squeeze bulb, who cleans this before each test? How do you clean it before each test? And again, what do you do with the TESTED samples??? Dump them on the ground??? Let them dry up and go into the air???

3. The meter isn't perfect, but works pretty well....BUT, as PEOPLE and Boat Racers, we really should be looking out for BAD CHEMICALS that could actually harm our officials, other people and the earth. Another words, illegal fuels are really a CRIME against MANKIND.

4. If you want to race MOD Outboard, follow the rules, like have a gas tank that meets the rule...A life jacket won't make you go faster, but most would agree that being Dq'd for no jacket would be an OK DQ....

ADD: It does seem, that a Stocker, who shows up and runs MOD...might be given a WARNING, even in a NATIONALS...I mean could you just not check the fuel?? Or say, "**** it....read the rule book before next Nationals..." Can't we have a little "LOOP HOLE" for certain calls???

Last Add:

My youngest son was told to "TOP OFF" his tank...He topped it off enough for the heat, he did not top off the tank...He was two pounds light. Now he knows WHY he's supposed to "TOP OFF" his tank... Except, I'm going back to the OLD HILL RULE, and that is, you make weight without gas...

[Lights]

Ron said "I've Had My Mind Changed.... "

Ron did you get a good one this time? JK