Paul Schmidt

Hey Guys,

I need your help. I had my rollcage, firesystem and kill switch installed. When I dropped the car off at the shop I asked if they were going to remove the gas tank. He said that they didn't need to.

Well today was to be my first track day. I headed out to the track and stopped to get gas. This was the first time I did a full fill up on the tank after the install. I finish pumping my gas and go to get change. I also went to fill my air tank. When I got back to the car (5 min. later) there was a puddle of gas under the car. It was dripping on both sides.

For a lack of a better word, I'm pissed.

You guys are the best and would know, what do you think?



Thanks

rasrboy

They melted your tanks! Same thing happened to a local member 10 years ago, he ended up having to install both new plastic tanks cause the welder did them in.

I would be making a call to your shop to see if they will assist in the costs to repair since you discussed it with them prior to work.

Just my opinion and sorry to hear.

travisnd

I just pulled my tanks this weekend as part of my cage prep. After seeing how close they are to all the areas a cage goes in I'd never try and have a cage done with them in place. Taking them out is was a PITA since my car was 10 years old and they'd never been out. But now that I've done the job I could do it again in a couple hours.

The tops of the tanks and the cross-over tube are right under the top of the "wall" behind your seats, they bascially touch them. The front sides of the tanks both rest up against that metal wall as well.

Tanks out...


Areas where the tanks go...



I'd contact the cage builder immediately. If he tells you to go pound sand I'd have the issue diagnosed by another shop and have them document everything with pictures then go back to the cage shop and ask for them to cover the diagnosis and the cost to fix. If they refuse after that I'd take them to court.... should be easy to win.

If they didn't unhook anything and it didn't leak before they're most likely melted. The cage builder is lucky he didn't burn your car to the ground.

EDIT - What year is your car? Late production 2003 C5s and up got the C6 fuel system which had a different cross-over tube setup. I've heard those are much more involved to remove and you have to drop the drive-line to get the cross-over tube disconnected. Also, many had an issue due to the "new" rigid corssover tube where the top of the actual fuel tank would crack and fuel would spill out when full. More often than not it was the left side tank. However, since you said both were leaking I'd guess something else is amiss.

Paul Schmidt

It's a 2000. You guys are very helpful.

Thanks

travisnd

Then it's the same setup as my 2001 Z06... the cross-over tube is just a big rubber hose held on to the blue inlets at the top of each tank by a big hose clamp. Much easier to work with than the 2003+/C6 setup that uses a hard line and a twist lock connection. Glad to be of help.... I'd be super pissed too. If you have to sue you should sue for the entry fee you probably had to give up as well.... oh and if you scheduled any time off of work and all the time you spent packing the car/truck/prepping etc.

John Shiels

with you in it! I would have a piece of him in short order. Compress some air and see if you hear where it is coming out?

How much was the cage install?

sperkins

Post some pics of your down tubes.

Paul Schmidt

4500 after sales tax

Bill Dearborn

He is also lucky he didn't kill himself.

Bill

froggy47

And burn the shop to the ground.

John Shiels

RAFTRACER

Cant really tell from the pictures, but it looks as if the main hoop goes down to the floor in front of the rear bulkhead.......Meaning that they probably didn't burn the tanks...Did anyone do any drilling in the rear bulkhead to mount any of the fire suppression hardware ??? Maybe someone drilled a hole in the fuel system, cross-over tube or evap system components...

Paul Schmidt

You might be on to something. I'm going to see if I can start tomorrow on removing the gas tanks. They did drill to mount the fire bottle.

travisnd

Good call... looking at the lines for the fire bottle they may well have drilled into the cross-over tube. It's right under that metal.

davidfarmer

I agree, you aren't really that close to the fuel tanks. If the main hoop was mounted on the bulked a la Autopower, it would be a definite. However, even on those, if you drain the tanks and remove the lower covers, you can drop the tanks an inch or so to get a bit of a safety margin without actually disconnecting everything!

sperkins

That's what we need to know. Needs pics of that.

fatbillybob

Done all kinds of welding like that with tanks in never burnt one. Not even close. Leaks could be a coinsidence. There is a safety recall on tanks. You can search it. Also, for a pro those are ugly welds. We might learn more if you post a picture of the forward bulkhead area and the cage footings at the B piller.

Paul Schmidt

I'm betting that was the reason I came in dead last at the last Hooter's car show.

Team Lazy

Has he ever done a C5/6 before? When he quoted you a price I would hope he has (or at least knows about them), and took into consideration whether the tanks needed to be removed or not. I guess where I'm going is did you pay to have the cage welded in properly and he cut corners, or did you get a good price because he's not thorough, whatever. Although that seems like alot of money if he didn't do much else.

Given the quality of the job, I have to ask if you've checked to make sure he welded all the way around on the uppers? Some guys won't peel the roof off to do it properly... Not that you need that to worry about on top of your current problem, but better to know now than find out after pounding a wall.

Paul Schmidt

They have done C5/C6's before. This car is a coupe, so the top comes off. The welds are all the way around.

The shop is sending a truck to pick up the car today. I explained the fire bottle and that made a lot of sense. You guy's have been very helpful.

I will keep you posted.