my car has a dry-break fuel filler cap on it, and i don't fancy spending £800+ on refuelling equipment - i want to convert it back to a normal cap so i can use a funnel and fill, but - i've got 2 'ports', the drybreak valve and the air release valve?
The drybreak valve looks to be pop-rivetted on....i assume i'll have to remove this and presumably a normal cap bolts on with screws?
On a bit of a journey of discovery here so rather than breaking everything open and making costly mistakes.....anyone here know what i should expect when swapping over the caps?
when i do remove the valve, what am i expecting to see? I'm guessing there's a silicon hose that feeds from the valve to the fuel bag, will i be able to simply secure the existing hose onto the new filler cap?
@rojid, It is a simple system. Take a look at the attached drawings that compare the Quick Fill to the Dry Break fuel systems. To convert your Dry Break system to a quick fill you can simply change the filler neck. This part is attached to a silicone hose and held in place with a clamp ring. The vent port can be left in place or it can be removed and the vent line can be capped. As you noted the filler neck can be drilled out and you can either use flush rivets or countersunk bolts to hold the new one in place.
Also, you likely already know this but a funnel can be used to fill a car with a dry break valve on it. The flat door on the valve is spring loaded and can be pressed in about one inch and a funnel or fuel nozzle can be put in the gap to fill the tank. It isn't as convenient as the quick fill neck but it does work fine.
Let me know if you have any other questions about it.
brill thank you
where can one get the technical manual for the car? i've always had them with every car i've ever owned...can't seem to find one for the RS3
am i going to have to remove the seats/backing plate to access the hose/jubilee clips etc to fit properly, or is there another way in?
what's the PCD on the radical part, if you know? Wondering whether i can use any substitute or if its radical specific. I've just asked them for a quote on FH0007
@rojid, Unfortunately the only manuals for these cars are the Owners manuals and Mechanics manuals. These are both very helpful and you can get copies of them in the Resource library. Radical always recommends using the latest manual available for your model because some specification change over time. For example the wheel torque spec in the early manuals is 200 ft.lbs and then it increased over time up to 260 ft.lbs. The older manuals are also available in the Resource library because some items that are on the early cars are not on the later cars. Also, I do have some parts schematics that are not in the Resource Library because they are made up of many individual pages and there isn't a convenient way to put them together. If you ever need a page out of that feel free to ask me and I will be happy to dig through and see what I have.
You don't need to remove the seat to access this part. It is a bit tricky to get to but you can access it through the engine compartment. If you need a bit more room you can drill out the body cover strip on the underside of the roll bar. It you attempt to remove this body strip you should be aware that Fiberglass does not like expanding fasteners like Rivets so be prepared to do some minor fiberglass work because usually there are at least a couple of rivet holes that will need minor repairs.
Regarding the filler neck part. The easiest way to get one is to order it from Radical, but this is not a Radical unique part so I am sure you could by one elsewhere. You just need to make sure you get one for the proper size hose. I prefer to get my parts directly from Radical because I know they will fit. 🙂
I have the dry break on my car was going to change to normal cap. There are pros and cons to each but I am happy I stuck with the dry break. They are kind of a PITA but worth the extra money. Many guys have to go real slow when filling fuel because the tank doesn't vent well and it "burps".
the problem i have is i'm completely on my own... running the car on my own etc. No one to help, and looks like it'll be a fiddle for me to push the flat 'door' in, somehow wedge a funnel in there and keep it steady. I know i'll need both hands to lift up a jerry can to pour in fuel.
My newer SR8 came with a dry break system that I thought worked pretty well and I liked it. However, once I put in a new fuel bladder with foam, it didn't work since the dry break could put the fuel in much faster than the foam could absorb.
I got the standard fill port from Radical and swapped it over. Drill out the rivets, remove the dry break port, then put in the new one, rivet it in place. Fairly simple operation. I left the vent port in place. It works fine with no other changes.
Or... If you're in the US, I have the whole kit you need to use the dry break system you have, along with an extra jerry can.
@charleyhradicalsportscarregistry-com
Bonjour,
Je possède une SR3 avec ce remplissage , j'ai le bidon pour remplir l'essence ,mais je n'ai pas la connexion pour la mise à air du réservoir . je viens d'avoir la voiture .
Est ce que ca va fonctionner quand meme ?
Merci
Bonjour @arnaud,
Vous devriez pouvoir le faire fonctionner, mais il ne se remplira probablement pas aussi rapidement que si vous aviez le raccord de ventilation. La connexion d'évent provoque une légère aspiration dans la conduite d'évent lorsque le carburant s'écoule du réservoir. Vous aurez besoin d'une sorte d'évent pour le bidon de carburant pour permettre au carburant de s'écouler.
J'espère que ceci est utile.
You don't need to remove the seat to access this part. It is a bit tricky to get to but you can access it through the engine compartment. If you need a bit more room you can drill out the body cover strip on the underside of the roll bar. It you attempt to remove this body strip you should be aware that Fiberglass does not like expanding fasteners like Rivets so be prepared to do some minor fiberglass work because usually there are at least a couple of rivet holes that will need minor repairs.
Looks like it'll be a small fiddly mission trying to attach the hose to the fuel cap neck, let alone then trying to hold a jubilee clip with one hand whilst somehow feeling around using the screwdriver head to feel between the gaps and 'dock' with the jubilee clip screw so i can then secure it tight...
unless i lift the car up and go from underneath, haven't explored that possibility yet.
i think the easiest option for me will be to undo the roll bar panel, as you suggested, and rivet back in - it's already in a bit of a state with 1 rivet missing.
Would it be quite easy to repair these holes? Can i just apply some sort of fibreglass filler compound?
Hopefully i won't have to undo all the rivets and can just remove the side ones, and prize the fibreglass forward a bit just so i can get my hand in easily.
as for the fuel cap size/part, luckily this seems to be the easy bit - EDIT...nope. See below! The car doesn't use a hose that would fit the necks designed for what appears to be the standard 51mm/57mm inner diameter hoses. Mine is more like 38mm, so...looks like i'm ordering from radical after all.
Would it be quite easy to repair these holes? Can i just apply some sort of fibreglass filler compound?
I just removed the entire half of the fiberglass panel under the roll bar that Charley described. Drill through the center of each rivet with a 4mm or 5/32 drill. Radical uses peel type exploding rivets on fiberglass parts, and I would strongly recommend using this type of blind rivets when riveting the panel back. I did not have to repair fiberglass. This was very easy (I did it to install my radio antenna on top of the car), but use the right rivets and a regular pop rivet gun.
As far as the rest of it goes, hopefully not that difficult once you remove the panel. Everything looked very accessible to me to replace the fuel cap.
@rojid, David explained the process well. If standard expanded rivets have been used you will likely have to repair a couple of holes but it isn’t difficult. Just use some fiberglass material and some reason to fill or reinforce the holes and then drill them out again.
@rojid, David explained the process well. If standard expanded rivets have been used you will likely have to repair a couple of holes but it isn’t difficult. Just use some fiberglass material and some reason to fill or reinforce the holes and then drill them out again.
oooh boy so i turned my attention to this today. To swap the fuel cap over, and discovered the next problem - how to detach the silicon hose from the fuel cap barb.
ideas i've come up with:
- using a flathead screwdriver to wedge between hose and barb and wedge it out. This would leave horrible marks all over it which i'm trying to avoid as i could potentially sell it.
- using a heat gun to warm the area up, but the obvious extreme nervousness around applying a heat gun to an area with fuel vapours etc.......
- tried twisting hose and fuel cap in opposite directions but that was impossible.
Any tips on how to remove the hose from the metal barb?
EDIT: I've bought a 'hose removal' pick tool, looks like i'll have to slowly work my around and take my time.
@rojid, another option is to remove the bottom of the hose from the fuel cell and pull the entire hose out.
Washing up liquid and a modified set of pliers with pieces of rubber, so i could grip the flange properly, did the trick! was able to twist it out in about...30 seconds.
EDIT: unfortunately i've discovered that the radical fuel hose internal diameter is.........nothing like 51mm and more like 38. Bugger.
looks like i'll have to buy the radical part instead after all.
