Fuel-Cell Mount Build - Cell Mates

With the perimeter tacked together, Pete moved the cell out of harm's way (OK, I was still close enough to touch it, but it was pretty far away) and began working on the lower floor bars. These will support the majority of the fuel cell's weight and Pete positioned them to take the load without issue.

Next, Pete cut an 8.50-inch piece of 1x1 and laid a 6-inch piece above it, forming a T. These supports will rest against the lip of the fuel cell, holding it in place laterally, as well as taking some load off the base, keeping the weight distributed across the structure.

Two T-bars get tacked in place on the rear wall of our fuel-cell mount. When welding, make sure you keep heat away from the tank and, even then, make sure you thoroughly inspect the cell for any damage when you are done. The entire cage is for nothing if you accidently ruin the fuel cell in the process.

With the ATL cell removed, Pete welded the T-bars permanently in place and double-checked with an angle finder to make sure they were square to the base. A little outward lean is acceptable to give the cell room to slide in, but you don't want to give it any room to move around once installed.

Two in the front, two in the back.

These are, obviously, built to the same dimensions as the rear T-bars and serve the same function.

Starting to look like something now! As you can see, the cell mount is coming together quickly, but it's not quite a complete piece yet. If you're planning to use the same SP112 that we're using, note that the side T-bars actually have shorter tops, to accommodate the ATL cell's side flange bolts.

With the mount cooled, Pete flipped it upside down onto the welding table and double checked to make sure everything was still square and proper. If the mount could "rock" while on a flat surface, we would know that something was a bit wonky and could address that at this point.

Happy with the mount, we flipped it over and slid the ATL SP112 in place. It fit like a glove and didn't need any persuading to slide right in. Note the two 48-inch bars Pete welded to the T-bars. Those will attach to the Mustang's rear framerails and allow us to permanently weld the mount in place, for a safe and strong final result.

From a lower angle, you can see how the ATL SP112 sits on both the base of the mount and on the T-bars thanks to the cell's top flange. This distributes the weight evenly and gives the ATL cell a much greater chance of surviving a wreck, as opposed to just shoddily mounting it to the floor of a car.

Of course, the fuel-cell mount is no good without a top section to keep the cell in place in the event of a rollover, so we took a couple of additional measurements and ran back over to the bandsaw to make some cuts in our 1x1 tubing.

This is the top piece laid out, which will cover the top of the cell and bolt to the lower portion of the mount, securing everything firmly in place. Alternatively, you could use straps here, but we chose the tic-tac-toe top to be sure the cell wouldn't be able to escape in an accident.

We still need to drill holes in the top and secure the bolts, but this is what our fuel cell and fuel-cell mount look like complete. Obviously, we still need to mount it in the car but we'll show you that in a later issue. For now, break out your supplies and start working. A safe and legal fuel-cell mount is both fun and easy to make, without breaking the bank or sending you to the emergency room.