plastic play balls in fuel tank

[Vman455]

Count me in the "just put less fuel in" group.

If your concern is ease of calculation, filling the tank only halfway whenever you stop for gas doesn't change the calculation of miles traveled per gallons consumed, after the first half tank you run through.

[RedDevil]

I used to know someone who just put in a set amount of money every time he needed to tank. This gave him full control over his expenses as he knew to the cent how much he'd spend that week, bar emergencies. It also meant his tank was never more than halfway filled.

He was some guy too. He definitely did not have plastic balls.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

I used to know someone who just put in a set amount of money every time he needed to tank.

Used to do that, too, when the station I usually used had bill readers that'd take currency right at the pump. Mainly because it was quick to just stick in a $20 (which wasn't that short of a fillup for the Insight :-))

Since they "upgraded" the pumps to eliminate that feature, it's a lot easier & saves time just to fill up at the cheaper* stations.

*Because gas is about 30 cents/gal cheaper in county X than county Y, so I always fill up when I go through X.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by sluggo1010

weight reduction is the goal. Agreed, 37 lbs is not going to improve mileage by very much, but then again. individually, none of the changes that have been made will reduce gas consumption very much. Every little bit helps.

You got a point, stacking a number of fringe benefits.

But 37lbs is not that much, and will only give you some (small) benefit in city / stop & go traffic.

Permanently reducing your fuel capacity, means forever filling up more often - which also costs some fuel.
Or some $ if it means you need to fill up in a more fuel-expensive area.

I'd keep the fuel capacity, but not use it when you don't need the range.

If you always add a fixed volume, you'll also get a pretty good idea of how well you did that half-tank.

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Used to do that, too, when the station I usually used had bill readers that'd take currency right at the pump. Mainly because it was quick to just stick in a $20 (which wasn't that short of a fillup for the Insight :-))

Does Arco still do this? They did when I was in high school, and I would do the same thing--$10 every week, which was around 10 gallons in the '74 Pontiac. I don't live on the West coast anymore, so I haven't been to an AM/PM in years.

[Xist]

The cheapest gas station in-town is at a car wash and each pump accepts cash. I took a picture of it because I had not seen it before. There is one machine to give change. When I do not have a fuel discount or access to a Costco I go to an AM\PM, but I have always seen one cash machine with each set of pumps, and you get change from inside.

However, I do not remember the last time that I was able to use a cash machine. They always seem to have signs saying to pay inside.

I think that the only way to keep play balls from eventually absorbing gas through a crack or hole would be to use solid balls.

That would take away from those thirty-seven pounds saved.

How much less would a 6-gallon tank weigh?

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Xist

How much less would a 6-gallon tank weigh?

That's the amount I used to calculate my 37 pound weight savings. You'd save more fuel driving 1/4 mile per hour slower on average than removing that weight.

[Xist]

Weird. I calculated that 5.95 gallons weighed 37.19 pounds, so I figured that was how much weight he would save by only filling up halfway.

Sluggo, you are planning on driving this 1988 - 1991 Civic until it dies or would you sell it for $300 and leave the next owner to figure out why it goes full to empty on six gallons or less and makes weird noises?

[sluggo1010]

Till it (or I) die.
If I did sell it, I would clue the buyer in. although the idea of the half tank mystery noise does sound like fun! There was an old timey movie in which the junior officers sewed up two marbles in the stomach of their captain during surgery, causing him to always hear a strange noise upon moving.

[RedDevil]

Filling half the volume with balls won't save half a tanks worth in weight; just a quarter. Full to empty on a standard tank would weigh half a tank on average; half (like when filled with balls) to empty one quarter. One quarter difference then.

If you want optimal weight reduction by partial fills, leave out the balls; when you tank work out in advance when you will tank next time and only take what you need to make that pump. Half fillups are wasting gas through extra weight when you only need two gallon