Fuel cut off?

[Al Weyman]

I was speaking to a racer who competes in a championship I do and he showed me a fuel cut off switch he had fitted in his car in the cockpit and tells me these are mandatory for 09'.

Am I missing something here as apart from the dry break thing which has now been deemed unneccessary for carb engined cars I have seen no mention or discussion of this and quite frankly do not like the idea of a component like this which I have had leak problems with in the past when it was required in hotrods or fuel lines running through the car. If this thing is required how is one expected to do this when I have twin lines with twin electric pumps running under the car?

[Tim Falce]

Yeah, I have one of them it's called an ignition switch which also cuts off the power to the fuel pump. Rule G119 I don't think it's anything new though.

[brickkicker]

Falce is right, the rule has been there for a long time, it has however been re-written for 2009. You shouldnt need to make any changes if you already have a cut off that cuts everything off. I think this may be due to some of the old cars cut of switches not shutting down the fuel pumps.

[Al Weyman]

Ok thats more or less how I thought it was and will be OK for the older car but my IROC-Z has a manual pump and this time a single line running under the car, whats the score here maybe they will view it as once the engine stops the fuel pump stops so if anything should be safer? If worse comes to worse and I have to fit a cut out would an electrical one under the bonnet be an option?

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

my IROC-Z has a manual pump and this time a single line running under the car, whats the score here maybe they will view it as once the engine stops the fuel pump stops so if anything should be safer? If worse comes to worse and I have to fit a cut out would an electrical one under the bonnet be an option?

I was going to put about manual pumps in my post but then I realised it was stating the bleeding obvious that when the engine stops the pump stops. I suppose someone will argue "what if the car is going down hill in gear with the engine switched off"?

[Al Weyman]

So just to be crystal clear on this then, my mate is wrong and did'nt need the cut out and my current set up on both cars is fine?

[Tim Falce]

It depends what his cut off switch is and what he had before. But if you read rule G119 the additional bit this year is in red

Originally Posted by MSA

These should be equipped with an effective method of stopping fuel supply and operable by driver when normally seated. This to be combined or adjacent to the internal ignition cut-off switch.

So if his fuel pump went off before with the ignition switch or a separate switch then he has wasted his time.

[Al Weyman]

Oh right, he won't be pleased about that then.

[Tim Falce]

What does his switch do?

[Al Weyman]

Turns off the pump or the engine I am not sure.