The fueling tank stores liquid fuel that your Create machines need to run
The Fueling Tank in Create Mod is a storage container that holds liquid fuel — usually Lava or Blaze Cake — and pumps it into your mechanical systems to keep them powered. Unlike Create's other power sources (waterwheels, windmills, hand cranks), the fueling tank lets you store fuel in bulk and draw from it as your machines demand power.
You craft it from copper sheets, iron plates, and a tank frame, then place it in your factory. Once filled with fuel, it connects to your mechanical network through pipes and pumps, supplying rotational force to any contraption that needs it. The tank itself does not generate power — it stores and releases fuel that a Furnace Engine or Blaze Burner then converts into mechanical rotation.
Key Takeaways
- The fueling tank holds liquid fuel and requires a furnace engine or blaze burner to convert that fuel into rotational power for your machines.
- You fill the tank by placing a bucket of lava or blaze cake inside it, or by pumping liquid in from an external source using pipes.
- The tank connects to your mechanical network through fluid pipes and a pump, which moves fuel from the tank to the engine that powers your machines.
- Lava burns longer than blaze cake but generates less power per tick; blaze cake burns faster and produces more power but runs out quicker.
- You can stack multiple tanks together to store more fuel and keep your machines running longer without refilling.
Crafting the fueling tank and placing it in your factory
To craft a fueling tank, you need 7 copper sheets, 2 iron plates, and 1 tank frame. The copper sheets form the walls, the iron plates reinforce the top and bottom, and the tank frame sits in the center. Arrange them in a crafting table with the frame in the middle and the sheets and plates filling the surrounding slots.
Once crafted, place the tank on a solid block in your factory. It occupies a single block space and can sit on the ground, on a platform, or suspended above your machines. The tank does not need to be at any particular height, but placing it near your furnace engine or blaze burner makes it easier to connect pipes. You can place multiple tanks side by side or stack them vertically; they do not merge into a larger tank, but they can all feed the same engine if piped correctly.
Filling the tank with lava or blaze cake
The simplest way to fill a fueling tank is to hold a bucket of lava or a blaze cake in your hand, then right-click the tank. The bucket or cake disappears and the tank fills. One bucket of lava fills the tank partway; you can repeat this until the tank is full. Blaze cake works the same way — right-click with the cake in hand and it transfers into the tank.
If you want to automate fuel delivery, use a fluid pipe connected to a pump. Place the pump next to the tank and run a pipe from a lava source (a lava lake, a cauldron, or another tank) into the pump. The pump moves fluid into the tank as long as the pump has rotational power. This method lets you fill the tank without manually clicking it dozens of times, though it requires you to power the pump with a separate mechanical system.
Connecting the tank to a furnace engine or blaze burner
The fueling tank does not power machines directly. Instead, it supplies fuel to an engine — either a furnace engine or a blaze burner — which then generates rotational power. Place the engine next to the tank or nearby, then connect them with a fluid pipe.
Run a pipe from the tank to the engine's fuel input port (usually marked on the engine block). The engine draws fuel from the tank automatically as it runs. The faster the engine spins, the more fuel it consumes per tick. If the tank runs dry, the engine stops producing power until you refill it. You can connect one tank to multiple engines if you run separate pipes to each one, though a single tank may not supply all of them at full speed.
Choosing between lava and blaze cake as fuel
Lava is easier to obtain — you can collect it from the Nether or from lava lakes in the Overworld — but it burns slowly and produces less power. One bucket of lava keeps a furnace engine running for a long time, but the engine generates only modest rotational force.
Blaze cake is crafted from blaze rods and other ingredients and burns much faster, producing more power per tick. This makes it ideal for high-demand machines that need strong, consistent rotation. However, blaze cake runs out quickly, so you need a steady supply of it or a large tank to avoid frequent refills. Most players use lava for low-power tasks (like crushing ore or sawing wood) and blaze cake for heavy-duty work (like drilling, milling, or running multiple machines at once).
Stacking tanks and managing fuel supply
You can place multiple fueling tanks adjacent to each other, and they will share fuel if connected by pipes. This lets you store more fuel without taking up extra space in your factory. Stack them vertically or arrange them in a row, then run a single pipe from the group to your engine. The engine draws from all connected tanks as if they were one large reservoir.
Stacking is useful when you are running a long production cycle and do not want to stop and refill mid-process. A single tank might empty in minutes during heavy use, but three or four stacked tanks can keep your machines running for hours. You can also use a hopper or funnel to drop buckets of fuel into the top of a tank stack, automating the refill process without needing a pump.
Troubleshooting common fueling tank problems
If your engine is not receiving fuel, check that the pipe is connected to the correct port on the engine. Some engines have separate ports for fuel input and power output; connecting the pipe to the wrong port means no fuel flows. Also verify that the pump (if you are using one) has rotational power. A pump without power cannot move fuel, even if the tank is full.
If the tank is full but the engine is not running, the engine itself may need rotational power to ignite the fuel. A furnace engine requires a small amount of initial rotation to start burning fuel; if nothing is spinning it, give it a push with a hand crank or another power source. Once it ignites, it will keep running as long as fuel is available. If the tank empties too quickly, you are either using blaze cake (which burns fast) or your engine is running at high speed. Add more tanks or switch to lava if you need longer burn times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the fueling tank to power machines directly without an engine?
No. The fueling tank only stores fuel; it does not generate rotational power. You must connect it to a furnace engine or blaze burner, which converts the fuel into the mechanical rotation that powers your machines. The engine is the bridge between stored fuel and usable power.
How long does one bucket of lava last in a furnace engine?
This depends on how fast the engine is spinning. A furnace engine running at low speed (a few rotations per second) can burn one bucket of lava for several minutes. At high speed, it burns through fuel much faster — sometimes in under a minute. There is no fixed duration; it scales with the engine's rotation speed.
What happens if the tank runs out of fuel while my machines are running?
The engine stops producing rotational power when ready. Any machines powered by that engine will slow down and stop. If you have other power sources (like a waterwheel or windmill), those will keep running, but the engine-powered part of your factory goes idle until you refill the tank.
Can I automate fuel delivery to the tank?
Yes. Use a pump connected to a fluid pipe that draws from a lava source or another tank. The pump must have rotational power to move fuel. You can also use a hopper to drop fuel buckets into the tank, though this requires manually placing buckets or an automated system to generate them.
Do I need to use the same fuel type in all my tanks?
No. You can fill some tanks with lava and others with blaze cake, then connect them all to the same engine. The engine will draw from whichever tank has fuel available. This lets you mix fuel types and switch between them depending on your power needs.