Fuel tank removeal

[woodster]

OK i know i have been saying for some time now that you can remove the factory fuel tank by coming through the rear bulk head in the quarter berth...

it is possible but very involved you have to move the hot water heater ,disconnect the cockpit drain hoses, take out the rear bulk head and fight like hell to get the job done...

how i know this is i just tried it today.....much to my dissatisfaction i filled 5 gallons of diesel fuel in my tank in order to test my fuel gauge ...and low and behold i sprung a leak in the very bottom of my tank and fuel was dripping on the hull floor.....yes the tank that i tested about 4 years back and it tested OK....

so now i have to solve that problem...the point of this story is that i found a better way to remove it in the process.....

the access hole in the quarter berth to the engine room is to small in height but wide enough if you take out one of the backing flanges on either side and cut the area below the hatch hole to flush with deck of the quarter berth....this take a little carpentry and some innovation on my part but it is a lot easier than any thing else

...so now the tank is out and in my shop weighting my decision on repair or replacement ....

the repair work on the bulk head is no big whoop ...i will just cut a new door and reface it with plastic laminate and be done with it ...

i will try to get some pic's of this for all some time this week end...oh and another thing by doing the cutting of the panel it also makes it better for working on the stuffing box and shaft coupling ....its about 5.5 inches more room in the hole and when bent over doing the work you don't have that panel cutting you to shreds laying across it .....

i posted this in order to may be help other 9.2 owners with this problem...

you can go to a longer tank about 4 inches longer increasing your fuel capacity by 20% about 4 to 5 gallons more .....

regards

woody

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

and low and behold i sprung a leak in the very bottom of my tank and fuel was dripping on the hull floor.....yes the tank that i tested about 4 years back and it tested OK....

Woody, what was the tank material ? ? ?

 

[woodster]

Woody, what was the tank material ? ? ?

it is aluminum........i could weld a 3/16 plate on the hole bottom and patch a few spots in the curve ...still thinking on that or going with a plastic one ....

regards

woody

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

still thinking on that or going with a plastic one ....

Aluminum is good but I understand has to be installed with kidd gloves. Any water captured on the outside can cause corrosion, water on the inside also, galvanic corrosion with the wrong metal fittings ...................... sleepless nights.

My personal choice would be plastic as I have now. Any idea what the cost comparison is ?

 

[woodster]

Aluminum is good but I understand has to be installed with kidd gloves. Any water captured on the outside can cause corrosion, water on the inside also, galvanic corrosion with the wrong metal fittings ...................... sleepless nights.

My personal choice would be plastic as I have now. Any idea what the cost comparison is ?

i can find plastic for 175.00 up to 300.00...aluminum would run higher if you have it built custom...i did find one 18 gallon off the shelf for 190.00 still thinking about repairing this one as i do have tig machine and know how to do it ...but i am not as steady as i used to be ......in younger days i could weld it up and the welds would look like stacked dimes but now it starting to look a little like grapes:cussing: in some places but i still get good penetration.....

regards

woody

 

[BobM]

Go plastic it's fantastic! Never worry about it again.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

My Vote ...................

i can find plastic for 175.00 up to 300.00...aluminum would run higher if you have it built custom

....................... would still be with plastic for better sleeping at night.

Spend it now and stick to the philosophy of spending your last dime and taking your last breath simultaneously. I know I long ago gave up my dream of being buried in a coffin on a bed of $20 bills :cry: .

 

[woodster]

....................... would still be with plastic for better sleeping at night.

Spend it now and stick to the philosophy of spending your last dime and taking your last breath simultaneously. I know I long ago gave up my dream of being buried in a coffin on a bed of $20 bills :cry: .

thanks for the sound advice Ralph.......thought about this a lot over the last 2 days and inspected the tank with a goose neck camera ....all the corrosion was in the flat bottom part of the tank ....so i got a 15 x 20 inch 3/16 inch aluminum plate from a fab shop here and welded it on the bottom of the tank 100% all around ...then i tested it with 5 psi air pressure with 2 gallons of fuel in it ....had no leaks and and everything seems to be good to go so for now its repaired and in the boat as i type this ...the corrosion i found was only where the tank sat on the supports........ pics attached...

regards

woody

 

[BobM]

Mine leaked where it was in contact with the support. There was a clothlike material between the tank and the strap which likely supported electrolysis. I would eliminate that and substitute something else.