222 fuel locker

[anchorclanker]

The locker on my 222 had a small 3 gallon fuel tank. I brought it home so I could run the motor up and found the tank has a fitting leak and I havnt checked to see if a part is available to repair it. I do however have an old school metal 6 gallon tank, the old semi round/oblongish Johnson/Evinrude/OMC type. I'm curious if anyone knows if the locker is large enough to support a tank that size. If your wondering why I dont just go try it and see, the boat is 34 miles away, almost an hour drive on these twisty roads.

 

[Joe11688]

The locker on my 222 had a small 3 gallon fuel tank. I brought it home so I could run the motor up and found the tank has a fitting leak and I havnt checked to see if a part is available to repair it. I do however have an old school metal 6 gallon tank, the old semi round/oblongish Johnson/Evinrude/OMC type. I'm curious if anyone knows if the locker is large enough to support a tank that size. If your wondering why I dont just go try it and see, the boat is 34 miles away, almost an hour drive on these twisty roads.

As far as I know the answer is yes. An old metal OMC six gallon tank will fit in that fuel locker. In fact, I think that the O'Day designers probably had these metal tanks in mind when they designed the fuel lockers in these boats. Personally, I don't like metal gas tanks because they rust out fast and leak. If the tank leaks, gasoline can get into the self bailing hose under the cockpit floor and eat right through it. Then it gets into the bilge and creates a stinking mess that's hard to remove. I know about this first hand. Been there, done that.
I would advise anyone with an O'Day 222 or 25 and 26 to buy a six gallon polyethylene OMC Dura-Tank. This is probably the only tank that will fit in that small compartment.

There is one other thing that I want to add. These new gray colored fuel line hoses that they sell in Wal-Mart and other stores are just too short by a couple of feet. They'll reach the outboard alright so that it can be connected, but there just isn't enough slack in the hose to squeeze the ball or shake the tank. I bought one of those new hoses and decided to use my old one after I tried it out.
If you can either buy an old style black OMC hose or just make up your own hose, you'll be better off in the long run.
I always open my fuel locker and take the tank out and shake it up a few times when I first get on my boat before starting the outboard. I don't have a Gasoline/water separator and I don't intend to buy one.

 

[anchorclanker]

It had a poly tank, but both the fuel level gauge, and the fuel line fitting are leaking. Both fittings are cracked. So yeah, steel rusts, plastic cracks, aluminum corrodes. No free lunch I guess. Between them all I like steel. If you keep fresh fuel in them they dont rust internally. Keep them clean and painted and they wont rust externally. My poly tank looks similar to yours in the pic, but it also has a gauge.

 

[Joe11688]

I have three Dura-Tanks. My first one leaked at the gauge so I bought one without a gauge. That's the one pictured.
Then I found one that was washed up on the shore of the Taunton River a few months ago while beach combing. It was filled with gas and water and this one has a gauge also.

I can honestly say that the tank I'm using now has lasted quite a while.

One of our YC members had a leak in one of his 100 gallon Aluminum gasoline tanks on his 27' Baha Cruiser last year while watch the Newport Air Show. He had to get towed in. Both the cleaning and towing came to a lot of money.

 

[Sunbird22358]

I have the 3-gallon OMC (actually, Bombardier) Dura-Tank with a gauge. Two things (maybe 3?), the Dura-tank is the best "plastic" tank I've seen! Much more rugged than the after-market ones. It is also.....a bit pricey! YIKES! I paid around $60 for mine in 2006, but WORTH EVERY PENNY!
The gauge is, in my opinion....useless or nearly so, we have a 6-gallon Dura-Tank on our 14' powerboat and the gauge is slightly more usefull, but I still don't rely on it..... a marked wooden stick always works!
The one upside/downside to the OMC/Bombardier tanks is that they only vent in.....good, because it limits escape of fumes.....BAD, because as the tank warms up in the sun or just a hot day......it swells and the bottom bulges out allowing the tank to rock. Simply loosening the cap releases the pressure (and a burst of fumes), so I would not let that stop me from buying another! Also, be sure to use a genuine OEM connector at the tank to be sure it seals and will "lock" onto the tank connection. Also, the YAMAHA connectors look identical to OMC/Bombardier......but are ever so slightly bigger, meaning they will not seal onto the OMC male connector (discovered that while working in a marine store!)

We used to have a metal OMC 3-gallon tank (original to the 1981 and 1989 Johnson outboards we had) They remained rust free or nearly so (well, the 1989 tank did) despite being in the cockpit all summer. However, the tank was under a cover and raised about 2" above the cockpit sole. There may not be room to place some kind of spacer under a 6-gallon metal tank in the 222 fuel locker, but something like the old, plastic deck-clips (for want of a better name?) that OMC used to sell to hold their 3 and 6 gallon tanks in place on a deck would raise the tank just enough to keep moisture from being in constant contact with the botto mseam of the metal tank. I've attached a couple of pic of our homemade gas tank locker (on our old CAL 21) for referance to one reason that I see for our lack of rusting over the 8 seasons of use. The picture shows our 1981 tank I think, slight rust but not bad yet. The plastic tank isn't mine, but is a pic that I think I found on eBay prior to buying my tank at a local Evinrude Dealer.

 

[anchorclanker]

If I was in salt water a poly tank would absolutely be my first option. But im on a fresh water lake and right now im just trying to get out on the water and need a tank that doesn't leak. I have both tanks, the poly tank has a cracked fuel line fitting as well as the gauge fitting, its toast. That and its only about two gallons, maybe three at the most capacity. The steel OMC tank is rust free, doesnt have any leaks, and holds 6 gallons. I just wanted to know if it would fit before driving all the way up there with a full gas can.

I think it will fit though. The metal tank is same length and height, its just a bit wider. The poly tank has a tall cap, making it just as tall as the metal tank, the metal tank is more flush along the top. So its getting its greater capacity though fully using the height, and slightly greater breadth. We'll see.

 

[peterbud]

The old Tempo 6 gal fits I have it in my 222.

 

[Joe11688]

I think I had a Tempo tank on my boat years ago Peter. The Tempo and the Dura-Tank are probably the only two tanks that will fit in that compartment.
I think that one needs to stay clear of the tanks with the gauges on them. Like Rod pointed out, the pressure build up in those tanks probably causes them to leak at the gauge on those tanks. That's what happened to my first Dura-Tank and I do remember the bottom of the tank bulging as he points out.