272 fuel tank
- Thread starter tedsbeds
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I just pulled mine on my 27. Steel tank with gasoline fuel. Not bad with the interior removed but a real backbreaker when it's half full. Out of the cradle, along the side of the engine, through the galley area and out through the companionway. Don't know if the 272 is similar in this regard to the 27 but the lazarette hatch was too narrow to come up that way.
The 272 is completely different form the 27. A 272 has a plastic tank behind a partial bulkhead against the transom. It has to come out via the quarter berth. I don't know if it will pass by the cockpit floor and the indentation for the swim platform.
I seem to recall reading about the process for removing the fuel tank from a 272 on this forum. If not here, it was on the O'DAY YAHOO Group forum.
I took mine out as it needed a good cleaning. It has been three years but as I recall, I had to take out the "bulk head" (I guess you can have a bulkhead that runs parallel to the keel). It seems that I took out the battery boxes as well. It was a job but I got it out, cleaned it and replaced it. I cut the center line bulkhead into three sections so that I could access the starboard systems from the aft port berth.
Plastic fuel tank on 272?
The recommended way to etermine level of fuel in diesel tank is with brass/wooden dowel inserted through tank deck fill. I tried this method when I first purchased boat 6 months ago, and found take to be about half full (according to reference). I have powered out of marina about 3 times, so decided to recheck level. Used same wooden dowel. After meeting some resistance at approx 28 ", was able to push it down another 1-2 ". Next time at boat, slight diesel smell in cabin... Nothing in bilge... Am I imagining scent of diesel, or could I have punctures tank - is it that thin? Or does this sound like there is 'crud' in the tank. No reference by PO as to tank 'cleaning' or similar tasks. He was good at maintianing reference to all oil changes, battery replacements, water pump repair, etc... If a hole in tank, where would it drain into? How often should tank be cleaned, and where are fuel filters?
The recommended way to etermine level of fuel in diesel tank is with brass/wooden dowel inserted through tank deck fill. I tried this method when I first purchased boat 6 months ago, and found take to be about half full (according to reference). I have powered out of marina about 3 times, so decided to recheck level. Used same wooden dowel. After meeting some resistance at approx 28 ", was able to push it down another 1-2 ". Next time at boat, slight diesel smell in cabin... Nothing in bilge... Am I imagining scent of diesel, or could I have punctures tank - is it that thin? Or does this sound like there is 'crud' in the tank. No reference by PO as to tank 'cleaning' or similar tasks. He was good at maintianing reference to all oil changes, battery replacements, water pump repair, etc... If a hole in tank, where would it drain into? How often should tank be cleaned, and where are fuel filters?
I would not recommend a dowel down the deck fill. Though I am not completely familiar with the 272, there is a hose connecting the deck fill plate to the tank inlet. You may have torn the connecting hose. If you have direct access to the tank top, there is often an access plate that you can use for fuel dips (often it is the installation location for a fuel level float).
There should be two fuel filters, but I have seen several boats that only had one filter mounted on the engine. Follow the fuel line from the tank to the engine and there should be a filter assembly on the bulkhead nearby. Out from there it goes to the filter on the engine. I change the engine mounted filter every fall. The bulkhead filter gets changed every fall at winter layup and then usually before a long trip (total of about 2x a year). If you have clean fuel and aren't cruising long distances, then you can change both filters once a year and be fine.
There should be two fuel filters, but I have seen several boats that only had one filter mounted on the engine. Follow the fuel line from the tank to the engine and there should be a filter assembly on the bulkhead nearby. Out from there it goes to the filter on the engine. I change the engine mounted filter every fall. The bulkhead filter gets changed every fall at winter layup and then usually before a long trip (total of about 2x a year). If you have clean fuel and aren't cruising long distances, then you can change both filters once a year and be fine.
The tank is thick plastic -- I can't even see through it if I put a bright spotlight behind it so I doubt a fuel dip stick would puncture it. I had an 1/8 inch dowel break on me when trying to check the fuel level but fortunately it didn't totally separate and I was able to get it out of the tank in one piece. I found a 1/4 inch dowel too thick -- very difficult to find the spot in the bend in the fuel filler line to get it into the tank to measure level. I tried a flexible piece of thin stainless steel from a ham radio antenna and while it was easy to get into the tank it was difficult to see the fuel level on it. What I finally settled on was a 1/2-inch wide steel tape measure. This bends nicely to get through the fuel filler line yet stays stiff as it goes down into the bottom of the tank. Mine is a yellow color, making it a bit difficult to see the yellowish diesel on it but still the best dip stick I've tried. If I can ever find a black tape measure that would be ideal. One concern I had with using a wood dowel, even though it was one of the materials recommended by O'Day, was that it would soak up the fuel and smell up the boat. That may be what happened with yours. There's no provision on this tank for a fuel gauge, but if I ever have to remove it I'll probably try to install one. It would be so much more convenient.
In my quest to place a second hose clamp on the bilge outfall, I somehow got into the starboard lazarette (see topic concerning pressurized water). While I didn't place my 1/8" dowel in the cabin or lazarette (it's stuck behind the stern adder - probably not a good idea since it probably wicks water), I did find PO's 1/8" dowel in the lazarette. Hell of a time getting out as lazarette is not wide enough to get shoulders out after I got in (had to turn sideways), and when trying to exit, couldn't turn sideways enough due to batteries, etc... at bottom of lazarette not allowing feet to turn. And the lazarette looks so BIG! But with bad hip/knee on left side, had a hard time getting enough strength to push nyself out. Good thing upper body strength got me out...
If you figure out how to make a fuel guage, let me know! I'm sure there are kits, but to get to fuel tank is a bitch.
If you figure out how to make a fuel guage, let me know! I'm sure there are kits, but to get to fuel tank is a bitch.
The O'Day 272 Manual gives the dimensions for making a wood dip stick.
Pretty simple...has worked fine for us for 26 years...the tank is quite thick.
Patrick
I have an alumunim fuel tank in my boat. The fuel tank was and in impossible to remove. I had a lot of problems just changing the short fuel tank hose and installing a new SS Deck Plate. The fuel shut off is on the top of the tank making it very difficult to reach from the starboard lazarette. Just use a dowl rod dip stick and forget about installing a level gauge.
I read today that carrying diesel in a galvanized can is not a good idea. Never had a diesel before, and guy I bought boat from has either galvanized can or old/rough aluminum can. Why is using a galvanized can a bad idea? Guy left me a 5 gal can of diesel - poured out a couple quarts this past weekend and transferred to boat's tank - fuel looked fine. May be different story towards bottom of can. Has been in can for 6 months... Fuel was nice & clear (nothintg floating, suspended or cloudy), and reddish in color.
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