Cutting Access Port in Fuel Tank

[Ajay73]

I want to cut an access port in my stainless steel fuel tank. I want to be able to clean the tank out well. I have a C27, 1980 with a Universal 5411 diesel. Of course the tank will be emptied. Has anyone done this on a stainless steel tank before? I plan to use a jigsaw with a bi-metal blade. It will take some time but I don't think it will be too bad of a job. I have good access to the tank under the starboard rear quarter berth. Are there any concerns I should be aware of in doing this? With removing the diesel fuel and the fact that it is diesel fire shouldn't be a concern.

Let me know your opinions.

 

[shipwreck66]

Did you see my idea of removing the fuel sender? If your tank never had one installed that would be a good time to install one. With my fuel sender out I had a good view inside tank with flexible flashlight

 

[Ajay73]

Did you see my idea of removing the fuel sender? If your tank never had one installed that would be a good time to install one. With my fuel sender out I had a good view inside tank with flexible flashlight

SW, not sure what your getting at. Are you saying that a fuel sender requires a large opening and that when I cut the opening install a sender.

 

[RTB]

I installed one of these a while back - http://www.seabuilt.com/demo.php It gets a thumbs up from me.

Once the hole was cut, you can get in there and clean out the crud, and now, existing metal shavings. There was a baffle in my tank, so we circulated some fuel injector cleaner inside the tank. NO ELECTRICAL POWER ON THE BOAT DURING THIS PROCESS!

Use some epoxy on the ss bolts when tightening down to the backing plate to prevent them from turning if you ever need to remove the nuts, and gain access to the inside of the tank in the future.

You can see the inside of my 28 year old tank here http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/album.php?albumid=1068

I also removed this dinosaur

and installed a new Racor 500 MA2

Two years later, the little Yanmar is still happy. No more losing power due to fuel starvation from dirty filters.

 

[shipwreck66]

Fuel sender requires about a 2.5" hole on top. I was just surprised your boat didn't already have one installed but that may have been an add on option at that time. Around 1980 Catalina started installing more diesels and more pedestal steering systems and the instrument panels mostly had fuel gauges installed. But a lot of the 80 models came bare essential without sending units installed.

 

[Ajay73]

Fuel sender requires about a 2.5" hole on top. I was just surprised your boat didn't already have one installed but that may have been an add on option at that time. Around 1980 Catalina started installing more diesels and more pedestal steering systems and the instrument panels mostly had fuel gauges installed. But a lot of the 80 models came bare essential without sending units installed.

I have a fuel gauge on the top of my tank. It's a couple inches in diameter. There is no instrument panel fuel gauge. I intend to pump out my current tank full of diesel fuel through this fuel gauge. I have since found that the 1980 tanks installed by Catalina were aluminum. Everything I read on aluminum tanks says that they have a life of 15-20 years max. I think I will replace my tank. Don't want to spend time and money on putting in an inspection port when the tank may start leaking any time now.

 

[shipwreck66]

Aluminum tanks last forever. They won't last holding corrosive, but diesel isn't corrosive at all, nice and lubricating. I fly a 1957 Beechcraft with aluminum tanks that are original, no issues. That would be 55 years old, so blows that 15-20 year lifespan bs away. Now if the boat were in salt water for 20 years with exposure to environment, things would be different. If the boat has been on Great Lakes all these years you'll be fine, the water is not caustic as southern Gulf waters would be.

 

[capshroud]

The issue of corrosion with aluminum fuel tanks is not from the fuel inside but from water, especially salt water, on the outside. Make sure that water can't collect under the tank.