Hello's and a Gas Tank problem

[SEADANCE]

Hi all! How is everyonne..missed you all!
You know I usually write when I have a problem so here is my newest one:

A piece of electrical tape fell into our gas tank....any suggestions on how to get it out?BTW..I wasn't the one that did it ; )

I am also floating around on Facebook, if anyonne wants to say hello you can reach me there under Barbara Wilusz Mattfeld.
Hope everyonne has been well!!

Seadance

 

[higgs]

I am guessing you do not have an inspection plate on your tank or you would remove it and get the e tape out.

The tape will float so it probably will not get sucked into the fuel line if you keep your tank filled.

 

[Roger Long]

Neither salt water, tears, nor the sea will cure this. Time probably will however.

 

[garylinger]

Many years ago I accidentally dropped a fuel 'dipstick' with electrical tape wrapped around it into a jeep gas tank. The tape began dissolving and kept clogging the fuel filter. It is amazing how much goo is produced when tape and gasoline meet! Be sure to watch your filters and be prepared for blockage.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Before you get too worried

how big "a piece?"

 

[sailingdog]

Hi Barbara—

I think that the electrical tape will be a problem. I don't believe that it is lighter than gasoline, and will not float IMHO... since it doesn't float in water IIRC... It will also probably start breaking down after a while, since gasoline and alcohol are both fairly aggressive solvents. If you can't get it out... I'd second what Gary said about checking your fuel filters. Hopefully, the sludge from the tape breaking down won't get into the carburetor and gum it up.

How big is the piece of tape. As Stu points out, size does matter. If it is only a small piece, it'll be an annoyance, but probably not worth doing much else about... if it is a sizeable piece, it might be worth modifying the tank with an inspection hatch and getting it out. I'm a big fan of having inspection ports in tanks for maintenance reasons, but not all that comfortable with doing so on an in-board gasoline tank, since that just becomes one more possible leak source.

 

[Ross]

Electrical tape is vinyl, the adhesive will soften in fuel but I doubt that the tape will desolve. You said "gas" is that what you meant or is it a diesel fuel tank? Perhaps put a small sample of fuel in a can and put a piece of tape in that and see what happens.

 

[SEADANCE]

Size of tape and pvc pipe

Morning!! It was wrapped around a half inch pvc pipe "twice". We used this to measure the level of diesel we had in there and yes it is for the diesel tank.

My fear is getting stuck out there when we really need to get home in some kind of weather and that would be the perfect timing for something like that to happen and just our luck that it would clog and everything would come to a dead hault.

 

[Roger Long]

Perhaps put a small sample of fuel in a can and put a piece of tape in that and see what happens.

That is an EXCELLENT suggestion. If it sinks, I withdraw my previous flip answer and go with the opinion that you must get it out, whatever it takes. If it is drifting around on the bottom, it could completely plug the intake. If it floats, you are probably OK but want to avoid running to the last drop.

Another suggestion, put a fairly high flow pump suction into the tank and start draining with the suction as close to the surface as you can without drawing air. If the tape is floating, it will probably drift towards the suction and be sucked up. If it's on the bottom, it's probably drain and dental mirror time. Good time to get your tank really clean.

Diesel makes it all much easier. Pumping gas around is scary.

 

[SEADANCE]

The tape will not pass thru the pick up but could clog it, there is no room to get to the access without taking the tank out. We had thought about hooking up a pump to circulate the fuel with hopes of picking up the tape with the suction side. Has anybody tried this or does anyonne have any better ideas so that we don't have to drain and dismantle the tank??

 

[Ross]

It sounds like the fuel already desolved the adhesive so that aspect is moot. If you could insert a pipe for the suction side and a pump at the top and a return hose back into the tank and wait for the intake pipe to clog you might be able to catch it that way. Otherwise you have a messy job of pulling access plates or the entire tank.

Next time you want to mark the pipe a tight seizing with twine will be a better choice.

 

[Seattle Scott]

I think her "gas tank" is filled with diesel, she's got a 33 footer. What I would do it set up a monitoring display. Put a similar piece of tape into a small container with the same type fuel and see what happens over a few weeks.

 

[Ross]

Don't they build PVC fuel tanks? We know that the fuel softened the adhesive because the tape came off. I doubt that Seadance wants to wait a couple of weeks for little purpose.

Seadance , How much fuel is in the tank? If you go to an auto supply store you can buy an electric fuel pump plus all of the hose and fittings needed to pump the fuel into cans. With any luck the piece of tape will block your pump-out hose before you have emptied the tank, it will be just like a piece of paper and your home vacuum cleaner, pull the hose out while the pump continues to run and retrieve the stray tape.

 

[Dan Johnson]

Barbara...

if your tank has a fuel gage unit that can be removed easily, you could possibly use one of the devices that's called a "parts pickup"--flexible metal jacket with a plunger button top that opens a three prong pincer on the other end. I've used mine to fish things out of the bilge, some of which I couldn't see but was able to grasp with the pinchers. Grabbing a piece of tape will be most difficult as it won't have the feel of a hard object.

Sort of like using a drop-side crab trap: You keep inserting and grabbing until you get lucky! Roger's right, though. You MUST get it out!

 

[Ross]

Re: Barbara...

like eating popcorn with a spoon in the dark.

 

[higgs]

The real problem

there is no consensus here about what the peice of tape will do - float, sink, eventually dissolve? We don't know and that is the problem. You don't know if it will come back to haunt you. Perhaps it will never be a problem and perhaps it will clog your intake just as you are entering a tricky harbor in dicey conditions. If you want peace of mind you gotta get it out.

 

[Ctskip]

Re: The real problem

There must be some sort of opening on the top of the tank, I'd open it up and set up empty fuel cans and get a syphon going, with a screen to catch the culprit. Just good old syphoning will work .I don't know how many gallons are in the tank, but now sounds like a good time to "polish" the fuel and clean the tank. Look at it as forced maintenance. There's a reason for everything.
As for marking the stick, I'd hacksaw some grooves into it and find a marker to color it.
I'd also do a glass with diesel and insert some tape and see what it does so you would know how to syphon your tank. Whether you work the top side or work the bottom side of the tank, your test will tell you. Good luck

Maybe you should send the problem to Dave Letterman and he can do the thing "will it float" on tv. I say it sinks, thats my guess. Strictly a guess

Keep it up,
Ctskip

 

[Ross]

Re: The real problem

The tape sinks in water! Just tried it. Water has a higher specific gravity than diesel fuel so it will sink in fuel oil.

 

[Ctskip]

Re: The real problem

There you go. Suck around the bottom of your "fuel" tank, and you'll have it out in less time than it took you to set everything up.

Keep it up,
Ctskip

 

[SEADANCE]

Hi guys! Sorry it took so long to update you on what happened with this. We drained the diesel out of the tank with a pump and still could not get the darn piece of tape out. So we tore the diesel tank out and the first time we tipped it over..out went the piece of electrical tape..it was almost that easy! You wouldn't believe the amount of sludge that has built up on the bottom of that tank. Problem solved!
Just got in new wings for her and we have been out on the water several times already enjoying the season. We are now working on installing new portlights and painting the top deck.

Hope everyonne has had a chance to hit the water!