O'Day 28 Fuel Tank cleaning

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Jun 8, 2004
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Oday 35 W. Boothbay Harbor, ME
Our O'Day 28 1980 had grit and crud in the tank. There is no apparent access port. Has anyone determined the best way to thoroughly clean it? Can you cut in an access port and flush it that way? It does not seem practical to cut out the tank and replace it. An on-board polisher does not do the job as the crud really gets stirred up only in rough seas.
-Ron Richardson
 
M

Mike

Fuel polishing

I have no experience in this myself, but I understand that there are commercial companies who, for a price will drain ALL of the fuel and sediments from your tank, polish the fuel (whatever that means) and return it to a spotless tank. Hmmm, sounds expensive. Last winter, during layup, a friend of mine on an Islander 32 cut a hole in his tank, drained the fuel, scoured the inside of the tank, resealed the tank and replaced the old fuel with fresh fuel. His boat had sat for 4 years, unsold, so he wasn't taking any chances with damaging the engine. I suppose that means it's possible to cut a hole in the tank big enough to reach into the tank and literally wipe it down. He resealed the tank with an aluminum patch and a commercial fuel (not fool) proof sealant, and a lot of sheet metal screws to secure the patch. He has used the boat all summer and not a hint of fuel leaks so far.
 
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