Water tank

Nov 12, 2008
20
Hey folks, what is the original water tank made out of? Im wondering if I should just replace all the hosing, and clean it somehow (reuse) if its aluminium? If its stainless, anything I should be worried about? If I can re-use it, im assuming just a shock of some sort (chlorine maybe?) should do the trick? Anything I should be worried about?

My other idea was to cut it out, and use it as the chain locker (altho I think the fill hole is too close to be used effectivly).

Thanks!

Nowell
#176 - 'Aquila'
 
Nov 8, 2001
1,818
Water tank is made from a plastic. Polymiade or similar. Easy to remove, clean. Take the plywood top off as it is only held by screws.

Cheers

Steve
 
Oct 30, 2019
574
Second Steve's comments. I removed our tank, cleaned it, and ran all new hose over the winter.

Jack
Bella - V2620
 
Nov 12, 2008
20
Sorry gents, I wish it was that easy, but its not plywood. It seems like a stainless, or aluminim plate over it (under the tabbing however).

You can kind of see it here:

I'm thinking this is custom, but im really not sure how it was done, so don't know what its like inside.

Thanks!

Nowell
#176 - Aquila
 
Oct 31, 2019
303
Personally I'd install an inspection port so I could see inside and clean
if thoroughly. Did this for my fuel tank and it was then easy to clean. For
water you can use one of those Beckson 6 or 8 inch round, screw-in, plastic
deck plates. Just take a skill saw and carefully cut out the correct size
hole. You could cut it with a bi-metal hole saw chucked in a drill pretty
easily -- if it is aluminum. Be a little harder in Stainless. But if you
don't have one, they are expensive for a one-off project like this.

By the way, before someone comments, for my fuel tank, I used a stainless
access port with nitrile rubber gaskets and not the plastic port.
 
Oct 19, 2019
921
Albin Vega 27 Limerick
Hi Chris,
do you have any more details/photos of your inspection port
installation for your diesel tank?

Thanks.

John V1447 Breakaway
 
Oct 30, 2019
1,459
Wow .... definitely a P.O.'s modification. Looks like stainless in the picture. Try scratching it with a screwdriver. Aluminum will mark easily, stainless won't. I guess the only way to get that one out (if you need to)is to remove the tabbing at the aft end and slide it aft and up. It would be interesting to know if it matches the hull contour, or is flat-sided.

Peter
#1331 'Sin Tacha'
 
Sep 24, 2008
346
Nowell
It looks like stainless and is foamed in place quite well. I'd wonder about
the corrosion on the sides you can't see. There has to be some. Stainless
doesn't like airless moist areas.
 
Oct 31, 2019
303
John,

Here is a capture from a the Fisheries Supply catalog (I shop at Fisheries
as I am in the Seattle area and get a commercial discount there). Also their
website.

It is an interesting contraption that the catalog doesn't explain. There is
a ring with a rubber washer that is inserted from the inside through the
bolt holes that are pre-drilled. The ring is actually cut in half
(c-sections) and held together by a heavy nitrile ring that allows it to be
folded and slipped into the tank. Then another nitrile ring gasket is put
over the protruding studs and that holds it to the tank. Then the cover
plate is slipped over the bolts and the nuts tightened.

The reason I did it is that I was getting lots of gunk in my Racor when I
installed my new engine. I couldn't clean the tank thoroughly though the
sensor hole as it was too small. I thought about getting it steam cleaned,
but this seemed like a great option since I'd be able to take care of it in
the future.

Chris
 
Nov 12, 2008
20
Thanks everyone. Im going to drill an inspection port in and go from there. If worse comes to worse, ill pull it out. I was also worried about it being stainless, we will see soon!

Thanks again!

Nowell
#176 - Aquila
 
Feb 13, 2010
528
I don't get it. What are you going to be looking for in a water tank?
In a fuel tank a little sediment may stop up the fuel injectors or a
little water may not go through them. In a water tank if there is some
sediment in the bottom you open the lines every couple years run a water
hose in the top and the trash goe's out into the builge. I am 76 years
old and I have never looked inside my water tanks. Fuel tanks yes and
often. I think you are making yourself a lot of work and expense for
nothing.
My tank has an inspection port but I don't ever intend to look
inside the tank. If you put a water hose in the tank to fill it think
about the water mains all that water comes through. Those mains may
well be !00 years old and nobody has ever seen the inside of many of
them since they were installed.

Doug
 
Oct 25, 2008
168
Albin Marin Vega Bogue Chitto, Miss
Flush it out, and leave it alone dude. you can always get water jugs anywhere. overall the water tank won't make any difference at all just carry a couple of back up jugs of water. I keep the big store bought 1 -1.5 gallon jugs of water under the STBD berth for backups (maybe) 5-6.

K.L.Magee
 
Oct 31, 2019
230
Hi Gang, does anyone know why the factory listed thermostat for the MD6
is rated at 60 degrees Celsius (or 140 degrees Fahrenheit)? This seems
too low an operating temp for a diesel which I am told should run at
about 180F.





Thanks,



Trevor (V2915)
 
Sep 24, 2008
346
If it is a raw (salt) water cooled engine 140 F is correct. Any hotter and
salt deposits will build up and clog the passages. If it is fresh water
cooled with a heat exchanger 170 to 180 works fine.