fuel tanks

mr elevman · Post by **mr elevman** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 6:02 pm

hi randy what size tank did you have and what did you replace with did you have to open the aft deak or were you able to use the aft hatch to install the new tank

randyp · Post by **randyp** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:28 am

The original 75 gal galvanized tank (stock) was replaced with a 50 gal PE tank that was purchased from a marine supplier (not sure where now, but it wasn't custom made). The cockpit deck on my F26 has removable panels so it was easy to lift off the main rear panel, drain out the old tank, remove it and replace it with new sender, etc. All of this was done by my marina (by a guy who restored an F32), so my hands didn't get dirty at all! The new tank limits my range, but at 3 gph I never have an issue running low.

mr elevman · Post by **mr elevman** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:04 pm

i have twin 50 gal tanks and i think i can remove them from the aft hatch i found 50 gal polly tanks that i think will be tight but a little vasaline and i think thay will go in

jimbo36 · Post by **jimbo36** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 11:15 am

ready123,

Curious about how you vacuum the gunk out of the tanks? Obviously, not a shop vac!! Ka-boom!

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 11:34 am

jimbo36 wrote:ready123,
Curious about how you vacuum the gunk out of the tanks? Obviously, not a shop vac!! Ka-boom!

Not a vacuum like the shopvac but use of 'suction' vacuum action by sucking from below the hull level into a 40 gal drum using a hand crank fuel pump mechanism.... an electric pump designed for fuel pumping could also do the job.
The quantity of gunk tends not to be huge but more than enough to plug the anti siphon mechanisms or pickup tubes.... so one can continue to add fuel to rinse tank or switch to water and ensure that one dries it out well. I found that using a flexible hose touching the bottom of the tank did the trick.
My experience with ethanol fuel was that it does a good job of taking everything off the sides of the tank and puts it on the bottom so little extra fuel needs to be added to pickup everything off the bottom with this method... I found bow up blocking moved most of the crud to the aft end of tank and it was easy to get it all out... enough so that the problem went away once switching to non ethanol fuel.
My F32 was in Ecorse, MI and had ethanol fuel so when I moved her to Canada I had to do a clean out.

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 10:06 am

trwiz wrote:Replaced the aft tanks with aluminum replacements made to original specs. It's nice to have the peace of mind knowing that all four tanks are new, solid, and clean.

Word of warning... Ethanol in fuel and Aluminium is not a good combination.
Do a google search on ethanol gas and aluminum to see some things to be aware of.... here are first two hits.
http://www.nmma.org/lib/docs/nmma/gr/en ... _Paper.doc

http://www.iboats.com/basics/ethanol_fuels.html

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 1:03 pm

Do not worry you will be fine with your tanks with E 10

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 1:58 pm

prowlersfish wrote:Do not worry you will be fine with your tanks with E 10

I don't have your confidence.
quote iboats.com:
Avoid replacing your tank with an aluminum tank. Contact with water and other metals, inside or outside of the tank, causes pitting and crevice corrosion in the marine environment. Contact with water in the bilge, particularly salt water, is especially corrosive over time. Welds on aluminum tanks are another area of weakness. Again, polyethylene tanks are very durable and not as affected by the constant movement and expansion of fuel, which causes stress on aluminum tanks.

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 5:42 pm

polyethylene tanks are great if you like the smell of gas as the oder comes right thru .

mr elevman · Post by **mr elevman** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 5:54 pm

ive spoken to three people who switched to plastic and thay dont have any thing bad to say about smell and two ove them have had them in for 2 years and the other switched last year so plastic it is

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 6:27 pm

I sure you will be fine but I would not have them due to the gas smell I read of people companing about it and I have been on boats with them . but I hate the smell of gas anyway . there is no perfect tank and Plastic ones are cheap well cheaper anyway . now for the fun part putting them in .

mr elevman · Post by **mr elevman** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 6:34 pm

im going with 50 gallon tanks thats what is in thair now thairs two deak saports to either side of the aft hatch once i remove them the old tanks should come out and the new ones should slide rite in if not i know how to glass projects are only as hard as you make them

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 6:35 pm

ready123 wrote:
prowlersfish wrote:Do not worry you will be fine with your tanks with E 10
I don't have your confidence.
quote iboats.com:
Avoid replacing your tank with an aluminum tank. Contact with water and other metals, inside or outside of the tank, causes pitting and crevice corrosion in the marine environment. Contact with water in the bilge, particularly salt water, is especially corrosive over time. Welds on aluminum tanks are another area of weakness. Again, polyethylene tanks are very durable and not as affected by the constant movement and expansion of fuel, which causes stress on aluminum tanks.

Gee I-boat sells plastic tanks what do you expect them to say ?? Do ever wonder why the don't make large plastic tanks ??

The USCG says aluminum is the best choice for most custom tanks

http://www.uscgboating.org/recalls/pdfs/bscscan64d.pdf

both plastic and aluminum tank would do fine in you case no right or worng choice as the both have pros and cons

Trojan Boat Forum

fuel tanks

Ethanol not good for Aluminium tanks