Fuel tank
 

When I refurbished my '23, I did not replace the fuel tank. I'm not having any problems with it but I'm kicking myself for not taking care of it when the boat was apart. The boat is a 1986. Does anyone have any idea how long these tanks are lasting? I'm debating doing the work next month, but really don't want to.

Re: Fuel tank
 

There is really no magic formula at least that I know off. When I did my 77 I replaced the tank it wasn’t leaking buy had pitting in it. Maybe you will get 10 years out of the one you have maybe it will start leaking next week. It has to do with salt water being trapped on the tank that will do it. Some guys have removed the tank tested it and put a coating over the tank and re installed.
FellowShip [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Re: Fuel tank
 

Thanks for your comments.

Re: Fuel tank
 

I replaced the tank in my '89 23. The hoses were cracked and leaking and the the tank was pitted due to the foam locking salt water next to the tank. The ply under the tank was replaced as well.

Re: Fuel tank
 

When I refurbed the decks last year on my 85 I had the same wet foam around the tank some minor pitting on the tank itself and a wet tank deck. I replaced everything to get some piece of mind. If this is bothering you , go for it. Dink

Re: Fuel tank
 

Am in the process of replacing tank in 1985 Sceptre 144 gal.Took the old one because of a bunch of junk in the tank that kept fouling the filters and knew that it was 19 years old. I owned a Grady White 1984 I lost the tank in that one at the dock, bilge full of gas, don't want to do that again! When I got the tank out the foam in one corner was all gas saturated so the tank was leaking slightly. I would say if you have a tank thats foamed in pushing 20 years is about the time to replace it. Don't wait for it to fail during the season nobody wants a bilge full of gas.

Re: Fuel tank
 

Amen to that brother! I once accidently drove a nail into a fuel line on our commercial gill netter in Alaska. We drove around for a while before we started to smell the gas in the bilge. Thats when I found out what I had done. Boy did I get in trouble for that!

My tank was pushing 30 years old and although it did not leak I decided to replace it anyway. The old Seacrafts do not have foamed in tanks so maybe thats why it lasted so long. However when I removed the tank there was some rubber adhesive that was attached to the bottom of the tank and when I removed it there was severe pitting under it. ONLY were the rubber came in contact with the aluminun. Rubber has carbon in it which reacts with the aluminun causing pitting.

strick

Re: Fuel tank
 

Good luck. I replaced my fuel tank on my 1984 23 classic last year to the tune of $3500. It was leaking bad. Not an easy job because it's foamed in, and you might have to cut the deck some to extract it.

Re: Fuel tank
 

Jack in Weymouth: I need to replace the tank in my 1985 Scepter. How did you get yours out ? On mine, the deck flanges that the removable deck plates sit on and screws into, overlap over the top of the tank on both sides.

Looks like I'll have to trim atleast part of the flanges off on each side to have any chance of getting the tank out. And even after trimming part of the flanges off, I still will have a heck of a time getting to the foam between stringers and the sides of the tank.

Hope you can give some guidance. I need to get this tank out and replace real soon as our cobia season starts up pretty soon here in central Florida.

I'll probably have a new 100 gallon tank built as the 144 was way too much. My twin 115 Suzukis never burn more than 35 gallons on an offshore trip.

Re: Fuel tank
 

Jedjar
I had to cut the lip on both sides (about 1 inch in total }to remove my tank. No big deal as this has no effect on mounting the deck hatch. Measure the tank ( it's probably 28" give or take a bit, then the lip. Cut the lip opening about 1/8" wider than the tank to allow a small cushion of clearance when you lift the tank out. If you tank has small mounting tabs, cut them off as well. Get ready to replace the deck that the tank sit on as most get wet and soft over time. Dink

Re: Fuel tank
 

jedgar,
FYI - If thedink's post didn't answer your question, Jack left for vacation yesterday (perfect timing considering the blizzard [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]), so you won't hear back from him until next weekend.

Re: Fuel tank
 

I had no problem taking out my fuel tank on my 20 CC. I took it to T-N-T Custom Marine Fabrications in Ft Pierce and made a new aluminum one for $550, by copying the old aluminum tank.

Re: Fuel tank
 

jedgar,

This project is easiest if "attacked". Remove the hatch, disconnect and/or remove the hoses, use a 12" sawlsall blade to cut the foam away from the tank. You may have to trim the hatch lip as described above. If you are replacing the tank, you can remove the sending gauge and use that hole to put a small bar inside to attach a strap to, to pull that end up and out first. Once you get it started, a helper may come in handy.

Additional comments: You may consider installing 2 tanks vs. one. Be sure to evaluate the ply under the tank. As long as you’re in there, replace it, if needed. Pascoe's tank installation method is generally accepted here. It allows the tank to breath on the bottom. Be sure the fuel tank cavity drains, too.

Finally, take a good look at the stringers while you're in there. There should (must) be a weep hole in the aft most end at the bottom to drain and water that has worked its way into the foam. Any screw holes left from attaching the tank hatch, leaning post, etc. need to be drilled and filled with epoxy. Using 5200 as a bedding compound putting those screws back will prevent water integration in the future. This is the primary reason these tanks go bad in the first place.

Best of luck.

Re: Fuel tank
 

Not sure if this has been mentioned. Make sure you have your new tank coated prior to installing. This will stop or at least slow down the effects of saltwater.

Re: Fuel tank
 

I gott'a disagree on this. A leaky tank w/gas saturated in the foam is a bomb waiting to go off, when you include a sawsall.

My methiod has proven itself fast, safe and easy.
Use a blade from and 18in bow saw. [tree trimming saw]
Just the blade and cover one end with cardboard and Duct tape to protect you hand.
This type of blade a VERY agressive teeth and the 18in length will go to the bottom of the hull with ease and not pound the hell out of the hull like a sawsall would.

Re: Fuel tank
 

Thanks for the advice / guidance guys.

Deck hatches are out. Yeah, the tank is about 27-7/8" wide.

Even if I cut part of the flanges off both sides, I'm still gonna have a heck of a time cutting out the foam down in the crevice between the stringers and the sides of the tank. The deck proper and fish boxes (part of the deck mold)lap over past the stringers both sides, and I sure don't want to cut out any of the deck or the boxes. Maybe with a flexible blade "keyhole" saw I'll be able to bend the blade around the deck edge and back down into the crevice and cut out the foam. If not, I'll be into a really tough job of cutting up the tank in place and removing it in pieces.

Re: Fuel tank
 

There is a lot of stuff that eats through foam, depending on it's composition. You might want to try, acetone, MEK, laquer thinner, oven cleaner, paint remover (fiberglass safe of course), etc. I'm not sure what will work, but something might, and that would make the job of tank removal pretty easy.

Re: Fuel tank
 

Hey LT Dan, Where are you http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/sp...smiley-040.gif

LT Dan's Chainsaw thread http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/gr...smiley-044.gif

Re: Fuel tank
 

More testicular fortitude then I got!!

Strick

Re: Fuel tank
 

That post should be inducted in to the CSC Hall of Fame.

Re: Fuel tank
 

While I agree that any chance to use the chainsaw to impress the neibours is great I really didn't have any problem with the foam in my 77'23.I replaced my tank with a 131 gal tank from FLA in one afternoon.My only advice is to have a shop vac handy cause you can quickly fill the bildge with foam shavings that will give your pumps hell later.
DHBIII

Re: Fuel tank
 

aluminum fuel tanks as a guide last 8 to ten years after that you are on borrowed time tanks should be epoxy coated with all hosing and ground connoctions replaced at same time

Re: Fuel tank
 

Damn sawsall...http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t/p1010002.jpg

Re: Fuel tank
 

We'll we are on the Lookout for an updated status report.
Is the tank out? Did you blow yourself up in the process? Inquiring minds need to know especially when there is 3 feet snow on the ground and we can't get to out boats to work on them.

Re: Fuel tank
 

I can get at the boat to work on her. That's the easy part. Maybe my reluctance to actually do it probably has to do with the fact that it hasn't gone above FREAKING FREEZING in the last 6 weeks... [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

Re: Fuel tank
 

I was only using it to trim off the foam. Thats a new tank.

Re: Fuel tank
 

Today’s high in Fort Lauderdale is 75o the low is 63o but I did need to ware a jacket inside my office today due to the A.C. vent is directly over my desk and keeps on kicking on. Brrrrrrrr. I need to go out side to warm up.
FellowShip [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Re: Fuel tank
 

The flange on the deck did need to be trimmed back about 1/4" to 3/8" on both sides to make room to pull the tank out. There were two side brackets with long screws that went into the stringers. I cut those brackets the same time I was trimming the flange, they came right off with a good sabre saw. The flange still has about 1/4" to the hold down holes so there is still plenty of support. I then took a saw I bought at Lowes, looks kind of like a pruning saw and really sharp and cut between the foam and the tank all the way back and forth the length of the tank. I then took a piece of 3/8" nylon line and fed it thru the sending unit hole and out the fill tube and tied it off. We have a fork lift truck which I used to pull the tank stright up and out of the boat with a couple of friends guiding it out. Of course the tank was empty and clean of all fuel. The tank was 99" long by 28" wide and 10" deep for a total gal of around 144. I am putting a new tank in that is 96"x28"x10" for a total of around 110 gal. The area that the tank sits in was in perfect shape, fully fiberglassed and no rot. The toughest part was cutting away the foam from the sides of the tank but it took only about two hours from start to finish. Any other questions to help let me know. I would have responded earlier but have been away for a week.