89 23cc fuel tank

osprey · #1 02-26-2007, 10:30 AM

I think I'm going to pull it and if it comes out undamaged, looking pretty good, I'll seal it and drop it back in. I'm thinking that my high pressure washer could cut right through the foam on the sides of the tank, saving me a lot of work. Anyone ever try this?

FELLOW-SHIP · #2 02-26-2007, 11:22 AM

Ha Fish On

I haven’t heard of a pressure washer approach before but it is worth a shot. You can use one of those garden tree branch saws with the wide teeth that works pretty good.

FellowShip

_______________________________________________

My motto: Just for the Grins

strick · #3 02-26-2007, 05:49 PM

Quote:

I'm thinking that my high pressure washer could cut right through the foam on the sides of the tank, saving me a lot of work. Anyone ever try this?

Thats a good idea. You may be on to something here. If you have the type of tip that shoots a strait blast of water rather then a fan and your machine can do at lease 2500psi it may work. Let us know. I still have my power washer (3500psi)from when I was in the roof and deck refinishing business years ago and the strait tip on that machine would dig holes in concrete if you got too close.

strick

EVERGREEN · #4 02-27-2007, 10:27 PM

Fish on-

My tank went in my 85-23cc last year, it was a bitch to get out! The foam holds the tank like no--tomorrow and if you have a 140-Gal. tank it's bigger than the hatch. I had to cut mine and fold it in half to get it out of the bilge. If yours is like mine I think you will find aluminum-rot where the water was trapped against the tank. “See pictures” Good luck! P.S. I replaced mine with a Moeller plastic tank.

Egreen

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nestorpr · #5 02-28-2007, 01:21 AM

I understand that's the main problem with foaming in fuel tanks, the aluminum actually corrodes. I read that for those tanks most experts and the CG agree that they need to be open to the air to properly form the aluminum oxide coating that protects the aluminum surface from further oxidation and avoid those problems. Professional Boatbuilder magazine also recommends that all aluminum tanks be strapped into place and not be surrounded by foam.

FELLOW-SHIP · #6 02-28-2007, 11:29 AM

This is the way I put my tank in.

http://www.yachtsurvey.com/fueltank.htm

FellowShip

_______________________________________________

My motto: Just for the Grins

osprey · #7 03-01-2007, 09:24 PM

Extraction looks like a bear of a job. I was hoping to get mine out without damaging it. I imagined that the tank would have a vee bottom and that I would be able to tilt it to get it out. In your pics, the tank looks square. Even if I really take my time and remove all the foam, I'm still wondering if it will come out shy of demolishing it. Anyone ever get one out in one piece??? Is it possible?

salvagefirst · #8 03-02-2007, 12:56 AM

I took my tank out in one piece without damaging it.trim the fiberglass back enough so the tank will go thru,its tight but it will go.i cut the foam with a sawsall with a long wood blade. remove the sending unit get a chain and a piece of round steel bar about 2 ft long rapped in a layer of tape to prevent sparks slide it thru the chain link and cross ways in the tank,then hook your comealong or chain hoist to it and pull strait up,believe me it will come up( i used the wrecker)and it wont damage the tank. by the way the tank is flat on the bottom, Les

BigLew · #9 03-02-2007, 03:54 AM

Les,
I've got a 1985 23' Scepter and anticipate that I will/should replace the original tank along with the engine. (The boat has benn out of the water and on the rack covered in a boat yard for 5 years.) The tank is 144 gal. by the spec. sheet that came with the boat.

I'm concerned about how to get it out, but after reading your comment it might be easier (not easy) than I thought. Trimming back the glass and lifting is all it took? I understand you had to put a lot of lift to it to do it, but you didn't have to pull or cut other pieces of cockpit sole?

Any comments/explanation would be appreciated. Thanks!

BigLew

ocuyler · #10 03-02-2007, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Extraction looks like a bear of a job. I was hoping to get mine out without damaging it. I imagined that the tank would have a vee bottom and that I would be able to tilt it to get it out. In your pics, the tank looks square. Even if I really take my time and remove all the foam, I'm still wondering if it will come out shy of demolishing it. Anyone ever get one out in one piece??? Is it possible?

I removed the 133 gallon tank from my 1989 23 CC. I removed the rear bulkhead, which was rotting. I used a long wood blade and a reciprocating saw (what was that dude's name in Florida that used a chainsaw?)to cut the foam. I was a bitch of a job and a 2 or 3 man job, but it came out with help of a forklift, and in one piece. Once removed, I was glad I did because it was pitted. I replaced with the same dimensions aluminum for around $800. Just do it, man. You'll sleep better like Strick said.

If I did it over, I would have installed 2 fifty gallon tanks to help keep weight forward. I will never need to fill up 130 gallons cause we're on Lake Ontario and my max range would be 100 miles or around 50 gallons.