Yet Another Transom Job in the Works - ?ions

[Fishjack]

Finally got the new fuel tank – I installed it this past Saturday. Now I can move on to the original goal – transom replacement….







The tank came out really nice – I ordered and had one of the Wema (Reed Switch)style fuel sending units installed – seemed to be a better design than the old swing arm style.

[cSickNick]

Hey Jack,

Been following this and great job!!

Some questions on the tank install;

- Did you make ply strips on the tank floor support?
- Did you bond the tank down on the strips or floor?
- Did you coat the tank?
- The aft "L" bracket, are there spacers under it to secure?

Like the idea of "L" brackets front and back! Was scratching for a while on how to secure if the tank was not to be refoamed back in. Just to tie into the tops of foamed stringers did not seem to be enough.

Again great job!

- Nick

[Fishjack]

Nick – Thanks

I pretty much followed the instructions found all over this site.. – “How to install an aluminum fuel tank”

I found some plastic strips at Home Depot (composite lattice type strips) 2”Wx.25”Hx96”L.

I used Sikaflex 292 to bond five of them to the bottom of the tank lengthwise - Sikaflex 292 is a much better plastic to metal adhesive than any of the 3M products.
Put a little on the bottom of the strips to hold the tank to the floor – not much in case I ever need to remove the tank.

I opted NOT to coat the tank. The original uncoated tank lasted 29 years exposed to standing salt water in the foam AND the infamous carbon containing rubber strips.
I feared that any coating applied to the tank runs a risk of saltwater getting in between the coating and the aluminum.

I placed spacers everywhere – either starboard (used strictly as spacers on each side of the tank) or the composite lattice strips.

[Bobv]

FishJack-
Did you not powder coat due to the expense? I'm at almost the exact same point in tank replacement and have the opportunity to powder coat the tank at a nominal cost.

[Fishjack]

Bonefish - Nope. Opted not to powder coat it..

About 4 or 5 posts back I asked about coating the tank and coating options got no responses..

Did some research, talked to some other people and decided to put it back with no coating.

If it only last 29 years with no coating that will be ok with me.

[Fishjack]

I know most of you have seen this in person but I was very impressed by the thickness of the SeaCraft hull when I took a chunk out of her for the new B-60 ducer - here are some more boring pics.........





Dang these pics are big........

[LEVERETTE5]

Got to love that

[hermco]

Thats a nice 1997 Denver mint US penny. Where did you come by such a nice specemin?

[Fishjack]

HermCO - not sure where I found it but it will be about all I have left when finished with this project

Sure dreading filling up that new tank for the 1st time.
I guess it will be "bitter sweet".

[hermco]

You gonna need a lot of those pennies to fill that tank. If you are lucky we will invade an small oil rich mideast country and the price will go down.
Doh! We allready did that!