Fuel Tank build

[parrott]

Originally Posted by strick

So you never screwed up before? My guess is you got booted out of kindergarten for not playing nice.....

strick

Me, I never have..lol
This guy had such a nice boat and did good work and he makes a tank out of SS, then coats it, and tops it off with some foam. O well, everyone should know by now how to install a gas tank. Not even sure why you need to coal tar coat a tank anyways. KISS theory applys here. This tank out of the 1967 bowrider, looks to us as original, and has little pitting on the outside. It looked to just been laying in the coffin with rubber strips on it, no tar no foam.....

[strick]

Originally Posted by parrott

Not even sure why you need to coal tar coat a tank anyways. KISS theory applys here. This tank out of the 1967 bowrider, looks to us as original, and has little pitting on the outside. It looked to just been laying in the coffin with rubber strips on it, no tar no foam.....

Agreed. I see no reason to coat a brand new fuel tank.

Live and learn here is the message. I see no reason to bad mouth Bobby. He has helped out lots of guys that have restored boats.

strick

[pelican]

Originally Posted by strick

So you never screwed up before? My guess is you got booted out of kindergarten for not playing nice.....

strick

I've made many mistakes... you ??

but,here's guy who claims to know all - a guy who works out of his backyard - making all sorts of claims - the fact is,the guy's a friggin' hck,his "work" shows it...

[pelican]

Originally Posted by parrott

Me, I never have..lol
This guy had such a nice boat and did good work and he makes a tank out of SS, then coats it, and tops it off with some foam. O well, everyone should know by now how to install a gas tank. Not even sure why you need to coal tar coat a tank anyways. KISS theory applys here. This tank out of the 1967 bowrider, looks to us as original, and has little pitting on the outside. It looked to just been laying in the coffin with rubber strips on it, no tar no foam.....

the first mistake was making a tank from stainless steel...

the second was failing to properly prep the surfaces

third was foam

fourth was,using that piece of wood

fifth,was him boasting and people feeding his ego...


nice boat huh ?? wonder what else will be discovered ?? fuel tank problem - problem with the paint before ?? i'm sure there's a whole lot more !!

[pelican]

Originally Posted by strick

Agreed. I see no reason to coat a brand new fuel tank.

Live and learn here is the message. I see no reason to bad mouth Bobby. He has helped out lots of guys that have restored boats.

strick

advice from someone with limited knowledge,limited experience and poor work practices isn't usually very good,is it...

coating an aluminum fuel tank is an excellent practice - notice the word "aluminum" ??

installing a fuel tank following proper procedures is critical...

[Normagain]

I think fuel tank installation is pretty tough really if you want it to last. When I took the tank out of my 74, most of the hold down points were at or near failure. My tank was solid but the fuel fill hose was rotted through and you could see the damage spilled gas had done to the plywood sheet under the tank, loose in two places and soft. There's a lot of motion to the ocean so over building a system to hold it in place is a really good idea. I had the tank builder add two extra brackets and I used 1 1/2" of plywood at each point, two screws instead of one + epoxy. Hopefully that will keep it there. I'm less worried about corrosion to the bare aluminum, should be good for another 40 years.

[pelican]

Originally Posted by Normagain

I think fuel tank installation is pretty tough really if you want it to last. When I took the tank out of my 74, most of the hold down points were at or near failure. My tank was solid but the fuel fill hose was rotted through and you could see the damage spilled gas had done to the plywood sheet under the tank, loose in two places and soft. There's a lot of motion to the ocean so over building a system to hold it in place is a really good idea. I had the tank builder add two extra brackets and I used 1 1/2" of plywood at each point, two screws instead of one + epoxy. Hopefully that will keep it there. I'm less worried about corrosion to the bare aluminum, should be good for another 40 years.

very true - people are often unaware of the "accepted" procedures...I've seen some interesting ways boat owners attempted to install fuel tanks - using pool "noodles" as a method of securing the tank...
another thing is,people are trying to cut few corners and save some money - this often leads to trouble down the line...

bottom line : this guy did a butcher job of a fuel system lay out,from the tank material on down...

[strick]

Originally Posted by pelican

I've made many mistakes... you ??

Yep I've even posted many my of mistakes on the internet for all to see....you?


strick

[bitsamonkey]

I followed this guy's build and really liked a lot of the things he was doing at the time. You leave yourself very exposed when you basically blog an entire build and it's easy to criticize with hindsight. I've redone a couple of boats and looking back there's always something I would have done differently.
What is interesting about this build is that he sold it online with pictures of how it's aged, and it's got more problems than just that fuel tank.
The durabak floor, which the company used as a testimonial in their ads, is a disaster.
The balance of the boat is so completely off with those two 4 strokes hanging off the bracket that the motors are totally corroded up and under the cowlings.
After all of that work, time and money, painting his truck to match and everything the poor guy manages to put about 200 hrs on the boat before selling it.
Jack of all trades, master of none can end in serious disappointment if you're building your "dreamboat". Boats that work properly and look great doing it are no accident.

[pelican]

Originally Posted by strick

Yep I've even posted many my of mistakes on the internet for all to see....you?


strick

as a matter of fact,yes I did...

any more questions ??