Gas Tank Issues

[mmiklosz]

I have noticed gas fumes in the rear compartment area. (I have an outboard.) I replaced the gas and vent hoses last year. They were beginning to dryrot. But that did not get rid of the fumes. There is no evidence that the tank is leaking.

It's a 60 gallon tank that is 20 years old. A mechanic I talked to said I might need to replace the tank.

Any thoughts or suggestions??

[Mac_Attack]

If all of your hose connections are good, it sounds like you have a leaky tank. There have been numerous posts on how to pull you tank, test it and replace it. Use the search feature in addition to answers to your post. Glad to see there is another V20er in Michigan. Billy Mac ;D

[mmiklosz]

Thanks.
I did use the search engine as well and emailed 2 users that had similar issues to see how they handled it. It would sure be a struggle without this web site.
I'm not only worried about cost, but time to get a new tank.

[reelapeelin]

Boater, I've never done this, so get some advice from somebody who has, but if there's a way to do it safely, do a pressure test w/ tank still in the boat...

What say ye guys?...can ya do that??...

Can you see around the filler neck where the hose fits on to pipe?...any cracks?...

Leave a clean rag in the bottom of the bilge overnite...does it have gasoline in it the next day?...

[Pipe_Dream]

You can do a pressure test while the tank is in place, but the results are far from definitive. We pressure tested mine and it seemed to hold . . . until the next time we filled it, and the fumes were overwhelming. :o Holes can be difficult to detect while the tank is in place, what with all the foam around it. Even ones like these:
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album16&id=P7300409
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album16&id=P7300411

Boater, do you smell fumes only when you refuel, or pretty much all the time? Pull the deckplate while you refuel, and watch for leakage around the filler and overflow hoses, as well as the gauge sending unit. If you smell fumes all the time you may have a hole in the tank.

[Geekie1]

Boater. Put a clear glass jar under your bilge drain. (With the boat out of the water, plug removed.) If you have a tank leak, you will see the gas in the jar along with the collected bilge water. That is how I found out that I definitely had a leak. All of the hoses, fill, vent, fuel line, and fuel level sensor are above the top level of the tank and can be checked for leaks somewhat easily. Fuel tank leaks in an aluminum tank are usually caused by corrosion from water in the tank and in most cases are leaks in the lowest level of the tank because that is where water accumulates. Sometimes leaks are caused by abrasion but corrosion in a 20 year old tank is the most likely cause. Just my $.02!!

[reelapeelin]

Good post, Geekie ...and good idea on the glass jar :D ;) ...

[reelapeelin]

Boater...how'd this work out?...

[regidog]

I deal with testing gas station tanks on a daily basis. Pressure and vacuum testing are not fool proof. I've seen many pass a test and are leakers. In a boat don't take a chance, i would follow some of the advice above. If you still smell fumes it might just be worht changing it out for piece of mind.

[mmiklosz]

We pulled the deck and checked the tank as best we could and found 2 of the screws that secure the the send unit had been stripped and the screws had popped out over time. When the boat bounced around a small amount of gas seeped out.

We retapped the hole and secured with new screws.

That seemed to have done the trick. No more heavy gas fumes.

We were out for 2 hours on Lake Michigan today. No gas fumes.

I was lucky it was not the tank. The best deal on a new one was around $500 or so and at least 4 weeks to fabricate.

Thanks for all your help.

[Pipe_Dream]

Good job, 93 -- a happy ending! ;D

[reelapeelin]

Congrats, boater...you dodged a $500 bullet for just a few cents...and posted a potential problem I've not seen on this board...Thanks ;) ...

[msbhammer]

Hell, thats the same thing that happened to me as well. Stripped out screw to the sending unit.
A good cheap fix. ;D