new member... recent 79 v20 cuddy purchase

[Striper80]

Originally Posted by Destroyer

My 78's tank still holds gas with no leaks. Think twice about pulling the tank though. From what I've seen by members here who have done it, it's not the easiest job in the world. The foam grabs and holds it like a suction cup. Flush it out, clean it, then check for leaks.

I forgot that the tanks are foamed in on these boats. On my Grady it was held in only by wood and my Wellcraft has a poly tank.

[billmongold]

Thanks for the support guys. Glad i found this site. How do you go about flushing the tank? I not with water, correct? And then you pressure test i would think i could apply like 20 psi to the fuel inlet and have a gauge on the vent tube?

[SkunkBoat]

As someone who has replaced a tank on an '84, I would recommend pulling the tank now and getting it over with. It might pressure test ok now and leak gas sometime during the summer with a full 60 gals in the tank.

In hindsight, its not that hard to pull the tank.. When you're doing it, its a pain. When you are done you say "oh thats it?" and you get to see what 30 years of salt does to aluminum. Mine was not leaking but it looked scary down where the foam covered it.

If you pull it and it looks good, it'll be easy to clean out and put back in. And you won't be worried about it.

[billmongold]

good info. it not too worried about it being a pain in the rear to pull the tank. it would be good peace of mind being that my 1 year old daughter will eventually be on board.

dan4836- more info on that poly tank you found, please. and how did it fit?also, what do you guys to hold the tank in after you reinstall it?

[bgreene]

Look forward to seeing it set up - best of luck with it.

[bradford]

Yea, the tank is just a pain in the butt/messy job, not really that hard. I cut most of my foam out with a pressure washer. Mine had holes the size of your fist! I would recommend a new one, or a used good condition plastic/moeller type tank.

[billmongold]

oh i like that pressure washer idea. may get some of the crap out from under the tank as well. id rather find out the tank leaks while the boat is on the trailer than when im miles from home. i dont need a whole lot of range, boat will probably be used primarily for tubing/possible light fishing/ticesmobile. i think tices is like 3 miles from me. im prettymuch across the bay.

if i were to pull the tank and it checks out ok how would i go about re-installing it? what kind of foam do you guys use? and i would probable replace the pvc pipe with a larger diameter one (to help prevent clogs [at least in my mind]) and glass the pipe in around the opening to prevent water from getting into the foam. is that a good idea or would that be a no no?