fuel tank

[reelapeelin]

DON'T downsize your tank, Fillet....if you don't wanna carry so much, just don't fill 'er up ;)....never know when a bigger motor might come along... :)...believe me, bro...keep same capacity... ;D

[Pipe_Dream]

What size you go to is your call, I had to maintain capacity as I was moving up in HP. Gasoline odor in the bilge, while it may not be a tank problem, definitely needs to be addressed. I would begin by checking all my connections and eliminate them as the source.
50 gallons is a lot of gas! I supposed you could ask your favorite local boat shop if they have a 55 gal drum (clean) that you could siphon the fuel into, or get into your boat this weekend and take a trip! 8)
The tank isn't secured other than by the foam, and I mean it is SECURED by the foam! Getting the foam out is the worst part of the job, tedious and time consuming. Which was another reason for me to get the plastic tank -- don't want to have to repeat that job.
But check your fuel lines before you get into all that.

Originally Posted by Seakindly

SH - The last boat I rebuilt, I bought 2 part expanding foam from a private plastics lab, locally. I don,t know what West or BW sells. Point is they had foams of different densities. For flotation you want maximum expansion - say a 2gal kit yields 10 cubic feet. For bedding a fuel tank you want minimum expansion - say a 2 gallon kit yields 3-5 cubic feet.

Also use a mixing tool on an electric drill. If you mix by hand the foam will start expanding before you have finished mixing.

Be careful using this stuff in enclosed places under decks. The expansion forces are for real, and you can "blow your boat". :o

F1 - OTHER INFO IN THIS THREAD TO CHECK OUT

[JohnD]

Here's a couple of links with slightly different views, from reputable sources. I've seen some the work from Capt Patrick from B31 and it's good stuff.

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

http://www.bertram31.com/proj/tips/fuel_tank.htm

hope this helps some.
John

Interesting links, John.

The first one is about alum tanks, and is good if you have to use an alum tank, though I don't know why you would want to.

The second one has some good tips for installing tanks of different materials, including alum and plastic. I don't see why you would want to use plastic sheeting to prevent the tank from adhering to the foam, if you are using a plastic tank. The tank should outlast the boat and should not need to be removed. I would rather have my plastic tank locked in place by the foam, rather than bouncing around when it is only partly full while traveling home in rough seas.

[Vic]

Has anybody ever had problems with the plastic tank fittings and flanges? Last year a friends boat had a rotted flange on the top of a plastic tank. The manufacture installed a Galvanized fitting as the pickup tube flange, we never did find one. Ended up having a local alluminum guy make one to fit we drilled our own holes. It still took some JB weld to get it to stop leaking. Happened in the Keys in June talk about hot! wheew.

[reelapeelin]

Don't go *****in' about bein' in the Keys and how hot it was...Yada, yada, yada... :)

[reelapeelin]

Honestly, I think it's a female dog that's already given birth...thanks for keepin' me from goin' astray ;D...

[Vic]

just thought Id get it in there. But thats no place to be soppin up fuel from a bilge in the summer. But the V20 was runnin fine we slayed the dolphin daily at bahia honda. Should have brought a freezer. He has a sea swirl and it had that bad flange. He had the tank so full that it was leaking out the top of the flange.

[Vic]

Fillet, I just remembered last year I was smelling gas through the access control panel at the helm. Had to replace the fuel filler hose because it runs down the starboard side under the floor over the stringer to the top of the tank. Fuel would stand in the bottom of the curve and slowly drip out. It was fun wrestlin that thing through there. Hope it helps.