Leaking fuel tank
- Thread starter PAL
- Start date
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sdowney717
Guru
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2016
- Messages
- 2,264
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- Old Glory
- Vessel Make
- 1970 Egg Harbor 37 extended salon model
Cut it up with a sawzall into pieces.
What will you do about replacing it? Multiple smaller tanks?
RT Firefly
Enigma
Greetings,
Welcome aboard.
Welcome aboard.
To follow these instructions - hope you are talking about diesel, not gasoline.
Edit: Woooops - Reread your post - Diesel it is!
sdowney717
Guru
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2016
- Messages
- 2,264
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- Old Glory
- Vessel Make
- 1970 Egg Harbor 37 extended salon model
If it was gas, it could still be cut up. But you have to clean it out and then fill it completely with water and let it sit a little while. Water will displace any gas and anything left wont be enough to do anything. I would then cut it up leaving the water in it.
Something about gas vapor has to be greater than 2% and less than 10% to make it explode in air.
I think I would rather use water than nitrogen gas.
Russell Clifton
Guru
Check out a post on this site by Keith titled "diesel fuel tank repair, internal coating". Might be something to consider.
FOG
Guru
Cut it in half. When you have a fabricator make you two new tanks you'll still have the right shape to fit the two tanks back into the same hole side by side.
If each of the two is still too big, cut into thirds, etc.
If it just needs to be a little smaller to get out, cut off one end or the other, depending upon how many gallons of fuel you can live without.
If each of the two is still too big, cut into thirds, etc.
If it just needs to be a little smaller to get out, cut off one end or the other, depending upon how many gallons of fuel you can live without.
seighlor
Veteran Member
HOLD EVERYTHING... Do not cut your leaking aluminum tank out before considering this alternative repair: I have two 180 gallon aluminum tanks. When I purchased the boat I was told that one tank was leaking. Turned out that both tanks were leaking.
With a bit of searching I came across an access plate design sold by SeaBuilt NW LLC out of Ellensburg, WA. I purchased two 14" access plates. (They come in a variety of sizes.) Following the directions and using a sabre saw, cut two circular holes in the side of your tank where you believe the leak to be... probably at the lowest point in the tank. My tanks are elevated slightly so that the fuel drains to the aft end where the fuel line connection exits the tank.
Give the West System Epoxy folks a call and they can prescribe the appropriate product and procedure to seal the leak(s).
I hired a professional to do the work on my boat but several friends have now followed along doing the work by themselves.
Hope this works for you.
With a bit of searching I came across an access plate design sold by SeaBuilt NW LLC out of Ellensburg, WA. I purchased two 14" access plates. (They come in a variety of sizes.) Following the directions and using a sabre saw, cut two circular holes in the side of your tank where you believe the leak to be... probably at the lowest point in the tank. My tanks are elevated slightly so that the fuel drains to the aft end where the fuel line connection exits the tank.
Give the West System Epoxy folks a call and they can prescribe the appropriate product and procedure to seal the leak(s).
I hired a professional to do the work on my boat but several friends have now followed along doing the work by themselves.
Hope this works for you.
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