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Old 06-26-2023, 02:48 PM   #1
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Fuel Tank Relining/Coating Stories

I would like to read owner stories of relining and/or coating leaking fuel tanks as to what was involved and what did it cost.
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Old 06-27-2023, 05:55 AM   #2
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I have no story, but I have heard of airplanes using "slushing compound" for small leaks in fuel tanks.
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Old 06-27-2023, 06:16 AM   #3
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Por15 is a respected name in coatings. They make a fuel tank sealant. Over 2700 reviews and 160+ questions answered. May give you some decent info. Missing link is access to the inside of a tank given baffls and such.

https://a.co/d/akYAd1l

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Old 06-27-2023, 08:45 AM   #4
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I used a 3 step Eastwood system that was intended to seal tanks from the inside. But I used it on the outside to seal the rust.
Came out super smooth but it’s toxic to work with. Respirator required.
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Old 06-27-2023, 08:54 AM   #5
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Old 06-27-2023, 09:25 AM   #6
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I have resealed black iron tank. I looked on line and found a system that required an etch then a seal along with a two part putty to fill larger holes. They wanted to pull the tank and "Slosh" the whole tank. Unable to remove the tank, I had a large inspection hole on top I was able to access and coat while in the boat. Only coated about 1/3 up as that was where it was leaking. Tank lasted 15 years until I sold boat and have not heard anything about a leak since.

Second issue an aluminum tank, leak along a weld at back bottom of tank. Cut an access hole in top, used a product called "Seal All" available at Ace Hardware et al. You take strips of an old T shirt, impregnated with this Seal All ( comes in big tube like model airplane glue and smells the same) and lay strips over leak. That has worked for 5 years now. I swear by this stuff. Both tanks would have had to been cut out of the boat as boat built around the tanks. Saved my bacon for sure.
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Old 06-27-2023, 10:47 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by mvweebles View Post
Por15 is a respected name in coatings. They make a fuel tank sealant. Over 2700 reviews and 160+ questions answered. May give you some decent info. Missing link is access to the inside of a tank given baffls and such.

https://a.co/d/akYAd1l

Peter
My old boat neighbor used POR 15 in a older Taiwanese trawler with iron tanks. A professional cut access holes, cleaned the inside of the tanks with the POR provided solution, which smelled just like 409. Then there was the solution which re-converts rust to metal, then the sealer on the inside. All following the POR instructions. The pinhole leak returned in two years.
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Old 06-27-2023, 11:14 AM   #8
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I have no experience with fixing a tank by coating the inside.

I have pulled and repaired tanks from the outside. I have also pulled tanks that turned out to be not worth repairing.
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Old 06-27-2023, 12:23 PM   #9
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Here’s a link to a Forum thread where Flamemaster 3204 was used. If you use the Forum’s search function you’ll find several more.

https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/...tml#post300946
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Old 06-27-2023, 12:42 PM   #10
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Slightly off topic -

If one were purchasing a 30 to 40 year old yacht with metal tanks, would coating the tanks before there was a leak be prudent decision?

I am assuming (maybe wrongfully so) that coating the inside inscluding cutting and sealing an inspection hole is less money than tank replacement. Also assuming a metal tank will eventually leak or need replacement.
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Old 06-27-2023, 05:07 PM   #11
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Slightly off topic -

If one were purchasing a 30 to 40 year old yacht with metal tanks, would coating the tanks before there was a leak be prudent decision?

I am assuming (maybe wrongfully so) that coating the inside inscluding cutting and sealing an inspection hole is less money than tank replacement. Also assuming a metal tank will eventually leak or need replacement.
To it would depend on the tank and the cost. But if you could inspect the tank well enough to clean it well enough to coat and didn't see any reason to do the coating I wouldn't coat it unless it was cheap to so so.
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Old 06-27-2023, 05:09 PM   #12
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Seems a lot more stories here on TR about replacing tanks than relining or coating them ( I did search before posting the thread!). But if you go to a company site of those doing it there are lots of positive stories of course. Which is why I started the thread.
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Old 06-27-2023, 05:12 PM   #13
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To it would depend on the tank and the cost. But if you could inspect the tank well enough to clean it well enough to coat and didn't see any reason to do the coating I wouldn't coat it unless it was cheap to so so.
Not sure the words boat and cheap go together.
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Old 06-28-2023, 05:37 PM   #14
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Had an older 1985 Taiwanese Trawler with Black Iron tanks. Port tank began leaking. Hired a guy in so cal. He cut a larger inspection port in the side of the tank. Cleaned out the tank really good. Actually had the guy crawl inside the tank. Then coated it with 3 coats of an airplane tank sealant on the inside (he called it that). Tank held fuel fine for the 3 years I had the boat after that.
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Old 06-28-2023, 06:15 PM   #15
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Not sure the words boat and cheap go together.
They do, but you have to understand boat cheap meaning
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Old 06-28-2023, 07:51 PM   #16
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They do, but you have to understand boat cheap meaning
My understanding of "Boat Cheap" is called dingy.
And yes I did spell that correctly.
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Old 06-28-2023, 08:20 PM   #17
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Seems a lot more stories here on TR about replacing tanks than relining or coating them ( I did search before posting the thread!). But if you go to a company site of those doing it there are lots of positive stories of course. Which is why I started the thread.
Curious - are these companies doing 200g baffled tanks, or 6g motorcycle tanks? Do they have the tank in their shop where it can be rotated, or are they working on it in-situ?

Another active thread asked about possible cost of replacing saddle tanks. Pictures he posted showed a lot of stuff mounted to breadboard protecting tanks - lots of electrical and plumbing stuff. Just getting to the tanks would take heroic measures.

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Old 07-03-2023, 01:12 PM   #18
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Years ago I had a leak at a welded seam on a steel tank in my lobster boat. The tank was 40years old. I patched it, from the outside, with Por15 liquid then paste. Now, 10 years later, still dry as a bone.
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Old 07-03-2023, 01:27 PM   #19
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Just getting to the tanks would take heroic measures.

Peter
If no choices it matters little about the effort required.
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Old 07-03-2023, 04:33 PM   #20
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I would like to read owner stories of relining and/or coating leaking fuel tanks as to what was involved and what did it cost.
There was a gentleman on the T&T List (some of you may remember that original boating list) who had a great deal of experience maintaining his 1985 CHB Taiwanese trawler and kept detailed records on his web site. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us and his web site no longer exists (this was back in the early 2000's). However, I still have all of posts from that list, going back to 1998 until it closed in 2021 and I've checked his posts to see what he recommended; actually he had several solutions.

No matter what method is used, the basic requirement if doing it from the inside of the tank is to get it as clean as possible. For this, he cut a 14X14 inspection port in the side of the tank (after emptying all the fuel, obviously), then spraying it was a soap and then a degreaser solution multiple times, sucking out the residue as best as possible. Make sure to clean the baffles on both sides, as well.

On one of his tanks he had a welder close all the pinhole leaks. On another he used a sealant which was sprayed on the interior (I haven't been able to come up with the product, but there are certainly a number discoverable on the internet which would be impervious to diesel fuel). Ventilation was a key, and when welding from the inside he kept the exterior cool with a piece of wetted plywood. One of the tanks had to be raised from it's bed in order to perform the work (probably the welded tank).

I actually talked with him about the process at one point in 2004/5 when I was trying to figure out what to do with the fuel tanks on my then 1986 trawler (Hampton 35 - a 25 production made in Taiwan). He favored the spray coating as being easier, and for him it didn't seem like a big deal. I felt otherwise, and opted to remove the tanks and have exact duplicates fabricated from stainless steel.

At the time, 2005, the two 100 gallon tanks cost $1000 for both. The total job (removing two engines, removing the tanks, replacing everything) cost less than $4,000.

Ten years later I did the same type of thing with our 1987 DeFever 41 which had a single FL135; the old tanks had to be cut out of the boat as the boat was obviously built around the tanks. When fabricated, divided each tank in half lengthwise and vertically when they were rebuilt by taking a 1" rectangular section out of the design for the original tanks (only lost 10 gallons per side doing that) and fabricated out of heavy-duty stainless steel which would meet CG specs for passenger vessels. Did a lot of other work in the process including upgrading a lot of fuel lines, CG double-crimped line fittings, new vents, etc. Turned out the original tanks on the DeFever were advertised as holding 400 gallons total, but the new tanks (almost exact replacements minus the 1" section) held a total of 528 gallons (total of both tanks). The cost of the four new tanks, heavy SS, cost a total of $10,000. Labor for just the tank work probably ran about $20K.

A lot of the work is documented on our web site (which is still up) at MVSanderling.net/Blog if you're interested in taking a look there.
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