Fuel tank removal

[HopCar]

I was at the Miami boat show today and talked to ATL about this very subject.
They make foam filled bladders designed to go into your leaking rigid tank. You cut an access hole, and remove the baffels from the old tank. You remove the foam blocks from the bladder, work it into place and replace the foam blocks to give it shape. It looks like a very well made tank.
Here is a link to step by step drawings of the process: Retro-Fit Your Failed OEM Rigid Fuel Tank With A Flexible ATL Fuel Bladder!

 

[El Sea]

If anyone thinks it is easier to remove the baffles in a fuel tank, make the wall smooth and prep it for bladder type bag, they haven't a clue.

 

[HopCar]

Nobody thinks it's easy to grind those baffles out. I would imagine that you would pretty much have to crawl into the tank which means this isn't a good option for small tanks.

For small tanks you take the old tank out in pieces, put in the bladder and build bulkheads to support it. This avoids cutting up the boat to get the new tank in as the bladder will fold and go through much smaller holes than a rigid tank. If the tanks are used for gasoline, the foam prevents the tanks from exploding in a fire. It is the same foam used in race car tanks.

Another concern is the price. The bladders are not cheap. It might be cheaper to cut up the boat to get the new tanks in but that would need to be decided on case by case.

They no longer sell through dealers but back in the seventies I sold a lot of their fuel pillows. They were very well made back then and have been improved now. It was funny, a lot of the customers paid in cash with $20.00 bills and usually bought a number 410 chart as well. Never did figure out why.