Fuel tank

[patclem]

I don't have much to add, except my tank has an additional port for the diesel heater which is long gone. I'm working on a used Airtronic I bought to get in there to extend our season.
I also want to say that is the coolest deck you have. Is that real wood, and did you install it yourself? Don't want to hijack the thread, but that is cool.

[patclem]

Oh, I do have one more thing to add. My Racor 500 that I mentioned before is mounted to the aft most bulkhead under the rearmost floor panel. It barely fits, and I can barely get a pan under the drain to purge water out. It's definitely worth having it, but it has compromises.

[dkirsop]

The flooring was done by the previous owner but he gave me the left over materials for any needed repairs. It is self-adhesive strip vinyl flooring from Home Depot laid up on the original plywood floor. Each strip is positioned to leave a uniform gap. He fitted it out and then applied white sealant as the highlight filler. I am going to have to re-do a couple of panels this winter. The self-adhesive tends to soften and lift in direct sunlight. Up to now, when a "plank" loosens the cure has been to clean off the adhesive and use contact cement instead. I think he had a great idea that was very economical to install with only a minor drawback. I'll post the project once I get started. It's very durable and only the exposed panels have presented an issue.

[DesertAlbin736]

Only thing I can add is that on our boat the plate with 5 screws & surrounded by brass is where the fuel gage float is installed, except on my tank it's closer to the longitudinal centerline & is purely mechanical like one you'd see on an outboard motor portable gas tank & visually read directly through a hole in the floorboard.

[Plum76]

I have this same style of purely mechanical gauge, but it was mounted closer to the vent bung, so in it’s travel, it would hit the shallow side of the fuel tank, so below 3/8 or 1/4, couldn’t tell where the fuel was. The flange it mounted to was thin and warped, and the threads in the flange weren’t quite right after all the years. As a result, the gauge would weep when the tank was full.

My tank is at the fab shop waiting for a new 1/4” flange at a location further inboard and rotated to read looking forward. The 5-bolt pattern is asymmetric, some petroleum standard, and it only fits one way, so the prior location only allowed for the gauge to read upside down, which was fine, but annoying.

We discussed adding an inspection port, but with the gauge of the stainless, we decided it would be hard to seal and hard to fit with the baffle. With the filler neck and the gauge now being opposite each other, I have fair access in the event I need to clean.

Will refit the tank and have a look at locations. I have two penetrations into the engine cradle forward, but thinking more room aft of the tank, between the tank and bench, and be able to get under it for draining and service. I’d pull the fuel suction from the aft, inboard bung, to filter and then to lift pump, which should shorten my fuel lines. Will have to add a hole into engine to feed nearer aft, but I don’t see that being a problem, especially since I’ll be removing the mount for the existing fuel filter.

Jason

Only thing I can add is that on our boat the plate with 5 screws & surrounded by brass is where the fuel gage float is installed, except on my tank it's closer to the longitudinal centerline & is purely mechanical like one you'd see on an outboard motor portable gas tank & visually read directly through a hole in the floorboard.

[jerridsc]

Is the fuel tank set right upon the floor of the hull or are there stringers, foam or some sort of padding beneath? How is it held in place?

[WillieC]

I stuck thin foam pads under mine with a solidish seal at the upper port edge since I found small bits that had rattled under the tank previously and were trying to wear holes in the tank (and the hull). Look closely for contact points and beef up the padding there.

[dkirsop]

Here is a photo of how it is held down. There are two slats that span the top of the tank; one end fits in a socket attached to the stringer that runs parallel to the engine housing. The other end has a bronze fitting that hooks under the edge of the fibreglass panel beneath the fridge shelf.

http://www.albinowners.net/aog/download ... p?id=18061

[jerridsc]

Thank you. That’s just what I needed to see.

[Plum76]

My tank is back in hand, new gauge flange installled. The tank warped and pulled a bit with the heat and the thin stainless, but nothing that should affect use. I gave it a good rinse with hot water and installed my fittings dry, and now it’s in the basement waiting for spring install. I have it a quick once over with the wire wheel to get rid of all the drips of paint from the years, looking pretty good.

My tank straps are the same as mentioned above. When I painted my bilge this fall, I reinstalled thick rubber strips on the stringers as padding, and the same under the top braces, using contact cement.

As an aside, I had the welding shop clean up my wet exhaust pipe as well, had the replace the coolant connection bung and add a hose barb fitting to the end, prior condition was a rotten piece of threaded pipe, barely hanging on..





JP