Fuel tank inspection?

[Scudrunner]

I have the orginal tank and was wondering how clean the bottom of the tank. With bio-diesel and higher potential of sludge, I was thinking of putting a fuel tank inspection port. Some advice would be appreciated.

[SalishAire]

When we needed to be towed home due to water in our fuel (maiden voyage) we decided to add an inspection port. We pulled the tank out as it is very easy to remove and was much easier to work on in the garage. We purchased one of these kits https://www.fisheriessupply.com/seabuil ... ate-system which worked very well and a 6" hole saw to make getting a nice circle cut easier. In side of the tank we found a baffle plate lying on the bottom as the spot welds had broken loose (we reinstalled it using 2 stainless screws and lock nuts on the top flange). The tank was easy to clean through the port with Simple Green and water.

[WillieC]

I second SeaBuilt access ports. I was able to make the 8" work. That gives you a 6" hole in the tank. Lots of crud in the WillieC tank, most of which just wiped out. It's time for another look, and we use Biobor regulsrly.

There are other brands available. Do the goggle.

[DesertAlbin736]

With bio-diesel and higher potential of sludge, I was thinking of putting a fuel tank inspection port.

Not a bad idea. In our case documentation passed along by the PO showed that our our tank had been inspected & cleaned more than 20 years ago. It doesn't have a nice 6" inspection port, but the fuel gauge is a purely mechanical sight glass/float type like you'd find on a portable outboard motor gas tank. One reads the fuel level by looking through a hole in the floorboard and the float/gauge assembly is easy to remove & at least be able to see down into the tank through the 2" hole it fits into. I checked it a year or so ago & the tank looked good. We've cycled a lot of fuel through the tank over the past 8 years of ownership, logging 732 engine hours on the meter averaging 0.45 GPH, so that's like 330 gallons, an average of 41 gallons per year. Add to that our bone dry climate with mild winters, no snow, no freeze, & average of only 7 inches of annual rainfall so heat is our biggest enemy, not water absorption. Except for the couple months when we're up in PNW, down here summer temps inside the closed up cockpit can exceed 120 * F. So far have never had any problems with fuel contamination.

[tribologist]

Assuming its a A25, its trivial to get the tank out and a good shake with warm water and detergent cleans it just fine

[WillieC]

Just opened my SeaBuilt tank port, which was installed at least 4 years ago. Tank looks nearly pristine. There is a minute collection of what looks like grit accumulating at the bottom edge of the tank, next to the engine. Not enough for me to worry about. I use Biobor, I've bought and paid for the hype, and change the filters once a year. They old ones looked like new this time.

[DesertAlbin736]

A couple years back I had pulled the float gauge (only way to see inside the tank) and it looked good then. In the eight years we've owned La Dolce Vita we've put 737 hours run time on the engine, averaging about 92 hours per year at 0.45 GPH. That's roughly 42 gallons per year, or 336 gallons total. I use a biocide at least once a year, and Kleen Diesel (TM) cleaner/cetane booster additive when I think of it. Also when the boat is laid up on the trailer for more than a month (no winterizing or dehumidifying needed here) I hook up my hose & bucket rig and run the engine long enough to warm it up. And of course all the regular filter changes. We haven't run the boat as much these past two years as we usually do. We only ran 57 hours between previous oil change in May of last year until this May which included Erie Canal, and even though I normally change oil at 100 hour intervals I went ahead and changed oil last week since this is our off season & won't be using the boat again until late October so the engine will be sitting with fresh oil in the pan.