fixb52s
Chief Petty Officer
- Joined
- May 14, 2004
- Messages
- 463
After a real crappy day yesterday, today was going very well. Got the fuel lines connected and the sending unit working, so I decided to put about 10 gallons of fuel in the tank. I was happy knowing I was going to fire this up tonight.....
Then I smelled gas. Not good, maybe a loose fitting? I wish. I noticed gas in the bilge by the front of the tank. CRAP!
After pumping it out (thank God for the Guzzler) I disconnected the hoses and sending unit, unscrewed the mounts and pulled the tank out. My "refurbished" tank had a corrosion hole in the weld on the bottom. After a further inspection, I did not see any more leaks, but found some questionable pitting. They might not be leaking now, but maybe in the near future?
No more tank repairs for me. It looks like I will spring the $300 to have a new one built. It would be nice to be on the water this weekend, but I think I can wait.
This is a reason I filled the tank prior to installing the tank deck panel. I was able to get the tank out rather quickly, and did not have to tear anything apart, other than the framing I put in to hold the panel in place.
This points out something that you builders need to heed. Don't mess around with a fuel tank. If it looks questionable, REPLACE IT. I might be out $65 for having this tank rebuilt, but that is cheap compared to a sinking burning boat. There would have been a lot of bad karma if this sprung while out on the lake, and I think we all have seen the photos of burning boats.
Build it right, and ensure it will be safe.
Then I smelled gas. Not good, maybe a loose fitting? I wish. I noticed gas in the bilge by the front of the tank. CRAP!
After pumping it out (thank God for the Guzzler) I disconnected the hoses and sending unit, unscrewed the mounts and pulled the tank out. My "refurbished" tank had a corrosion hole in the weld on the bottom. After a further inspection, I did not see any more leaks, but found some questionable pitting. They might not be leaking now, but maybe in the near future?
No more tank repairs for me. It looks like I will spring the $300 to have a new one built. It would be nice to be on the water this weekend, but I think I can wait.
This is a reason I filled the tank prior to installing the tank deck panel. I was able to get the tank out rather quickly, and did not have to tear anything apart, other than the framing I put in to hold the panel in place.
This points out something that you builders need to heed. Don't mess around with a fuel tank. If it looks questionable, REPLACE IT. I might be out $65 for having this tank rebuilt, but that is cheap compared to a sinking burning boat. There would have been a lot of bad karma if this sprung while out on the lake, and I think we all have seen the photos of burning boats.
Build it right, and ensure it will be safe.
