Gas Tank Help

[motion30]

I recently cut the steel diesel tanks out of my 44' sun deck. It took about 3 hrs using a sawsall. No fun but . Being replaced with 3 fiberglass tankd

 

[MYNantucket]

If you are planning a haulout and will do this repair at that time, consider using a forklift or a truck mounted HIAB crane to lift your engine. Trivial lift for either of those options.

Yeah I’m not hauling the boat out unless there is no other way to do it. I’m on Lake Texoma in a covered slip so there is no access for a forklift. Thanks for the suggestion I appreciate the help

 

[MYNantucket]

Taking an engine out is no big deal and far better than cutting the boat hull.
Simply remove all excess furniture from the saloon and place sheets/tarpaulins to protect the saloon, remove g/box and alternators etc, no need to take off the heads etc, drain all fluids. Make a frame out of scaffolding and lift the engine with a block and tackle to saloon level and chock it with solid planks below. Then use a forklift with and long lifting bar, attach engine and gently ease it out.
Once the tanks are removed clean the bilges and repaint ready for the engine return.
If they engine's too large to remove then lift the engine to saloon floor level and repair it in situ.

Thanks for the input but there is no access for a forklift to get to the boat.

 

[MYNantucket]

It depends on what configuration the boat is whether or not a forklift can even get into the salon to lift the motor. With my sundeck there is absolutely no access for a forklift to get to the engine. To remove the engine there is a soft patch in the flybridge deck on the port side to take the engine out the top. However the lift has to be very tall to get to it and I would have to remove the hardtop which I won’t do. So I used a beam and moved the engine over to the other side. As to replacing the fuel tank, my back went out right after I pulled the engine. I had 9 procedures on it last year and have about given up on getting it fixed so I decided to not try to replace the fuel tank, mine isn’t leaking but I just wanted to replace it proactively. Instead I just cleaned up the engine room, painted, replaced wiring, replaced hoses, redid the bonding system, etc. i could not have done the work with the engine in place so it worked out ok after all. I took out one transducer and one through hull and glassed them closed. Also was able to replace the head in the aft cabin with a new Marine Elegance since I was able to get to the hoses.

As to repairing a fuel tank, why would you consider that. My new tank was going to be 210 gallons and cost about $2500. If I had the tank replaced by a marina it would cost about $10,000. Why would I spend 3/4 of the cost and still have an old tank that will leak somewhere else at some time in the future and then I pay another $7500 to remove and replace again??? That makes no sense at all, if you pull the tank out then put a new one in. Even if you do the work yourself you don’t want to be doing it a second, or third time. It is a lot of work. Besides a new tank will enhance the value of your boat, or at least make it much more attractive to buyers. Telling the buyers that you repaired a leaking tank would subtract value to me because I would be thinking about the next leak.

Hey David, Sorry to hear about your back issue that makes life difficult I know as I injured my back in 1984 but not serious . I totally agree with your outlook on the tank, replacement is the only option and the best option. It will be awhile before I get this figured out as I have to get the materials together to build a lift. I’m going to look at the stringers today to see if I have access to build a supporting structure. There is no access for a forklift to get to my boat as I am in a covered dock on Lake Texoma. I really appreciate you sending the pics of your setup. Thank you sir and take care

 

[psneeld]

Pretty much reasonable repair of anything...including twin anything is to understand the failure.


I still don't see in the thread where the leak has been identified, it's extent and whether the rest of the tank and the other is all near death or only one spot in one tank.


One extreme to the other would certainly alter my options for fixes.


As an a dabbler in the marine trades and a recreational guy...I know that true experienced professionals have infinitely more good advice than most here on this forum.


When any of us...including me.... find ourselves in a shortstop position for figuring out a complicated or expensive problem..... a visit by a "really good" pro might ust have an answer for you. A really good one will also tell yo what you can do to mitigate the problem or cost....and often not charging you a dime (but if like me I slip them a $100 for the grand advice and I tell them they need to take their significan other out to dinner as they probably work too much anyhow).



As I posted before....a call to a good guy may save you a lot of aggravation.


I can see your options being from a quick easy fix that may serve you for a decade or a time bomb waiting to happen....till you know what you have.... fix or replace is pretty much a hollow debate.

 

[Martin J]

I would certainly take the engine out , long before cutting into the side to access the tanks. To repair and refair the sides is a huge job to make the hull look right. Plus the difficulty of matching gelcoat or paint etc. Normally only takes 3-4 hours to ppull the engine and sit it in the saloon.

 

[Pap]

What engines are in ur boat?

 

[motion30]

Not sure who you are asking a question to. But my boat has 3208t cats. I only had to remove the tailpipe to get access behind the engines

 

[Pap]

Not sure who you are asking a question to. But my boat has 3208t cats. I only had to remove the tailpipe to get access behind the engines

Thanks, love the 3208's. Easy to work on and dependable. My question was to MYNantucket as to what gas engines he was running.

 

[slowgoesit]

As to repairing a fuel tank, why would you consider that. My new tank was going to be 210 gallons and cost about $2500. If I had the tank replaced by a marina it would cost about $10,000. Why would I spend 3/4 of the cost and still have an old tank that will leak somewhere else at some time in the future and then I pay another $7500 to remove and replace again??? That makes no sense at all, if you pull the tank out then put a new one in. Even if you do the work yourself you don’t want to be doing it a second, or third time. It is a lot of work. Besides a new tank will enhance the value of your boat, or at least make it much more attractive to buyers. Telling the buyers that you repaired a leaking tank would subtract value to me because I would be thinking about the next leak.

If the tanks already have inspection ports, or if sufficient sized inspection ports can be installed in the existing tank, and you can access the entire tank from there, depending on the nature of the leak/deterioration, there may not be any need to remove the tank. Therefore at a minimum, an inspection of the actual damage is indicated. Sure you can repair a leaking fuel tank by jacking up the boat and replacing the entire boat, or replacing the entire tank, but perhaps in this case inspection will reveal that cleaning the tank and using a good quality tank sealant, such as used for aircraft "wet" wing fuel tanks may be in order. I entirely agree with that if you go to the trouble of removing the tank it makes no sense to repair and reinstall, but a quality, acceptable repair may be accomplished without removing the tank(s), and therefore avoiding the majority of the cost (the removal and reinstallation of the tank(s)), perhaps requiring the removal of the engine(s). You won't know until you inspect and CONFIRM the nature of the leak.

 

[Comodave]

These are gas tanks not diesel tanks. I don’t believe you can put fittings in the side of gas fuel tanks, but I am not completely sure about that.

 

[MYNantucket]

Pics of tanks

So here are some shots of stringers and gas tanks. Tanks are sitting right on the outside fiberglass. Not good in my opinion. The culprit tank is easy to see.

 

[MYNantucket]

Pics of tanks

So here are some shots of stringers and gas tanks. Tanks are sitting right on the outside fiberglass.

 

[MYNantucket]

So here are some shots of stringers and gas tanks. Tanks are sitting right on the outside fiberglass.

Ok so I have to figure out how to get pics in thread... lol

 

[Comodave]

When you post, below is an area labeled additional options. In that area is manage attachments. Click on that and then select the photo and then upload. Then close that box and you can do a preview post and you will see what your post will look like. Then you can either edit it some more or go ahead and post it.

 

[MYNantucket]

Second pic attempt

 

[MYNantucket]

More pics

 

[MYNantucket]

Thanks, love the 3208's. Easy to work on and dependable. My question was to MYNantucket as to what gas engines he was running.

Twin 454’s

 

[Comodave]

Well the good news is that it probably weighs a bit less than 700 without the transmission. So all up maybe 900. That makes it easier to lift than my diesels at 1350.

 

[MYNantucket]

So I guess I need to get in there and raise that tank to see what kind of damage is there. I only have about 3 “ headroom

 

[rslifkin]

With manifolds, risers, heat exchanger, etc I'm pretty sure a marine 454 is just shy of 1000 lbs, assuming iron heads, iron intake manifold and cast iron exhaust bits. Trans is probably another 150-ish.

 

[MYNantucket]

There is so little room to get in there. I think raising the engine would be necessary just to get a good look at the tank

 

[MYNantucket]

With manifolds, risers, heat exchanger, etc I'm pretty sure a marine 454 is just shy of 1000 lbs, assuming iron heads, iron intake manifold and cast iron exhaust bits. Trans is probably another 150-ish.

That’s about what I was thinking. The trans is small

 

[Comodave]

Yes, you will have to pull it and stack it over the other one to get to the tank, but once you have the crane built it is pretty easy.

 

[MYNantucket]

Trans

 

[MYNantucket]

Yes, you will have to pull it and stack it over the other one to get to the tank, but once you have the crane built it is pretty easy.

Where did you come up with the H-Beam ?

 

[Comodave]

I went to Alro Metals. They are a regional steel and other metal supplier. The H beam is similar to an I beam just the 2 perpendicular sides are flat not sloped like an I beam. Either one would work, they had the H beam so I went with it. I got all the metal pieces there and mostly had them cut to size. I had to make a few cuts with my grinder like the angle cut on the pieces that I welded to the H beam.

 

[rslifkin]

Trans looks like a velvet drive. In that case, 150 lbs is close for trans weight.

 

[MYNantucket]

Ok I found some one just North of Fort Worth that has plasma cutter and H-Beams they can manufacture anything I may need just need to draw it all up and present it to them for a quote.

 

[Comodave]

Do you have room to use wood 6x6s as uprights on both sides?