Marine Trader Fuel Tanks

[Sidclark]

Do you have room in your other tank for the 90 gallons of fuel? If so get a transfer pump and pump it into the other tank. Are you going to have the tank professionally cleaned? If so they will have drums to put the fuel in temporarily.

I may have room in the port tank. You have me thinking now. I believe I can use the polisher to pull fuel from the bottom valve on the sight glass. I know that valve is not plugged. That would be a simple redirect of the polisher suction line. Bonus is, the fuel is polished as it's transferred! Thanks for that idea. I tried to find someone here in the Myrtle Beach area to clean the tanks but no luck. I figure once I get the fuel out I'll open the port and see what I have in store for cleaning. I really don't want to head south this year without complete confidence in the fuel system....

 

[Sidclark]

I updated the "Overpropped but why" thread about the tank issue, but really should have updated it here as well. I used the polisher to transfer fuel from the starboard tank to the port tank. By the way, the starboard tank was not clogged. I had one valve in the wrong position to draw fuel. Opened up the stbd tank and it was fairly clean. About a cup and a half of sludge piled in the corner and that was it. Blew all the lines out that were associated with that tank and buttoned up the inspection port. Transferred the fuel back to the stbd tank and opened up the port side. Found pretty much the same condition. Cleaned it and buttoned it up.

I do know now that these are not the original tanks. As a matter of fact, I think they're the third set of tanks! Going through past documents that were left on the boat by the PO's, ( there were at least four), at one time there were four tanks and a daytank installed. I'm pretty sure MT didn't build the boat with four tanks. So, I'm happy to report the current tanks are relatively new and the fuel system is sparkling clean. The fuel distribution system that at first I thought was overly complicated has been a blessing. I can send fuel wherever it needs to go and can even use the polisher to bleed the secondary filters when changed. It took awhile to figure it out just sitting in the engine and staring at it. One interesting thing I found was that both returns enter at the top of the tanks and have dip tubes just like the supplies.

 

[FF]

"I think they're the third set of tanks!" #32

Tanks do not wear out or die of old age , they are killed.

A cared for tank properly installed can be re used on the next boat.

Have you discovered/ repaired/ replaced what ever was killing the tanks ?

 

[Steve DAntonio]

One interesting thing I found was that both returns enter at the top of the tanks and have dip tubes just like the supplies.

That actually has a reason and benefit, and has been specified by some engine manufacturers in their installation instructions (I've seen it in Deere manuals, although I believe they may have dropped it of late). Using a dip tube for the return prevents the fuel from splashing and aerating. Some say it reduces the likelihood of air migrating back to an engine at rest, I don't believe that's very common in any event, and the vast majority of returns do not have drop tubes.

 

[obthomas]

on some engines the return oil is quite hot after lubricating and cooling the injector system. #2 diesel can give off an ignitable vapor at around 140 degrees F. By returning the oil to a low level in the tank you get the best cooling.

 

[Sidclark]

"I think they're the third set of tanks!" #32

Tanks do not wear out or die of old age , they are killed.

A cared for tank properly installed can be re used on the next boat.

Have you discovered/ repaired/ replaced what ever was killing the tanks ?

I can only assume the first set probably had the usual problem with rusting out at the top where the fill is or at the bottom. Again, I can only assume he didn't want to pull the engine and instead installed four smaller tanks that would fit with the engine in place. The only evidence I have of the four tanks are notes and flow diagrams he left for the next owner. Then one of the next owners decided to replace those four tanks with two. Why? Who knows? Maybe he wanted more fuel capacity. In any case, the engine had to come out to put those two tanks in. That's a lotta work just for more capacity though. I sure do appreciate the inspection ports he installed. Besides rusting out, what else could kill a tank??