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Fuel tank

gareth harris

Sustaining Member
Can anyone recommend a source for a custom fuel tank?
Any thoughts on best material, and features I should make sure are added?

Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972
 

hinters

Member I
Fuel tank replacement

Gareth
I replaced mine in my E-35 II hull No. 244 with a Tempo
18 Gal. plastic tank made for under deck installation. I hacked out the original steel tank, which was leaking due to rubbing against the hull at the bottom corner, and built a platform for the new tank. I lined it up with the filler neck in the floor of the cockpit and straped it down to the platform. The tank came with a sender installed so it was just a mater of grounding the tank and hooking up the fuel gauge and the fuel lines. Once I got the old tank out it was quite easy as there is lots of roomin there and the whole thing cost me about $100.00 for the tank and some fuel line. Hope this helps.
Pat
Lions Den
E-35 II #244
 

cruis-n

Member II
Florida Marine Tanks

When I repalced the SS water tanks, I had the tanks fabricated by Florida Marine Tanks. They make the water and fuel tanks for Valiant Yachts. I used them because they were very competative. Valiants are manufactured in the same location where I keep my boat so I have had plenty of opportunity to see the workmanship of the FMT up close.

FMT can make just about anything and are very good to work with. The quality of the welds and finishing was excellent, better than what was in the boat originally. See my post in: http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?t=625&highlight=tanks
 
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gareth harris

Sustaining Member
Thanks to all. Pat - did you rip out the deck to install your new tank, or did you have it made to fit in through the access behind the steps?
Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972
 

hinters

Member I
Gareth
The tank I bought was of a size that would fit through the door behind the steps when tipped on its side, then just rotated flat. Check the Tempo web site or one of the dealers' and you will see the one I used. The only hard part was getting the old tank out. I ended up cutting it into pieces with a jig saw and removing it bit by bit.
Chttp://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/shipping.html/102-4998506-4903353?%5Fencoding=UTF8&seller=A1UT7JC2Z2ZP5
Cheers, Pat
ps I pasted this web site to show you the tank but if you shop around (Read E-Bay) you should ba able to find it cheaper. P
 
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jmoses

Member III
SS Vs Plastic Vs Al.

Gareth,

Although I e-mailed you about tankage, I did not explain why I chose Al.

Here is the general consensus on tankage and materials. Also, interspesed with years of working on boats/yachts and seeing the results of what happens if it isn't done correctly.

For small craft:
Al. for fuel, S.S. for water, and plastic for waste. Why?

for yachts:
Gold plated tanks......think about it....non corrosive, looks good...... Just kidding. Epoxy coated waste and water tanks with straight steel or Al. fuel tanks.

Reality:
Al. is fine for gas and diesel as long as it is of signficant wall thickness (>0.125"), well secured, baffled correctly, and not sitting in a puddle of water (or touching wet wood, etc). Robust, permantly installed fiberglass tanks are usually OK and Hatteras uses them in their boats but negates the ABYC principle of access and removability.

However, the trouble starts when we start screwing bronze and brass onto the Al. tank, bilge water constantly lapping underneath, etc.....so be mindful of the 'galvonic' effect. Also, the tank must be bonded to the fill to prevent static discharge and resultant "KABOOM" effect (gasoline especially!) and approved fuel hosing through out. As for plastic fuel tanks, well, first off, the USCG doesn't even recognize them as acceptable for storing gas inside a boat for passenger carrying boats, why should you? They crack, waffle, heat degredate, prone to vibration cracking and usually don't have baffles in them.

Think of a good several days at sea with a pounding head sea, the plastic is just not up for the job and may self destruct over a period of time. Maybe the USCG is onto something....... but their cost is tempting. S.S. fuel tanks are VERY pricey, save it for your water tank. Also, I don't think the ABYC reccomends S.S. tanks unless cylindrical and domed on the ends. Hmmmmmmmm.......

As for Water, S.S. is preferrred over Al. as it has less potential to react with cholrine in the city water we dump in our tanks. Here in South San Fran it's so bad, the water tastes like a swimming pool. Keep in mind plastic is permeable, and should AT LEAST be FDA certified for potable water. Regardless, there is not a plastic tank out there I have not tasted some plastic residue (and that doubles for the FDA approved potable water hoses). Also, see the 'self destructing' point made above.

As for waste tanks, well, our body fluids are pretty corrosive (urea, ammonia, bacteria, etc.) then mix it with sea water and it will have a pretty negative effect on all BUT plastic. So what to do? Well, THICK walled plastic tanks are about all that will stand up to the corrosive waste brew, but again, it's permeable (I don't care what any manufacturer says, they are still permeable). Al. waste tanks will be gone in short order as will S.S., but it will just take longer.

The solution for waste and water tanks? An Al.(or steel) tank with the interior coated with epoxy ......yep, that's what all my big boat tanks were made from and the diesel tanks were just straight Al. or steel depending on the hull material. Also, something like a Lectra-San or a 5 gallon bucket is another approach to the waste tank dilemna and stink. I kid you not, when I inspect commercial fishing boats for the USCG, a 5 gallon bucket is acceptable! But they are going off-shore and state regs may pre-empt the Feds. But it's considered a 'portable waste storage device' and I have to pass them on it. No kidding. Just don't try it and mention my name.....LOL.

As for removing the tank on the E-35 MKII? I was able to take the 1/4" mahogany facia piece off the companionway plywood bulkhead very carefully as it's just tack nailed on (along with unscrewing the aft access door). It was then a matter of making one sawz-all cut against the sink piece, remove some blocks on the port side and I had HEAPS of room to pull the tank out and get the larger flatter one in. I have pics if you need them. Since I was fabricating a new larger flatter tank, I had to go in from underneath. I've heard that the tank will come out the cockpit hatch, but I haven't tried it.

Hopefully, that answers some of your questions......if not ask away...

John
 

Warren Casey

Junior Member
Alum. for fuel

I put in a new fuel tank last year. My surveyor said that the SS one was bad and SS should never be used for fuel, gas or desel. I had a new 15 galllon Aluminum tank put in at the yard. I don't know who made it but it fit fine and fit in the side cocpit hatch on my E32. I could call my yard and ask who made the tank.
 
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