Wasn't one guy, but was one guy's solution.

My 20 year old tanks were full of old, dirty fuel. I found an older guy
who cleans tanks. He removes the fuel, filters it, stores it in 55
gallon barrels while he cuts access holes in the top of the tank, gets
in there and power washes the inside. Theoretically he then replaces
the filtered diesel. Made all the equipment himself. Clever guy.

When he was at the cleaning stage, he found a pin hole in the bottom of
one tank. He said he could fix it, but the rest of the tank was suspect.

While having lunch he told me how, if he were having a boat built, he
would require that the hull, deck and interior be complete before
engines, wiring and tanks were installed. Ya.... how do you do that?
He said tanks should be modular so they would fit through openings.
Connect a bunch of small tanks with a manifold. That's what I did. I
replaced two large tanks with four smaller ones.

He removed the tanks, and put in an outboard tank temporarily while I
made the patterns. Luan ply, pine 1x1, and a bunch of wood screws. I
then took them to a tank builder and had them made. Turned out very well.

The fuel guy had a bunch of suggestions, I followed them all. A lot of
what he said flies in the face of "conventional wisdom". He's been
working on fuel systems for years and really has some good ideas.
Amazing how much of what he says is the opposite of what I hear from others.

Only thing I would have done differently is, I should have done the
water tanks at the same time. They are still fine, but while I was in
the mode, I should have done it all.

Jim

DSK wrote:
Jim wrote:

I am surprised at some of the prices quoted here. I had a guy empty
out my old tanks, cut them out with a saw zall ($1000), then made wood
box patterns, replacing my old tanks with modular tanks ($2400) that
would go in/ come out if necessary without any boat butchering.

300 gallons capacity, total $3500. And the new ones are removable.

Seems like the same price for the epoxy patch job.


Cool! Can you tell me how to get in touch with the guy who did this for
you? This is pretty much what I am considering doing myself, but for
$3500 bucks I'd hire somebody else to do it in a heartbeat....

Fair Skies
Doug King