bad discovery yesterday...

[jawz12]

discovered something real bad yesterday...
i check the boats i have in storage daily,it's a good procatice to get into...one had a distinct fuel odor-not good...cut the shrink wrapping and located the source of the leak-fuel tank...the boat's a '98...hard to believe ??? trust me guys,i will not lie to you...if you've got an older boat,read that as 10+ years,you need to inspect the fuel tank...these aluminum fuel tanks do not have an unlimited life span-the hoses don't either...these can and will fail,the results can be real bad too...waiting till the tank leaks isn't the best approach-you can face a huge fine for environmental cleanup-check your insurance policy,odds are,it's not covered...i'm not trying to scare anyone into anything-i'm stating facts...this is a good thing to do in the offseason...you can't inspect a fuel tank by looking at the top of the tank-the tank needs to be completley removed...be sure to check the fuel fill hose too,and don't forget the vent hose-these items will fail too...again,magic number is 10yrs...be safe,be smart,check it out !!!!!!!!!

[Towerman]

How true , i get people bringing in tanks all the time that just want a little spot " Touched Up " , meanwhile the tank is falling apart from rot ..... Ten years seems to be a stretch on most production tanks . I build custom tanks and reccomend 3 / 16 " material rather than 1/8 ". It's a little heavier but will last much longer . I also offer to have the tanks Powder Coated as well , not cheap but excellent protection !!

[cpmarine]

Towerman, where are you in Hudson? I'm in Jersey but have a place in Hudson and go there often. Do you make the tanks there?

[Robja]

Welcome aboard Towerman

[Towerman]

Hey thanks guys , my home is in Sea Pines ,Hudson my shop is in Oldsmar , Fl. , check it out at marinespecialties.com. we build the tanks at the shop .

[perfectscore]

How true , i get people bringing in tanks all the time that just want a little spot " Touched Up " , meanwhile the tank is falling apart from rot ..... Ten years seems to be a stretch on most production tanks . I build custom tanks and reccomend 3 / 16 " material rather than 1/8 ". It's a little heavier but will last much longer . I also offer to have the tanks Powder Coated as well , not cheap but excellent protection !!

excellent advice on this issue, this process is a pain in arse and hope u never have to go thru it, I did, but when i had new tanks made i went 3/16 and had them covered with the right stuff.

[perfectscore]

Hey thanks guys , my home is in Sea Pines ,Hudson my shop is in Oldsmar , Fl. , check it out at marinespecialties.com. we build the tanks at the shop .

question for you, is it possible to have tanks made to an exact amount. when i had two tanks made i requested a certain size capacity, but when they were delivered they were off by 5 gallons per tank. Is that a normal thing ?? Or just carelesseness from the tank builder? thanks

[Towerman]

question for you, is it possible to have tanks made to an exact amount. when i had two tanks made i requested a certain size capacity, but when they were delivered they were off by 5 gallons per tank. Is that a normal thing ?? Or just carelessness from the tank builder? thanks

It is possible if all the calculations are correct and allowances are made for the displacement of the baffles inside the tank . For example if you have 5- 1/8 " baffles that are lets say 24 x 24 x 1/8 " You would figure the displacement using the formula Length x width x height = x , divided by 231 = Gallons (231 = number of cubic inches per gallon ). Most don't allow for baffle displacement when figuring a tank .hope this helps !! Have a great day !

[OCaptMike]

Towerman is corect. Definately coat the new tank before u install it. I've known guy's that at least paint it with 545 Awlgrip primer or even roll on coal tar epoxy good for a long life

Good luck in your replacement

[B-faithful]

Glad my new boat has a big poly tank. I have no hint of odor as some say is a problem with poly tanks and not sloshing due to the support structure in the tank that acts as baffles.