[C320-list] A Diesel Fuel Tank Leak

[bruceheyman at cox.net]

Ken, 
In the past I had to do a bunch of research on aluminum tanks.  Typically they last 20 years but they can fail after only 7 years.  The life span depends on how well they are mounted and how good a job it does of keeping moisture from being trapped.  Also foreign mettle scraps in the tank can cause them to fail.
A common way they fail is through one or more pin whole leaks from corrosion. After you clean everything up you may want to lay paper towel sheets around every where as a tell as to where the leak is comming from. 
If it is the tank and there are a small number of localized perforations you can repair it by drilling it out and putting a bolt and gasket through it.  They test the tanks by pressuring them and then seeing how well they hold the pressure.
Good luck.
Bruce
Somerset 671 SoCal
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Danko <ken320 at sbcglobal.net>

Date: Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:18:18 
To: <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Subject: [C320-list] A Diesel Fuel Tank Leak


I have developed a diesel fuel leak. I only had a few minutes to look at 
it so I don't have all the details as I write this. I'm really surprised 
because it appears that the hoses and all connections are ok. The leak 
seems to be coming from the tank itself but I don't yet know where. 
Grace is a 2001 model so a tank failure seems to me to be highly 
unusual. The last time I was out on Grace, I hosted a post sailing BBQ 
and went back the next day to clean up (no diesel leaks then). A week 
went by, I was out of town, during which time the leak developed while 
the boat was sitting at the dock. My questions are numerous. How could 
this happen? Has anyone else experienced a sudden tank leak? Should I 
contact Catalina and see if they warranty such a failure? Can tanks be 
fixed or do I need to get a new one. How do I clean the area from the 
tank to the bilge which is somewhat inaccessible? Any and all advice 
would be greatly appreciated. One last thing, what cleaning product 
works best on diesel fuel.

Ken Danko
Grace
#802