[C320-list] A Diesel Fuel Tank Leak

[Joe Abbagnaro]

Yes after the clean up put some Liquid fabric softener in a spray
bottle with water
and spray down the affected surfaces. This will help rid you of the
diesel smell

Joe
#574

On Tue, Aug 11, 2009 at 9:44 AM, Ray Durand<durand.mail at verizon.net> wrote:
> I had the same problem on my #822 when the boat was only a couple of years
> old.  After several weeks of trying to find the source of the leak, I
> discovered that the tank itself was leaking.  Removing the tank was not a
> particularly easy job.  You need to first empty the tank - I bought a
> inexpensive manual pump and a couple of 5-gallong fuel jugs.  After emptying
> the tank, I disconnected the hose and fuel gauge sensor connections, and cut
> the strap that holds the tank down. I think I may have even removed the
> shelf on the starboard side - I'm not sure this is really necessary - it's
> been a while!  I found that he only way to remove the tank was through the
> aft cabin access door.  I had to remove the wood frame around the access
> door to get the tank out.
>
> When I got the tank out, I discovered a very tiny hole in the bottom corner
> weld (port side, forward corner).  I brought the old tank to Catalina (this
> was when they were still building 320s in Woodland Hills) and purchased a
> new one.  On my way back to the boat, I got a call from Frank Butler saying
> that this shouldn't have happened and that he was going to contact the
> manufacturer about it.  About a week later, I got a check from Catalina for
> the full purchase price.  Remember, this was several years ago - I doubt
> Catalina will do anything about your problem since the boat is 8 years old.
>
> I needed to purchase a tank strap for securing the tank down again.  I found
> it at a local boat store.  The original strap was a metal band that I had to
> cut.  I seem to remember that Catalina used newspaper as insulation between
> the hull and the tank.  I'm pretty sure the newspaper was in good shape and
> I simply reused it when I installed the new tank.
>
> One more thing - you might want to test the fuel sensor if your new tank
> comes with one before you install it.  Mine did, and it doesn't work nearly
> as well as the one on my old tank.  I wish I had kept my old sensor.  The
> test is actually fairly simple using an ohm meter.  You can find out how to
> do this by searching on the web.
>
> Good luck with this.  If you have any more questions, let me know.
>
> Ray Durand
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Ken Danko
> Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 7:18 PM
> 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
>
>