[C320-list] A Diesel Fuel Tank Leak - Switch to a Plastic Tank?

[Jon Vez]

Ken,

Mine did have strips of rubber taped to the bottom. I moved these from the
old tank to the new and attached with duct tape (that's how they were
originally attached). I'd be leary of using 5200 as these aren't load
bearing and you may want to remove them one day--

Regards,

Jon Vez
Solstice #582

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Ken Danko
Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 11:21 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: [C320-list] A Diesel Fuel Tank Leak - Switch to a Plastic Tank?

Thanks to everyone for your advice. I went back to the boat yesterday 
and checked everything out, the leak is definitely from the tank but 
till I get it out I won't know where exactly. I have been reading about 
corrosion and metal tanks which makes me think about buying a plastic 
tank. Has anyone else done that?

One of the best suggestions I came across for installing a metal tank 
was to use 3M 5200 to attach strips of plastic to the bottom so that no 
water can get trapped next to the tank.

Ken Danko
Grace
#802

Ray Durand 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
>
>
>