[C320-list] New member/basic question

[Graeme Clark]

Welcome to the association Jack.

Last year i removed my fuel tank (original to boat, 1996) and had a new bottom welded into place following discovery after cleaning that the bottom was severely pitted and I think would have developed a pinhole leak very quickly had I not acted.

Others here have replaced their tanks entirely with new ones, and there is quite a lot of discussion about it as well as some tech articles if you search in that section of the association website.

The removal process is reasonably easy. The boards over the tank are in two sections and simply unscrew all the screws and then play the game of fiddling around to get them into the correct orientation to remove them. It is possible but sometimes it doesn't seem that way.

You’ll probably have to get yourself into the aft port locker (maybe through the hatch from the aft cabin) to access the screws that are holding the boards in place from beneath at the rear edge, which is under the sugar scoop part of the transom.

The tank is held in with a strap that can be removed and (having  removed the fuel first - use a hand pump as a suggestion) it can be manoeuvred out behind the rudder post and then through the hatch into the aft cabin. its too tight to get it through the locker hatchways and in fact I had to unscrew the surround of the aft cabin hatch to get my tank through.

Cleaning and internal inspection isn't easy as the only access is the fuel gauge sender unit which is a hole about 2 inches across. There is also an internal baffle half way across the tank. In the end I cut two access holes and then added removable screw-down access hatches later when reassembling.

But as soon as you lift out the tank, maybe before even, you should be able to see or feel if there is a fuel leak.

Of course before you do all that, best check the filler, feed, return and breather hoses for possible leaks!

Hope this helps.

I’m sure others will pitch in to direct you better to the previous articles etc

Graeme
#366, 1996, UK
> On 1 Aug 2018, at 23:26, Jack Brennan <jackbrennan at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> 
> Today, I brought home a 1998 Catalina 320 after selling my beloved Bristol 30. It needs a lot of work. As a boat ad I once saw said: Rare find! All original condition!
> 
> So here’s the dumb question of the day:
> 
> I have a mystery diesel leak into the bilge. It doesn’t seem to be coming from around the diesel or Racor fuel filter, so I’m guessing it must be the fuel tank. I’m also guessing the fuel tank is in the starboard cockpit locker at the stern.
> 
> Any tips on how to start investigating this? There appears to be a board over what I suspect is the fuel tank. Can someone clue me on the procedure for removing the tank? I tried searching previous messages, but didn’t find what I need.
> 
> Jack Brennan
> Unnamed 1998 Catalina 320
> Tierra Verde, Fl.
> 
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