[C320-list] Fuel tank replacement

[David Prudden]

Doug,
FWIW, Jeff Hare redesigned his fuel tank that still fits through the aft cabin opening once the frame is removed....I believe it has a 23+ gallon capacity vs the OEM 19 gallons. I think the details are in the discussion list histories....

David Prudden
#787

Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 15, 2020, at 5:27 PM, Doug Treff <doug at treff.us> wrote:
> 
> John,
> 
> Thanks for your input. I'll consider that option once I have the tank out and have a look at it. Ultimately I may still replace it and then never worry about the tank again as long as I own the boat. You can't see what's going on inside there (no access plate on stock tanks) and from what I've heard they corrode from the inside out due to water being heavier than fuel, so it sits at the bottom and corrodes the aluminum. It holds fuel right up to the moment it doesn't.
> 
> Also, I did find the following article on the C320 site after I sent the email earlier. In case any others are wondering the same things I am...
> 
> https://c320.org/filemgmt/index.php?id=198&query=fuel+tank
> 
> --
> Doug Treff
> doug at treff.us
> 
>> On Tue, Dec 15, 2020, at 5:02 PM, John Morrison wrote:
>> In addition to what Graeme says the tank is not difficult to get out 
>> once the frame and door are removed. Rather than immediately getting a 
>> new one suggest you get it examined,It cost me 100CAD and the tank 
>> turned out to be fine. Lots of automotive shops around provide this 
>> service. Tank was 20 years old. While doing this I cleaned up the port 
>> lazzerette shelving and painted it brite white, easier to see in there 
>> now.  You should replace all the hosing in there whilst you’re at it.
>> Y ou’re gonna be busy. 
>> JohnM 
>> 1999#574
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>>> On Dec 15, 2020, at 4:44 PM, Graeme Clark <cg at skyflyer.co.uk> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Doug
>>> 
>>> Short answer: I don't remember but it wasn't a problem - until it came to getting it through to the cabin. You need to take the whole hatch out including the frame, the tank is too big to go through the open hatch when it is in place.
>>> 
>>> Graeme
>>> #366, 1996
>>> 
>>>> On 15 Dec 2020, at 17:58, Doug Treff <doug at treff.us> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> All,
>>>> 
>>>> I've got a bunch of work to be done in my aft compartment this off-season. Need to remove the air conditioner to make some repairs. Also need to replace my dead refrigerator. Gonna be spending lots of quality time in there...
>>>> 
>>>> My boat is 24 years old. After reading a lot about others whose tanks failed at around the 20 year mark, it seems reasonable to do this job now while I have the opportunity. My concern is that if I skip it, I'll have diesel in my bilge immediately after I bolt all the other stuff back in there. I really don't want to address that rear compartment again if I can get all the difficult jobs done at once. I can't think of a better time to replace the fuel tank than when all the obstacles are removed already.
>>>> 
>>>> When I bought the boat, we dealt with a diesel leak that turned out to be a leaking sender unit. The problem was easy to fix but the diesel odor that resulted from the leak was difficult to clean up. The entire time I was dealing with that, I feared that the tank itself was leaking. Luckily it wasn't but I don't want to revisit that environmental mess and odor again.
>>>> 
>>>> What I haven't seen explained, is how does the tank fit past the rudder shaft and quadrant to come out through the access hole on the port side? Do you need to do anything to the quadrant temporarily in order to slide the tank through there? I'm guessing it may slide under the sugar scoop area of the transom to pass by the rudder shaft, but I'd rather not guess.
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks in advance from others who may have done this. I'm also interested in any other preventative jobs that you suggest while I'm in there. I'm apparently a glutton for punishment.  ;-)
>>>> 
>>>> --
>>>> Doug Treff
>>>> doug at treff.us
>>>> 
>>> 
>>