A Dirty Fuel Tank

[Guest]

My Hurley 20 has a rectangular fuel tank fitted in the starboard locker. It is impossible to physically get it out in fact I'm not sure how it was fitted in the first place, it almost looks as though the boat was moulded around the fuel tank!!
My problem is that the tank is full of 'bits' and all sorts of horrible crap.
It has not been in use for the last two years as we have been manageing with the outboard but now I have rebuilt the inboard and am about to refit it the last thing I want is bits and stuff going down the spout and in to my nice shiny engine!!
Any ideas on how to clean it out would be gratefully received
Ian

 

[claymore]

Can you get a hoover down into the tank? - one of those aquavacs would do it and it would be a good opportunity to flush out the tank. It might even be a good idea to cut a hole, clean it out then fit an inspection cover to the hole so that you can do the job again in the future if necessary.
Final thought. If its a hurley 20 you only need a small diesel tank because the engine will be so economical - rip out the tank and fit a new plastimo or similar and re-pipe it all then you've given it belt and braces
regards
JohnS

 

[david_bagshaw]

Wouldnt let your insurers know you used an aqua vac to lift fuel oil.

Many vacs have brush motors that spark!!,

the air you suck up goes past the motor for cooling

if you over fill the vac fuel will go through the hot motor!!

Fumes + sparks= BIG BANG

Good Luck with the claim!!!!


David
www.euroboating.net

 

[dave_gibsea]

I recently had the same problem but I can get my tank out. I got it steam cleaned -the result was excellent. I know some of these steam cleaning people will travel so they may be prepared to come to you. Otherwise a new tank could be the order of the day.

 

[ccscott49]

DO NOT USE A WET OR DRY VACUNM! you are likely to blow yourself and those around you into very small pieces! Just as David says.

 

[MedMan]

It is more than likely that the tank was fitted before the hull and deck were bonded together. I had the same problem on my Trident Voyager 35. The local GRP man in Brighton said he could cut a hole in the side of my hull, slide the tank out and, when I had cleaned the tank, put it back and glass it back in so I would never know the difference. Hmm! I opted to cut the tank out and put in a new one in a more sensible place.

David

 

[PaulJ]

If access is really that restricted you could try filling the tank with fuel and then using a pump to "circulate" that fuel through a filter and back into the tank.
I guess it would help to put a stick down the filler hole and stir up the muck occasionally and obviously the filter will need changing fairl frequently. Electric pumps are expensive though, I bought one for transferring fuel from one tank to another and I think it cost me about £120 however there is a kind of basic manual pump that can be bought from agricultural suppliers for getting fuel out of 40gallon drums and I think they cost about £25....

 

[vyv_cox]

A manual bilge pump is perfectly OK for diesel. Circulation with a pump is a good idea but ensure that flow rate is kept high to keep the contaminants in suspension. In the early stages a fairly coarse, simple strainer would probably work well. I find wife's old tights to be very appropriate for this duty. If you have an inspection cover, put the suction pipe through this and the discharge back down the filler pipe. You should then be able to use 1.5 inch tubing.