daft fuel tank ... and getting crud out

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the guy who fitted out my boat many moons ago never intended fuel tank to come out. He placed tank in fwd stbd section. Bolted down to glassed in beams. Then proceeded to build fwd stbd Vee berth over / around it. So now we have a captive tank. The tank is a mild steel "truck" tank ....

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seen here with part of the framing etc.

Problem is the fuel pick-up into the tank ... the far right tube going in near the frame ... cannot be taken out of tank to allow access ... it is an olive job onto a fixed union. That part of the tank is sitting behind a wonderful full height baffle that stops any access from the nicely placed inspection plug middle top of tank.

I have siphoned out all the crud from the tank as possible - but still find that the crud is sitting where the pick-up is causing partial blockage of supply pick-up .. preventing me from running / bleeding engine fuel system.

I'm loathe to cut the tank up to get it out - as being in Latvia - have no local Tek-Tanks etc. to replace it with.

So if I cut a hole into the aft section top of the tank to access it ... what do I blank it of with - as I cannot get access under to fit a backing plate etc.

Initial ideas revolved round blowing air into tank via engien end of fuel pipe and then sucking out with PELA via engine end of pipe .. but of course pipe will likely clog ... so back to access at suction end of pipe !

Any ideas / suggestions ..... I can deal with the crappy fuel - no problem ... it's the bl****y tank is the problem !
 
how about moving the pick up pipe,ie drill a hole and glass a tube into it,or as i have done to my tank,depending on what access you want use a hole saw/jigsaw with fine blade,cut an access into each area of the tank,get a pc of thin mild steel put a rubber gasket,or maybe even soft plastic under it,then fix it down with self tapping screws,drill them first get rid of swarf from tank a bit of sealant on the screw threads ,maybe a smear of loctite on the faces if possible
and away you go'
if using a hole cutter be carefull as the cutter may snag as it goes through and watch out for the baffles
 
[ QUOTE ]
Any ideas / suggestions ..... I can deal with the crappy fuel - no problem ... it's the bl****y tank is the problem !

[/ QUOTE ]Easy one that. Have a look at the fitting used to retrofit a calorifier coil into a hot water tank. A shouldered stub (threaded) goes through the hole followed by an over sized washer with a "V" cut out of it. This washer is rotated through the hole and pulled back against the inside of the tank by the shoulder on the stub. A plain oversized washer is fitted over the stub and a nut run down the threads to tighten the outer washer against the inner one with the wall of the tank sandwiched between. As for plugging the stub a standard threaded pipe cap would do nicely. The fittings are available in 15, 22 and 30mm ID

A search of some good plumbing sites should turn them up.
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"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
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Both Cliff and Oriz- whats it !! mmmmmm never thought to move the pick up - that makes sense ... ok I lose maybe 2-3ltrs use of tank as it sits at back end of tank - but thats good in fact ... means crud stays away from pick up.
The Calorifier plug is a good one and I shall be visiting my local plumbers store ...

I did think as Oriz... said to "seal a plate" back on ... with self-tappers and gunk ... as it's basically a once a year job if that ... but the Cliff idea of plugging ...

Thanks guys ... I think you've cracked it ...
 
If you cut a rectangular accrss hole you can make up an internal rectangular that can be frrd into the tank and twisted 90 °.

If you nake up the internal frome and rectungalar cover drill homes through both the use internal frant to drill top of tank all should match. I normally tap the internal frome and fit studs and open the cover to match . Drill and csk 2 extra holes in internal frome and top of tank but not cover to fix in internal frame to hold until cover is bolted on.

Making the hole rectangular allows you to use a small angle grinder with cutting disk to cut hole after drilling holes in corners.
 
An 'Essex Flange' /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Named Chardonnay' no doubt..... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Union screwed in ... ?

That's what I expected ... I removed the feed pipe and put a wrench on the union .. but nothing budged .. I was afraid to give it too much in case it snapped of ..... then I'd really be in the s**t.

The tank is well over 30yr old ... and as far as I can see - never had the union out ..... but it doesn't make sense to have a welded in pick-up .... maybe I should grit my teeth and try again !! with a bit more wellie ...

I've just ordered a water-tight inspection hatch of ebay for hugely expensive sum of 2 quid .... that I will fit into the tank once I cut the hole .. then I have an easily removed inspection hatch for later excursions into the interior !! If I get the pipe out with union - I have other uses for the hatch !! so not wasted ...
 
Finally lost patience with it and put some effort into seeing if supply pipe was screwed in ..............

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Boy was it screwed in !! But it eventually gave in and came out ... so now it's clean out the section ....... Measured the position of the baffle - yep lies right up against that suction pipe !
 
An old trick was to put a bend in the end ... so that open end was up rather than down ! Trouble is not possible here as the hole is too small to allow it ... Another way is to drill a couple of small holes in the side of the pick-up tube just up from end ... OR grind a couple of slots so that if falke of paint etc. gets picked up - fuel still flows via slots ...

But all will leave significant amount of fuel unuseable in bottom of tank.......
 
So after all the huffing and puffing .... we finally got the suction pipe out ... tank seems ok ...

Diesel eng'r visits ... within an hour he's gone through all the bleed routines, the checks etc .... and yep : >

Injector pump is clogged up ........

So original pump we took of in the spring is now in service being cleaned etc. to put back on ... the replacement Recon pump we fitted will be similarly cleaned and kept as spare ......... (It appears that problem last winter was same cause .. blocked Inj. pupmp .......)
 
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