Deisel tanks

[Gordonmc]

I am bracing myself for the inevitable replacing the mild steel fuel tanks... but with what?

I could get new ones made up in stainless steel, but as the shape is not irregular, just oblong boxes, this seems an expensive way to go.

There was a suggestion that plastic off-the-shelf tanks have a tendency to split down the seams and could run against some regulation or other.
I want to preserve the plumbing with the feed pipe coming from the bottom and a sump/drain. Do I have to take up from a top opening with a plastic tank?

For info the boat has twin tanks either side of the cockpit. The Port side one is heavily rusted and I suspect there is a good deal of rubbish in the bottom. There will be a fair bit of dismantling to be done, but its all wood.

Any comments welcome.

 

[ccscott49]

Vetus plastic tanks, fit and forget, thats what I would use. I would need to fit a bout four of the biggest each side, and pipe them together, but thats exactly what I would do. IMHO

 

[[448]]

I'm in the same boat (sic) as you Gordon, and am investigating obtaining 2nd hand tanks from a Mercedes truck. These are some kind of plastic material, and will have stood the test of time, and probably will not be expensive.
Cheers, Dave

 

[stretch33]

Vetus tanks okay although l only had a 24 gallon one. All the fittings went through the inspection type hatch - fuel pick up / return / vent and filler pipe. I was a bit worried about the seal on this hatch but it never leaked. Fuel pick up was about an inch from bottom of tank. Had single baffle in it - it was a bugger to clamp down as l recall, think they supplied webbing type straps that were no good, had to build a timber frame round it.

 

[vyv_cox]

Re: Diesel tanks

Split plastic tanks are surely a rarity? I understand that many production yachts have them fitted as standard and they are becoming common in the automotive and truck world. I fitted a Vetus one and it was excellent while I still had the boat.

 

[tr7v8]

Re: Diesel tanks

I'll think you'll find that the vast majority of production cars and vans have plastic tanks and have had for around 10-15 years. And you don't hear of many of these splitting. I'd have thought a scout round one of the bigger breakers would find something of about the right size, possibly small van or so and I suspect could be modified with very hot water and a bit of pushing. This would come with pickup gauge etc as well.

Jim
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[Trevethan]

Re: Diesel tanks

I tried looking for tanks from vans etc, and the largest I could find in plastic were about 30 gallons each. However someone suiggested tubular aluminium lorry fuel tanks.

Not bought them yet, but this seems to me to be a good solution and will let me carry a couple of hundred gallons without a problem.

Tanks will be under pilot house and far up as possible above the bilge water.

Opinions anyone?

Regards,

Nick

 

[bige]

its not worth messing about telephone a company called quay welding in gloucester
they will make any tank any size just give them a plan or your old tank and it will be perfect.just gave them my tank from my saddler 25(steel) and had a stainless steel made £11o and the quality was superb. recently asked for a quote for stanctions in stainless and refering to the pbo article colin (abemama) wrote he paid £1000 for his asked quay for the same price £320 i nearly fell over,unlucky colin?sory i have not got tel no to hand but will post asap


hope this helps bige

 

[bryantee]

I have a 70 litre vetus tank fitted.Only problem is when the tank top wilts a bit ,the pick up pipe is on the bottom.As there is no bottom drain,filter full of water ,just as we are entering marina.Oh S---.but thats another story.
rectified that by bolting s/s ange across the top plate and have a small filter primer pump with small pipe which fits into the vent outlet .this allows me to take any water out of the bottom of the tank.

 

[dickh]

Also look at www.tektanks.com or is it www.tek-tanks.com ?? Also do a large range of plastic fuel tanks and if I remember were better value when I investigated these earlier this year.

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...