dipping a fuel tank

Robin

Robin

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We have two diesel fuel tanks around 27-29inches deep from deck level, straight down access and would like a simple dip stick (Look in mirror stupid?) as the fuel gauges are unreliable, currently both gauges read above 'full' We inherited a wood cane and a fibreglass one but the level is impossible to see even with a torch. I have ordered a wooden yardstick to see if a flat one will show the level better than round but not sure until it arrives if it is shiny varnished or flat unvarnished wood which I suspect would be better. We have Flowscan meters on both engines but they only measure engine fuel consumptions, not genset or Eberspaecher,, currently all we are using and from only one tank.

Any ideas guys and gals? .
 
My local petrol station has aluminium pit sticks and they run a stick of chalk along the dip stick which makes it easy to read the fuel level.
 
Robin said:
We have two diesel fuel tanks around 27-29inches deep from deck level, straight down access and would like a simple dip stick (Look in mirror stupid?) as the fuel gauges are unreliable, currently both gauges read above 'full' We inherited a wood cane and a fibreglass one but the level is impossible to see even with a torch. I have ordered a wooden yardstick to see if a flat one will show the level better than round but not sure until it arrives if it is shiny varnished or flat unvarnished wood which I suspect would be better. We have Flowscan meters on both engines but they only measure engine fuel consumptions, not genset or Eberspaecher,, currently all we are using and from only one tank.

Any ideas guys and gals? .
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Float switch on the end of a pole.
Can operate a buzzer so, when filling you set the pole so the buzzer sounds when tank is full as well as being a dip stick.

Less tech: small bits of cloth threaded through holes in a pole.
 
Robin said:
We have two diesel fuel tanks around 27-29inches deep from deck level, straight down access and would like a simple dip stick (Look in mirror stupid?) as the fuel gauges are unreliable, currently both gauges read above 'full' We inherited a wood cane and a fibreglass one but the level is impossible to see even with a torch. I have ordered a wooden yardstick to see if a flat one will show the level better than round but not sure until it arrives if it is shiny varnished or flat unvarnished wood which I suspect would be better. We have Flowscan meters on both engines but they only measure engine fuel consumptions, not genset or Eberspaecher,, currently all we are using and from only one tank.

Any ideas guys and gals? .
Click to expand...

small dia stiff clear tube, pop it into the tank place thumb over the top hole & extract tube, the liquid level should be visible
 
pcatterall said:
We have same problem. We find chalk helpful but had to abrade the brass rod to get the chalk to stick. Worry also that the chalk may affect the fuel.
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We used to mark dip rods with chalk when I was in the MN and I still do it with my diesel tank now. I have been doing it for more than 20 years and it has had no effect on the fuel.
 
For a dipstick on my last boat, I bought a length of brass rod, and engraved it with a notch at 2” intervals. It worked not unlike an oil dipstick with the diesel just visible in the notches. I also attached an old wooden file handle at one end and then fixed a length of plastic conduit to a bulkhead to act as a holder for it when not in use. As far as I know the new owner of the boat is still using it, and I now need to make another for my new boat.
 
Varnished wooden dowel sanded matt. Works OK
I think my choice would be an aluminium rod with notches filed every so often.
 
The dipstick on my boat is permanently screwed into the tank. The drill is unscrew it, wipe it dry, re-insert it then pull it out and try and see how far up the diesel came. As others have pointed out it can be very hard to see the level.

My solution was to scribe grooves around the dipstick every cm. The diesel fill the grooves and it is very easy to tell the difference between wetted grooves and dry ones.
 
I have uncoated teak 1cm x 1cm cross section, with cut grooves at 10 litre intervals. Diesel easily visible. Wipe with paper towel after use and store dry.
 
Dipstick!

MM5AHO said:
I have uncoated teak 1cm x 1cm cross section, with cut grooves at 10 litre intervals. Diesel easily visible. Wipe with paper towel after use and store dry.
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Mine (a length of hardwood dowel) came with the boat and was marked in gallons. Earlier this year, whilst wiping up the mess caused by overfilling the tank slightly due to having made a mistake in the mental arithmetic converting litres to gallons when filling from a pump, I had a sudden brainwave. Why not make a new one, marked every 5 litres?

Eureka! No more spills. :o
 
Re: Dipstick!

Some great ideas thanks to all.I have ordered some chalk sticks and a metre of clear plastic pipe, will also try sanding the hardwood yardstick and even rubbing chalk on it.
 
Re: Dipstick!

I used dowels initially sprayed matt white, put thin strips of masking tape on at appropriate intervals and then oversprayed matt black, removed tape and carried on.
 
i also use a dip stick with slightly smaller tank than what you have,, i lay out a length of tissue paper ( toilet roll / blue hand towel ) , take the dip stick and lay it on the tissue paper ( blue hand towel is best ) , you will soon see where the wet mark is.
 
cherod said:
i also use a dip stick with slightly smaller tank than what you have,, i lay out a length of tissue paper ( toilet roll / blue hand towel ) , take the dip stick and lay it on the tissue paper ( blue hand towel is best ) , you will soon see where the wet mark is.
Click to expand...

like it, simplest ideas are often the best!
 
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