Fuel disposal - South coast

getting the stuff off the tank walls involved a fair bit of scrubbing with a scotchbrite pad. No way it would have been removed by any kind of simple flushing.

In that case, no real danger of it coming off and causing a problem, surely?
 
Sea-Fever said:
Perhaps I'm being too cautious but I would like to see inside.
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Inspection camera in through the filler port, then. Should only take a few minutes unless the tank’s really buried away somewhere. Then you’ll know what you’re dealing with, which could in fact be a clean tank with no further work required.

Pete
 
Stemar said:
getting the stuff off the tank walls involved a fair bit of scrubbing with a scotchbrite pad. No way it would have been removed by any kind of simple flushing.

In that case, no real danger of it coming off and causing a problem, surely?
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Unless one starts adding chemicals which loosen it....
 
superheat6k said:
I am in Hamble and have a portable polishing unit that can decant it if you have a 12v dc supply. I would need to know approximately how many drums are needed. Once it has been through my polishing rig a few time it will go in my own tanks if you really don't want it.

Any cruddy residue I can dispose of in my factory's bonded waste oil tank where it will be properly disposed off as controlled waste.
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Superheat6k....have PM'd you.

Tank is full...160litres.

Drew off a bit in a clear bottle. It looked OK with a few bits in it but also a suspect bit of brown slimy substance!!

I can't see into the tank in any meaningful way.

Next stop...empty tank...cut access hatch.

Am also going to investigate the cost of a new tank. Bloody boats... Who'd 'ave 'em!
 
if you can get the tank out then cut the top off and jet wash, scrub it, then just get someone to weld it back up.:encouragement: Or get a stainless plate and a sheet of neoprene and have an access hatch made with captive nuts in the tank so it unbolts
 
solent clown said:
if you can get the tank out then cut the top off and jet wash, scrub it, then just get someone to weld it back up.:encouragement: Or get a stainless plate and a sheet of neoprene and have an access hatch made with captive nuts in the tank so it unbolts
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I know it sounds like a bodge but I was going to use a plain polythene chopping board available from a catering place together with a sheet of nitrile rubber, maybe 2-3mm and some stainless nuts and bolts.....hey presto hatch!! Or I could just order one from seascrew with fittings already present....
 
Sea-Fever said:
I know it sounds like a bodge but I was going to use a plain polythene chopping board available from a catering place together with a sheet of nitrile rubber, maybe 2-3mm and some stainless nuts and bolts.....hey presto hatch!! Or I could just order one from seascrew with fittings already present....
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sounds ok
 
Sea-Fever said:
I know it sounds like a bodge but I was going to use a plain polythene chopping board available from a catering place together with a sheet of nitrile rubber, maybe 2-3mm and some stainless nuts and bolts.....hey presto hatch!! Or I could just order one from seascrew with fittings already present....
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Nuts and bolts?
How will you hold the nut or bolt still inside the tank to do it up? Or indeed to undo it again?
Depending on the thickness of the metal, either tapping, inserts of some sort, or a tapped backing piece will be a good way forwards?
 
lw395 said:
Nuts and bolts?
How will you hold the nut or bolt still inside the tank to do it up? Or indeed to undo it again?
Depending on the thickness of the metal, either tapping, inserts of some sort, or a tapped backing piece will be a good way forwards?
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Two thick polythene chopping board ~12mm thick = £12.....cut a thick "ring" ...about 250mm diameter...and about 30mm across....like a flat donut. Countersink stainless bolts pointing down (into tank) but also countersink from other side some more bolts facing up. Two nitrile gaskets one between ring and tank and one on top of ring. Then cut suitably sized disc out of other chopping board and drill holes to suit the bolts already fitted to the ring. MEGA-BODGE.....or for £35 just buy one from seascrew.....like this one...

http://www.seascrew.com/suite_images/Tank-Plate.gif

Although looking at it I would have the same problem unless those screws in the photo are self tappers. Tanks is only a couple of mm at most.
 
solent clown said:
if you can borrow a camera, or buy a cheap one, might all be irrelevant? Worth an ask on here. We dont have one, but someone local might
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The tank is full...you could only poke a camera in by an inch....not sure that would show you the bottom where all the crud is likely to be unfortunately....
 
Sea-Fever said:
The tank is full...you could only poke a camera in by an inch....not sure that would show you the bottom where all the crud is likely to be unfortunately....
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ok, well I would say take up one of the offers on here or borrow a pump and some drums, get it emptied and then have a look. Would be prudent to look before you leap, as it were. If you need a pump and some drums to DIY, give me a shout, and you have an offer on polishing too from another fine member, so it makes sense to pull it out anyway, especially if you can reuse it. :encouragement:
 
I have answered your PM and look forward to your call. For captive nuts then rivnuts would be ideal. But once the fuel is out you can better judge how severe, or otherwise any contamination is.
 
You say the tank is steel, if it is stainless then fitting large inspection hatches and a clean up can make sense. If however the steel is mild steel and untreated in side I would bin the tank and start again with either stainless or polypropylene, then no more crud ever.
 
Vetus do a range of connection kits that grip in the tank by expanding a rubber ring, see the instructions at https://www.vetus.com/media/magentominds/sasdocument/20121107011126_0.pdf . Claims to work on 1/16" metal.
Maybe the one you've seen works the same way to avoid either captive nuts or an intermediate ring.
Alternatively you can do it by having a ring to go inside the tank with tapped holes in it with matching holes in the tank. Make a couple of flats at 180 deg on the outer edge to reduce the width a bit, and a couple of short as possible slots in the edge of the hole you cut in the tank. Put the ring in with the flatted edges going through the slots then rotate it 90 so that the flats and slots no longer coincide. You can then put a long screw through your cover and into the tank and ring in one hole while you hold up the ring by hand, then put the cover down on the tank and put the other screws in, holding up the ring by the long screw, finally replace the long screw with a short screw or just screw it right in if it won't hit anything. That's how Vetus's previous range of connectors worked but I can't find the instruction sheet for it now. Mine was on a plastic tank but i don't see why it shouldn't work on metal.
Hope that is intelligible.

Edit - or you can shape the ring to fiddle it in as in this pic https://www.asap-supplies.com/us/fuel-tank-interconnection-kit-ftld
 
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Plevier said:
Alternatively you can do it by having a ring to go inside the tank with tapped holes in it with matching holes in the tank. Make a couple of flats at 180 deg on the outer edge to reduce the width a bit, and a couple of short as possible slots in the edge of the hole you cut in the tank. Put the ring in with the flatted edges going through the slots then rotate it 90 so that the flats and slots no longer coincide.
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Or just make the whole thing rectangular instead of round and then there’s no problem with putting it through the hole and no need for clever flats and slots :p

Pete
 
prv said:
Or just make the whole thing rectangular instead of round and then there’s no problem with putting it through the hole and no need for clever flats and slots :p

Pete
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Ah but don't you think a round one looks much nicer? :)

(Where's the virtual pint symbol?) awarded
 
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sutton sailor said:
You say the tank is steel, if it is stainless then fitting large inspection hatches and a clean up can make sense. If however the steel is mild steel and untreated in side I would bin the tank and start again with either stainless or polypropylene, then no more crud ever.
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How does changing to stainless or polypropylene stop the crud from collecting?
 
Sandy said:
How does changing to stainless or polypropylene stop the crud from collecting?
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That's a good question.

Also...have you seen the cost of tek-tanks? A bespoke one from them starts at £584....no thanks.

Stainless might be an option...anyone know a good supplier??
 
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