Fuel tank inspection hatch cutting.

[rogerthebodger]

Most materials can be cut with a jigsaw, with no sparks..

Cutting materials with and angle grinder will only create sparks when cutting steel/ stainless steel/

Try cutting steel or stainless steel with a jig saw take all day

GRP, HDPE or aluminum tanks could be cut with a jig saw but would need a hole drilled to start your jig saw cut

 

[Farmer Piles]

Think it is Vetus who make round hatches with an expanding seal that fit a hole cut in the tank. Bit of DIY with a jigsaw?

I bought one of their kits and had to take it back as the core drill would not penetrate my S/S tank even though it said that it was designed for S/S. It was something like 158mm diameter so almost impossible to find a replacement
It wasn't an expensive kit and the concept was great but even with a seriously beefy engineer on the drill it just blunted the teeth and gave up. If your tank is something other than stainless a Vetus kit would be a good and simple option. Maybe it was the grade of stainless my tank was made of - who knows.

 

[Farmer Piles]

PS
In the end we drill a pilot hole with a cobalt drill and used a nibbler to make the hole for the hatch. Sucked the swarf and crude out with an industrial vacuum cleaner and then wiped it all out with cloths.

 

[mrangry]

I have had many issues with diesel bug and always after being in heavy seas and trying to motor into a confined area like a a marina where you do not want the engine cutting out. I used a 100mm hole saw and made circular discs which were bolted with neoprene gaskets, six in total due to baffles within the tank. Using diesel additives is simply not enough and neither is fuel polishing, the crap needs to be physically removed and the tank cleaned.

 

[Sea Change]

I recently needed to access the inside of my diesel tank, so I ran it to nearly empty and then very carefully cut a circular hole with a grinder, working my way around the complete circle but not quite cutting all the way through. This minimised swarf getting in to the tank. I had hoped to use tin snips to complete the job but they wouldn't touch the 2.5mm stainless, even though I had cut a deep groove already. The grinder easily finished the job and the amount of debris that got in to the tank was minimal, certainly nothing compared to what was already in there.
Lacking better options, I bought a dinghy type inspection hatch with a clear cover, and bolted it in with some CT1. I detected no leaks but I was also a bit shy of fully filling the tank.

Fast forward a few weeks, and the cheap little dinghy hatch has completely failed, presumably from the stresses of the tank moving in some way. The surround is fine but the clear part has shattered.

For now, I've got a plastic plate covering the hole, with some wooden packers wedged in place to hold it down. Almost certainly not leak proof but it will prevent fuel from sloshing out in any great quantity. Hopefully when I next have the chance, I can get a more robust type of hatch. Although I did really like having the ability to glance inside the tank, especially as I have no fuel gauge.

So the moral of the story is, try to fit something a bit more substantial than a dinghy hatch...

 

[PabloPicasso]

What do you expect to find that your CAV filter has not already told you. Our fuel tank is vertical, it sits in a deep locker and the tank has a recess through which the mast fits. The tank is white gel coated fibre glass and I cannot see to the bottom of it. We fill our tank using 20l cans with the diesel purchased from standard roadside petrol stations. over 20 years of ownership we have not once had a problem with questionable fuel.

Our fuel tank has no inspection hatch.

Jonathan

Lucky ol' you.

Or did you mean "After over 20 years of ownership we have not once had a problem with questionable fuel... ... YET!!!