Fuel tank leak

Poignard said:
How about posting some photos Boobs? Photos of the tank, I mean, not of you looking lost and anxious. :ROFLMAO:

Then we can advise you where to apply the angle grinder, wrecking bar, large hammer etc.
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Yes, definitely need photos, even images, screen shots with an endoscope on an iPad where fittings connect with hoses etc.
 
Don’t blame me! The alert ? hasn’t told me about all these posts. So, thank you all for continuing to take an interest ?
There isn’t much to report. I can access the filler hose connection to the tank and I gave it a little tighten up, but it’s double clamped so shouldn’t have been a problem.
It’s true I have been distracted, the car, the car port, and few personnel things. The boat, I guess, is out of sight and out of mind. We will push Beneteau to send someone but, appart from pumping out the bilge, I can’t go any further. And it’s probably easier to pump out a little at a time from the hull than pump it all out in one go (and easier to dispose of).
I have posted pictures before but will check my phone and add so more if necessary. Endoscopic views are always disappointing and uninformative and not worth publishing. In fact the most useful think about my endoscopes is that they are a makeshift dipstick. I poke them in all the nooks and crannies and it always comes up dry. So the diesel spill, despite it being a large volume, has confined itself to the hull under the engine room only. Not forward to the accommodation nor aft to the lazaret.
Today, I put the legs on my car port and it is now two meters high. It took some effort and now I’m resting my back.
All the best and thank you
 
Bouba said:
Don’t blame me! The alert ? hasn’t told me about all these posts. So, thank you all for continuing to take an interest ?
There isn’t much to report. I can access the filler hose connection to the tank and I gave it a little tighten up, but it’s double clamped so shouldn’t have been a problem.
It’s true I have been distracted, the car, the car port, and few personnel things. The boat, I guess, is out of sight and out of mind. We will push Beneteau to send someone but, appart from pumping out the bilge, I can’t go any further. And it’s probably easier to pump out a little at a time from the hull than pump it all out in one go (and easier to dispose of).
I have posted pictures before but will check my phone and add so more if necessary. Endoscopic views are always disappointing and uninformative and not worth publishing. In fact the most useful think about my endoscopes is that they are a makeshift dipstick. I poke them in all the nooks and crannies and it always comes up dry. So the diesel spill, despite it being a large volume, has confined itself to the hull under the engine room only. Not forward to the accommodation nor aft to the lazaret.
Today, I put the legs on my car port and it is now two meters high. It took some effort and now I’m resting my back.
All the best and thank you
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Better get it bolted down before the wind comes back.
 
Ok, update........(drumroll).......nothing...the Beneteau man came this morning. He had a good root around and is equally mystified. But his advice is sound......wait and monitor the situation. He said removing the tank will be a big job, and of course they are shut for two weeks over Christmas (so is our boat yard). So continue to pump out the hull, in the hope that it is not the tank. He also pointed out that the diesel I’m collecting has water mixed in. That is probably from the bilge.
So many clues keep pointing in opposite directions....
 
If it still is not clear where the leak is coming from I would disconnect and drain down all the fuel lines at both ends to the engine, tank and gennie (if you have one). Then remove and empty the fuel filters on the engine too so it is effectively empty of diesel. Empty the prefilters too so there is nothing in the fuel supply system.
If it is the engine leaking fuel then sod all will be able to leak out and the diesel leak will stop
If it's the fuel pipes it will stop as they are empty.
If it is still leaking - it has to be the tank
 
Aardee said:
Is it possible to isolate the tank - Block the outlet as close to the tank as possible and drain everything downstream to prove whether or not the tank is the root cause?
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The mechanics thinking is that if it’s not the tank, then what’s in the hull is old diesel from when I had a slight weeping of the fuel inlet/outlet ports that I nipped up during summer. Now that is the best case scenario, and since it’s Christmas and it’s a big expensive job, might as well carry on monitoring it.
As far as we can see, there is no visible leak. So either pressurize the tank or pull the boat apart. I’ve isolated the tank as best I can.
One anomaly is the fuel gauges. I’ve never ever trusted them, but he said it should have registered some loss (in fact it actually shows more fuel in it than a month ago!)
 
Stelican and Kashurst, the fuel cocks have been shut off for months now. But I will, in the coming days, physically remove all fuel hoses
 
With the amount you pumped out the second time, it has to be a split in the tank. How much fuel is in the pipes and filters?
 
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RAI said:
With the amount you pumped out the second time, it has to be a split in the tank. How much fuel is in the pipes and filters?
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I’m pumping out half a liter a day, consistently. In total I would guess 70 + liters. The fuel lines would hold a couple of cupfuls, I’d guess. And the engine and generator fuel filters are still full of fuel. With the tank stopcocks shut, I’m guessing that the fuel in the fuel lines and engine / generator has not lost a drop.
But it’s all speculation
 
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