Fuel tank leak

AndieMac said:
The Depstech combined with an iPad/tablet provides a good enough image, I’ve heard ones with their own monitors are not great.
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Mine works well with my Android phone but I need a lot more practice using it when the probe cable is extended as manouvering it at a distance is not easy.
 
I have a low resolution endoscope with a flexi cable. The other is hi def larger screen but the very long cable is just cable. So I tape them together, so I can aim it and see a decent view
 
Fr J Hackett said:
7à litres is not coming from anywhere but the tank, if you had 70 litres in the bilge it would have stunk to high heaven plus it's appearing gradually and consistently that doesn't equate to coming from the bilge, far more more likely a leak, it's just a question of where. Are there any hidden connections?
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It can siphon down the supply to the pump until it reaches the same level
 
Bouba said:
Can it siphon using the return line, because the line going from the tank to the pump is closed by a stopcock ?
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It will syphon out if the line is full of fuel, there's no valve in that line at the tank and you cut the pipe below the level of fuel in the tank.

If you don't cut the line but simply follow it to the engine it will also leak from any holes, couplings etc. you encounter. It won't syphon once you pass anything able to completely block fuel flow. Of course you could always get a leak from the outlet pipe if you have then reached a point still below tank fuel level and that hasn't been sealed.

These possibilities vanish once the tank is isolated and any leak from components outside the tank will be limited to a pretty small volume.

Isolate the tank and you have removed alternative routes for a leak.
 
stelican said:
Depends how far return dip pipe extends into tank.
Normally not very far.
As said many times isolate all pipes
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That's a very good point I missed. I was assuming it dipped as far as the outlet pipe but there's no need for it to do that at all. Obviously the inlet pipe must start low down and there's no such requirement for the return line to extend to the bottom of the tank.

The return line probably wouldn't syphon but just leak until empty. Thanks for spotting that point. I think Bouba's comment about a valve in the fuel outlet made me concentrate too much on the fact that it was irrelevant. :D:D
 
A Quick update
I went to the boat today, I pumped out the hull and found that, as usual, I am collecting half a liter of diesel fuel in the hull every day.
I have a few personal projects on the go right now but in a couple of weeks I should be free to finally get the job done.
I had hoped that it would have stopped by now and I could then top it up to test it but no such luck. In fact I would not know how to get a jerrycan of diesel but I don’t think this is going to stop until the tank is dry, so it’s all rather academic
 
Fr J Hackett said:
From what I remember you haven't isolated the tank and tested it for leaks so if that is the case that should be the first thing that you do when you can. After that the course of action should be clearer.

Good luck.
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I haven’t actually isolated the tank, because I couldn’t physically remove the fuel hoses (my shoulders are no longer up for it after my recent fall and I didn’t want to cut the lines.....but it’s possible I could do from the engine side...)
 
Bouba said:
I haven’t actually isolated the tank, because I couldn’t physically remove the fuel hoses (my shoulders are no longer up for it after my recent fall and I didn’t want to cut the lines.....but it’s possible I could do from the engine side...)
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You are probably going to have to get someone to do the work for you. :cry:
 
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