Fuel Tank Removal on Westerly Oceanlord

Chris_Robb

Chris_Robb

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 Jun 2001
Messages
8,075
Location
Haslemere/ Leros
Visit site
I have a badly leaking tank and need to get it out and install a new one.

I am in Leros Marina in the Dodecanese at the moment, so in need of a bit of help from some one who has done it already!

It is rumoured that the tank can come out over the engine by taking the woodwork to pieces round the engine, I think this means just the
forward end of the engine compartment. The side panels look to be structural and are glassed into the cockpit floor.

Replacement tank: New one made out of Polypropylene from Tek Tanks. Ship to Greece. Alternatives - repair current mild steel 1991 vintage tank.
Repair by epoxy putty - not feasible because the leak is under the tank and too far under to get at - working only with a mirror for visibility.

Thanks
 
Talulah said:
http://www.westerly-owners.co.uk/woaforum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1975

Another option is to make your own out of fibreglass using the current tank as a mold.
Click to expand...

Thanks - having looked now at the job in more detail it looks like - with the removal of Steering wires, Cockpit drain pipes, Seawater filter, Racor filter, and header tank, and the furniture at the front of the engine which looks like it all unscrews- it will be a tolerable job.

Once the tank is out I will take stock of what it looks like.

Thanks for finding that WOA link - my internet was too slow to search!

Now to get on with it!!!
 
Pity you are not still in the Ionian as there is a very good tank maker in Corfu who made my holding tank. Similar to Tek Tanks but probably lower cost www.top-tank.com may be of use to you.

Would agree going the new tank route. Repairing an old mild steel tank is likely to be a short term fix and you only want to do this job once!
 
Tranona said:
Pity you are not still in the Ionian as there is a very good tank maker in Corfu who made my holding tank. Similar to Tek Tanks but probably lower cost www.top-tank.com may be of use to you.Would agree going the new tank route. Repairing an old mild steel tank is likely to be a short term fix and you only want to do this job once!
Click to expand...
Thanks Tranona I agree about not wasting time on the old tank unless its very localized. Otherwise the debate is on - I suppose between having Polyprop in the engine room or steel - for fire risk - however if stainless then it must be an excellent welder or the sams will just go.So fisrt job - out with the tank and then look at it.Thanks
 
The Oceanlord engine bay, engine and fuel tank arrangements are pretty much identical to the Sealords arrangements from memory.

Measure carefully is my suggestion as the only way our tank came out was by removing the engine. (I took ours out and cleaned and painted it when I had our engine out.)

If you remove the plugs over the screws holding the forward end of the engine bay in place (behind the steps) the whole of the front comes off and gives you very good access.

Good luck and I hope you can maneuver the fuel tank over the top of the engine as you suggest.
 
Chris_Robb said:
Thanks Tranona I agree about not wasting time on the old tank unless its very localized. Otherwise the debate is on - I suppose between having Polyprop in the engine room or steel - for fire risk - however if stainless then it must be an excellent welder or the sams will just go.So fisrt job - out with the tank and then look at it.Thanks
Click to expand...
No fire risk. Very few metal tanks used these days. Car tanks are plastic. Be wary of stainless as the welds can cause problems. I had a SS tank made in Greece for water and a weld failed on the outside in a most inaccessible place.
 
Just a point on fire risk.

My Twister had a mild steel tank just abaft the engine and in the same space.

Inevitably it rusted through about two days before the new owner took possession.

He chose a stainless tank as a replacement, but had it installed in a cockpit locker, so that in the event that it ever did leak, it wouldn't do so into the engine space. I paid for the tank, he paid for re-running fuel lines, etc.

So Chris, if your boat has space elsewhere, why not consider relocating the tank - and preferably somewhere where it'll be easy to install and inspect than the current arrangement?
 
Twister_Ken said:
Just a point on fire risk.

My Twister had a mild steel tank just abaft the engine and in the same space.

Inevitably it rusted through about two days before the new owner took possession.

He chose a stainless tank as a replacement, but had it installed in a cockpit locker, so that in the event that it ever did leak, it wouldn't do so into the engine space. I paid for the tank, he paid for re-running fuel lines, etc.

So Chris, if your boat has space elsewhere, why not consider relocating the tank - and preferably somewhere where it'll be easy to install and inspect than the current arrangement?
Click to expand...
No where else to put a 45 gall tank.

Thanks for the idea though
 
Tranona said:
No fire risk. Very few metal tanks used these days. Car tanks are plastic. Be wary of stainless as the welds can cause problems. I had a SS tank made in Greece for water and a weld failed on the outside in a most inaccessible place.
Click to expand...
No to stainless. So I think its going to be polyprop.

Thanks for help. Will be starting with yard in next couple of days to extract.
Will update on results
 
john_morris_uk said:
The Oceanlord engine bay, engine and fuel tank arrangements are pretty much identical to the Sealords arrangements from memory.

Measure carefully is my suggestion as the only way our tank came out was by removing the engine. (I took ours out and cleaned and painted it when I had our engine out.)

If you remove the plugs over the screws holding the forward end of the engine bay in place (behind the steps) the whole of the front comes off and gives you very good access.

Good luck and I hope you can maneuver the fuel tank over the top of the engine as you suggest.
Click to expand...
How was the tank fastened?
I can see 2 bolts into a wood base at each side of the front. I hope there are none round the back. Any tips you can remember about that would help the unexpected!
 
Chris_Robb said:
How was the tank fastened?
I can see 2 bolts into a wood base at each side of the front. I hope there are none round the back. Any tips you can remember about that would help the unexpected!
Click to expand...

From memory, the fastenings were: two bolts through the bulkhead into the aft cabin from lugs welded on at the top of the tank (you can just reach them over the top) and two nuts and bolts through small welded on 'feet' or 'tags' on the f'wd end of the tank within the engine bay.

Our tank has a small sump in the f'wd starboard corner and some baffles internally. The filler is in the centre of the top and from the cockpit floor under the helm position and connects with a short hose to the deck filler mounted under the cockpit grating.
Hope that helps - but please ask if there are any specific points. I guess Westerly might have changed things as the boat progressed, but the early Oceanlords were identical mouldings to a Sealord with a sugar scoop added as far as I recall.
 
john_morris_uk said:
From memory, the fastenings were: two bolts through the bulkhead into the aft cabin from lugs welded on at the top of the tank (you can just reach them over the top) and two nuts and bolts through small welded on 'feet' or 'tags' on the f'wd end of the tank within the engine bay.Our tank has a small sump in the f'wd starboard corner and some baffles internally. The filler is in the centre of the top and from the cockpit floor under the helm position and connects with a short hose to the deck filler mounted under the cockpit grating.Hope that helps - but please ask if there are any specific points. I guess Westerly might have changed things as the boat progressed, but the early Oceanlords were identical mouldings to a Sealord with a sugar scoop added as far as I recall.
Click to expand...
John, thats great information!Just found the 2 top lugs under vinyl trim of the head lining - invisible in the rotten foam! I have seen the lugs at the bottom front.Waiting for the yard manager to come on look in a few minutes. I need help as I dont think its a one man job. And its far too hot to work!!!!Thanks Hope scotland is not too wet
 
Pythagoras: what a great chap he was!

The engineers here were worried that there was not enough height in the engine room to tip the tank forward to get it out (Ht 965 x width 520 by 425). so for the first time in my life I used Pythagoras square of the hippopotamus job to work out the max height on tipping it forward: Joy , there is plenty of room!
 
Tank out.

Thanks to Forumites - especially John Morris - who has done the job before.

The yard estimated 7 hours to get the tank out. I got them to agree a time basis, and the tank was out in 4 hours.

Thanks to Manolis the engineer who was extremely good and resourceful in getting the tank out.

The yard here at Leros, especially the manager Nicholas, have been a tremendous help.

I must say that I entered this with trepidation - my previous experiences at in Greece being at Messolongi and that local geezer Yannie. Well thank God, these guys are hard working, good at the job, did it when they said they would for less than what they expected!

The Marina itself is a great place to be, New shower and toilet block gives it the best I have seen in the Med (and the UK!)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top