New Diesel tank

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nauticalnomad

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I am after a new Diesel tank to replace the original SS one.
The new one is 150mm higher and 190mm wider.

So far-
I have found a guy on ebay that makes tanks and certifies them etc out of Aluminium and they look nice enough. Quote 620 gbp delivered to Suffolk.

Another guy has quoted 1448 inc VAT. Plus delivery (however its semi local) WHY THE PRICE DIFFERENCE.....??

Then im waiting for The quote in plastic from Tek-Tanks.. They told me how bad anything made of SS or Aluminium is and id need to earth the Aluminium and also paint either SS or Al it to prevent pitting bla bla bla. The SS tank already in the boat is 45 years old and perfect. Just 80 litres capacity thats all.

Has anyone else had a fuel tank fabricated in roughly these dimensions 1260 long by 455 high by 500 wide?
And what sort of cost were they considering?
I am looking to minimize weight as its an awkward tank to fit.
 
Sorry, this forum only offers answers to questions the forum thinks the OP should have posted. Your plan increases your tank capacity from 28 to 52 litres and involves ripping out the old one. If the space works you could look at adding a separate tank with a separate filter to give you a switch over facility.
 
I had a new S/S tank fabricated by King's Yard at Pin Mill in 2010, it was to be an exact copy of the original aluminium, thus not a simple shape, but only about 50L. Cost then was £428 + VAT. I am not sure which local S/S fabricator did the work. Perhaps worth giving Gus a ring to get an estimate? Tel. 01473 780258
 
You probably got away with SS because your tank is quite small but from what I've read SS is not a good material for fuel tanks because it work hardens and cracks as it flexes. A tank the size you want must have baffles.

I have aluminum tanks in my yacht. When an expert welder (who had made lots of tanks) saw that we were making up the tanks ourselves he insisted the tank must be welded on the inside as well as the outside.

Marine Fuel Tanks - Plastic Vs Aluminum
http://www.floridainshoreangler.com...plastic-vs-aluminium-the-pros-and-cons-debate

Diesel tank leaking ( it's not, but what's the chances?) [Archive ...
www.ybw.com › ... › Forum › Motor Boat Forum
Oct 12, 2012 - 25 posts - ‎15 authors
I often read about boats being ruined by leakage of diesel ( there's an ... structure/baffles and fuel movement, leading to work hardening of the ... Stainless steel tanks sometimes split due to being too thin and work hardening.

New Fuel Tank....recommendations? [Archive] - Ausfish Australian ...
www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/archive/index.php/t-132380.html
Jun 12, 2008 - 12 posts - ‎11 authors
So please let me know your experiences with plastic tanks, SS tanks and ... Stainless has a habit of flexing and work hardening which makes it brittle and ... be pressure tested once the tank is installed in the boat but as i said ...
 
nauticalnomad said:
I am after a new Diesel tank to replace the original SS one.
The new one is 150mm higher and 190mm wider.

So far-
I have found a guy on ebay that makes tanks and certifies them etc out of Aluminium and they look nice enough. Quote 620 gbp delivered to Suffolk.

Another guy has quoted 1448 inc VAT. Plus delivery (however its semi local) WHY THE PRICE DIFFERENCE.....??

Then im waiting for The quote in plastic from Tek-Tanks.. They told me how bad anything made of SS or Aluminium is and id need to earth the Aluminium and also paint either SS or Al it to prevent pitting bla bla bla. The SS tank already in the boat is 45 years old and perfect. Just 80 litres capacity thats all.

Has anyone else had a fuel tank fabricated in roughly these dimensions 1260 long by 455 high by 500 wide?
And what sort of cost were they considering?
I am looking to minimize weight as its an awkward tank to fit.
Click to expand...

You should be able to get a standard size tank those dimensions rather than a custom. For example, Vetus have a 1100*400*440 capacity 170l. Tek Tanks have a 140l that will fit for £200.

As you have discovered custom made tanks are very expensive so unless that last bit of capacity is essential then a standard size tank is the way to go.
 
nauticalnomad said:
Has anyone else had a fuel tank fabricated in roughly these dimensions 1260 long by 455 high by 500 wide?
And what sort of cost were they considering?
I am looking to minimize weight as its an awkward tank to fit.
Click to expand...

Why not look at a production plastic tank? Vetus do one which is 170 litres (1100x400Hx440W) and is about £300 - http://www.asap-supplies.com/marine/fuel-tanks/vetus-rigid-fuel-tank-ftank170 You also need a connection kit which is about £100.
 
Nauticalnomad: ally tanks are popular in the US, but very much less so on this side of the Pond. They need special attention to detail in mounting to avoid any points of contact where water might accumulate. If used, the aluminium should be alloyed with magnesium, rather than copper, and I imagine you'd want to check that with your e-Bay source. Equally, any copper-based fittings should be electrically isolated from the tank.

Polyethylene (as per Tek-Tank and others) is probably the best material for leisure craft tanks. SS may be fairly ubiquitous, but it's far from perfect for the reasons you mention.

Is the old tank an irregular shape? If not, I make it around 119 litres, and your proposed new one 286 litres.
 
I've just replaced a twenty year old stainless tank with a larger Vetus plastic tank. And I'm very pleased with it. The old copper 6mm pipes were also replaced with 8mm copper and synthetic. Haven't had a cough out of the new Yanmar since! I also carry some diesel gerry cans.
 
I have used Jay Wolfe Metal work for all my tanks and have been very please with the work and service. I have only had SS ones, but I see he does ally as well. he was the best price I could find.

They have a standard 1000 x 400 x 600 from £280...
 
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As with Pyrojames, my s/s tank was made up by Jay Wolfe Metal Work, it was a custom design, as I wanted it fitted into an awkward shaped area, he can CE certificate it (pressure test basically) if you require it. I was very pleased with it.
 
It is Jaywolfe i found on Ebay..

The size i averaged out but it sits mid hull at the stern and is 610 at the forward end and 300 aft and 1260 long by 500 wide. ( I was calculating the volume and just averaged the 610/300 to get 455 height.. Obviously the wedge follows the underline of hull.

I am not sure there would be much flexing going on. The WT is thick and there is 2 x baffles inside and it is solid. Just i have extra space there and the existing tank being around 100 litres is too minimal.

I have had plastic fuel tanks on a Duncanson 34 which i used to have in Australia and they always smelt of diesel and when filled to the capacity they seeped diesel out of the fittings which were screw on fittings which never sealed properly.

The Wolfe tanks are 3mm WT and made from 5083 aluminium which is high magnesium content.

I am thinking Wolfe tanks is the go.. I was after an opinion on that.
Thanks
 
Osculati do a 120litre plastic tank 1100 x 400 x 400 - look on fleabay at £165.

I replaced a leaking mild steel tank with a 91litre plastimo plastic tank, well pleased with it as although it was half the capacity of the old tank it could still give me 24hrs motoring if necessary. Had to make a new floor but also fitted the calorifier alongside so gained a cupboard in the galley. I would not go back to a metal tank. Also no corrosion problems and less condensation.
 
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nauticalnomad said:
The size i averaged out but it sits mid hull at the stern and is 610 at the forward end and 300 aft and 1260 long by 500 wide. ( I was calculating the volume and just averaged the 610/300 to get 455 height.. Obviously the wedge follows the underline of hull.
Click to expand...

Once again, the OP gives the wrong information! Why do we waste our time trying to help?
 
coopec said:
You probably got away with SS because your tank is quite small but from what I've read SS is not a good material for fuel tanks because it work hardens and cracks as it flexes. A tank the size you want must have baffles.

So please let me know your experiences with plastic tanks, SS tanks and ... Stainless has a habit of flexing and work hardening which makes it brittle and ... be pressure tested once the tank is installed in the boat but as i said ...
Click to expand...

My stainless steel tank is 30 years old. I took it out this year to repair a leaking fitting and found it to be in perfect condition. I suspect your correspondents do not know what is involved in work hardening, which by definition means that the metal has undergone plastic deformation. The most common failure mode of stainless steel welded structures is sensitisation, a form of corrosion caused by use of grades not suitable for welding. 304L or 316L should be used, with appropriate filler rods.
 
pyrojames said:
I don't ever do anything here but waste time! It's not like we're being paid to comment. If you don't like wasting time, I suggest you get rid of your computer!
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What I can't understand is why the OP should give the size of the tank wrongly in the first place. It's not as if his original post was particularly brief. All it needed was to say that the height of the tank varied from 610 to 300mm, only a few words extra. Instead of which, tranona, tri99, PetiteFleur and I wasted time suggesting off-the-shelf rectangular plastic tanks.
 
pvb said:
Once again, the OP gives the wrong information! Why do we waste our time trying to help?
Click to expand...

WTH... It should be me that is angry by the sound of it, as you seem to be looking for anyone or thing to pin the blame on for ruining your miserable day..... The only incorrect information was the actual height.. It was MY QUESTION and i was after opinionated answers as to the difference between materials.. How did the fact i averaged out the height on MY OWN diesel tank ruin your dinner..?
The height had nothing to do with what i was trying to find out and i was trying to simplify the shape of the tank..And at the end of that day the volume was still the same...
It would be alot different if i had of lied to you all telling you it was red when infact its crimson.
 
pvb said:
What I can't understand is why the OP should give the size of the tank wrongly in the first place. It's not as if his original post was particularly brief. All it needed was to say that the height of the tank varied from 610 to 300mm, only a few words extra. Instead of which, tranona, tri99, PetiteFleur and I wasted time suggesting off-the-shelf rectangular plastic tanks.
Click to expand...


You still contributed to a conversation that was constructive.. I thank you for that, I did look at plastic tanks that were square off the shelf etc so your effort was not wasted.. It still could fit but would just be out of shape and on a slant..... I am sorry for wasting your time. If you PM me your address i shall send you round a pizza for your troubles..
 
nauticalnomad said:
You still contributed to a conversation that was constructive.. I thank you for that, I did look at plastic tanks that were square off the shelf etc so your effort was not wasted.. It still could fit but would just be out of shape and on a slant..... I am sorry for wasting your time. If you PM me your address i shall send you round a pizza for your troubles..
Click to expand...

Back to reality. A tank on a slant is probably quite a good thing, as it would mean that any water or crud gravitates to one place, from where it is easier to drain or suck out. Even better - have a drainable sump on the tank.
 
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