Not a ggod day.

J

Jegs

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 Jul 2007
Messages
9,543
Visit site
Engineer closed valve on balance pipe between tanks [course I can't prove it] & when refuelling an overflow resulted in diesel treated teak. Collecting the surplus with a plastic pipette which was then dropped into filler opening.......sob!

Will plastic dissolve in Diesel? Doubt it, if not any suggestions for retrieval of foreign body without emptying/removing tank would be most welcome.

TIA,

John G
 
When I took the tanks out of my old boat to clean them. I found the spout of a jerry can in the tank. It looked like quite an old one..... maybe 20 years old....

I guess it could block the pipe if you were really unlucky.
 
It is surprising how quickly diesel washes off teak. I used to take great care when filling but don't worry about it much now.
 
Feel your anguish. Last week I was treating our fuel tank with some additive to hopefully stop any fuel bug over the winter. I dropped the little plastic bottle but fortunately it was just very slightly too large to go down the tube.

No doubt you will fret intially but as pvb says it is unlikely to do any harm and in a few days/weeks/months you will have forgotten all about it. Horrible first few days though when it keeps popping into your mind.
 
Jegs said:
Engineer closed valve on balance pipe between tanks [course I can't prove it] & when refuelling an overflow resulted in diesel treated teak. Collecting the surplus with a plastic pipette which was then dropped into filler opening.......sob!

Will plastic dissolve in Diesel? Doubt it, if not any suggestions for retrieval of foreign body without emptying/removing tank would be most welcome.

TIA,

John G
Click to expand...

Been there and got the T shirt. In my case it was the green plastic ball from one of those bottles of diesel bug liquid. And to make matters worse the tank was welded stainless where the filler pipe protruded into the tank. So it was a bit like one of those kids games where you shake the toy about and try to get the ball to land in the hole. Eventually we succeeded meantime sloshing rfemnant diesel all over ourselves and the flower bed of a French marina. Luckily it was pi55ing down at the time so no one was out to see what we were doing. All part of the fun of cruising I guess.

A[part from sympathy, I cant really help much. You know that if the pipette ever does jam in the fuel outlet it will be in rough weather when you need the engine. Will it dissolve? Could do. Depends on tyhe plastic involved I guess. I hope it doesnt because that would be rather akin to the old trick of sabotaging an engine by putting sugar in the fuel. What will happen to the engine if it does dissolve and gets through to the cylinders? Yes I know I am raising all sorts of nasty scenarios which might never happen. But turning a blind eye to the risks doesnt mean they no longer exist.

Personally I would empty the tank and clean it out. As indeed I did.
 
I wouldn't leave it there. You may be able to pick it up with an oil extractor. We used a video endoscope borescope to help clear bits out of the tank using an extractor.
 
Look at it this way.

If it was just the pipette and not the rubber bulb on top I'd not worry at all.

If it included the rubber bulb and the bulb was much bigger than my thumb then I'd like to get it out.

To get it out? You'll probably faff and fiddle for days before realising that removing the tank is the easy option.

Good luck!
 
The borescope does sound the best initial step. Then you can see where it has ended up and take it from there. I believe there is always a silver lining so if you do have to cut an inspection hatch then at least in the future you will be be able to clean your tank. From the tales on here it seems prudent for everyone to fit a coarse strainer to the filler tube on fuel tanks to stop things falling in.
 
i used a bariatric laparoscopic forceps (£50) length of reach about 44 or 50cm i can't remember, to get something out the tank

easiest at night with a torch
 
Thanks to all of you for your contributions. The pipette was a small one piece moulding & is in the tank that feeds the genny & eber with the other supplying the engine.
Still thinking.

Many, many thanks,

John G
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top