pinholes in diesel tank on a P412 (80ies built)

[vas]

a very frustrated friend with a Princess 412 finally today found with the bilges were shiny and slightly wet
don't remember where the tanks are, probably wing tanks as often on Princess boats, but he's certain that it's an engine out job to get them out of place for a proper repair.

Any suggestions on local repair? Searching a bit on the internet, admittedly mostly US threads appeared, seems to be a job for various epoxies.

So, if he empties the tanks, cleans up the area, dries it out properly with a heat gun (ok, KIDDING, JUST KIDDING!) and applies epoxy, is he likely to be OK?

any experiences?

[I'm worried now about mine as they are even older!]

cheers

V.

 

[hlb]

Tell him to get some new tanks. how the hell can he mend the bottom or the other side.

Tank must be knackered anyway.

 

[vas]

Tell him to get some new tanks. how the hell can he mend the bottom or the other side.

Tank must be knackered anyway.

haven't seen them, I recon you mean tank bottoms are slanted so not accessible?
Actually he did mention that he was going to use a camera on a flex arm to scan and check the bottoms...

The whole point is avoiding to lift engines out in order to get to the tanks, or is there another way of getting them out?
There are proper steel fabricators in town, it would cost peanuts (relatively speaking) to cut and re-bottom them, but getting them out is the problem!

cheers

V.

 

[rafiki_]

Vas, is there a way of getting bags into the tanks? Maybe through the top?

 

[Bandit]

Unless you can clean out the tanks manually and get a gas free certification no weld and fab shop should touch it.

The reality is heavy corrosion on the tanks are they aluminium?

new tanks are de rigeur.

 

[vas]

sorry guys, cannot answer any Q like that before I get down there and have a look myself and take a few pics. Will try and do it over the next couple of days, boat is not next to MiToS in the boatyard but in the marina, so not exactly in my daily route (a full km deviation is too much for me atm )

Main Q is:

is it normal that tanks are an engine out job?
In mine tanks are between e/r and cabins (i.e. across the beam) and they are four of them (segmented in small enough pieces that I'm sure can fit between the engines and come out through the salon hatch)

cheers

V.

 

[hlb]

Taking engines out are not a big deal, just need a big fork lift truck.

The tanks are knackered, even if you mend one leak, there will soon be another one.

 

[MarieK]

Enough about pinholes ... where is this weeks Mitos update!!

 

[vas]

too knackered to select photos, check/resize/name/upload and write a post.
I'm afraid it's going to be tomorrow evening. Decent progress though

cheers

V.

 

[MarieK]

I guess that will have to do, I shall look forward it. Usually a highlight of Sunday evening is observing your progress.

 

[oldgit]

A major operation and and not uncommon on boats a lot newer than that one.
Club member had same problem recently on a P415.
Faint whiff of fuel in bilges.
Problem was if one tank had gone ...what about the other?
Both tanks were removed and repaired. Both engines had to be taken out in order to gain access to diesel tanks.
Time out of water 3 weeks.

 

[vas]

A major operation and and not uncommon on boats a lot newer than that one.
Club member had same problem recently on a P415.
Faint whiff of fuel in bilges.
Problem was if one tank had gone ...what about the other?
Both tanks where removed and repaired. Both engines had to be taken out in order to gain access to diesel tanks.
Time out of water 3 weeks.

thanks,

main problem for my friend is not time out of water (boat is only used for 2months a year July-Aug anyway!) but COST!
He estimated more than 5K and since his volvo engines are same age, he recons he better do some work on them as they'll be out which may bring the cost over 10K that he's not willing to spend atm

will try and get some pics soon

cheers

V

 

[oldgit]

Think cost of tank repair was not that bad.
Complete new bottom added with 100mm up the sides was welded in.
The other tank was well on its way as well.