sealing tank inspection hatch

pappaecho

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I have just moved my fuel tank, taken off the 12 stud inspection hatch which was sealed using Sikaflex, and had to be taken off with wedges.

As the hatch has 12 studs all that is necessary is some sort of semi setting gasket compound. What you the forum use?
 
I bought a length of rubber seal from

http://www.sealsdirect.co.uk which was especially for fuel tanks and also bedded down with a Black Polyurethane sealant.

dansar

ps. like your signature ""Yachting - a way of spending the kids inheritance""
 
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I bought a length of rubber seal from

http://www.sealsdirect.co.uk which was especially for fuel tanks and also bedded down with a Black Polyurethane sealant.

dansar

My solution for my water tank inspection plate was similar. I bought a sheet of either nitrile or neoprene from seals direct and bedded it on silicone. Not the combination I would use on a fuel tank but seals direct are good to deal with, if pricy. Any automotive factor would be able to provide the necessary gasket and sealants for fuel.
 
On my old 40 gallon mild steel tanks with side inspection hatches i used a sheet of make your own gasket ,ie make and cut your gasket out of a sheet gasket materiel and smear both sides of new gasket with Hylomar blue . never leaked. Halfords at Gosport sell it.
New stainless tanks have a nitrile looking gasket but i ve never had those inspection hatches off and hope i dont need to for a long while.
 
I am surprised that your inspection hatch did not have nitrile impregnated cork gaskets. Google impregnate cork gaskets and you will find details that show they have the mixed properties of being easy to handle like cork yet the rubber content stops the cork from flaking. I have reseated my similar 12 bolt inspection hatches using the same impregnated cork gaskets that have been there for the last 12 years. They just re-compressed.

Perhaps a local seals supplier can supply just a sheet of the stuff that you could then cut to size. It makes it so simple to re-open in future and re-check.
 
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