What's that diesel smell?

[Nauti Fox]

Got back from a little run during the week and shut down the boat and nipped to the shops. Off the boat for about twenty minutes, when we came back into the saloon and it reaked of diesel.
Lifted the hatches and sure enough there was a pinhole leak in the water seperator.
Really weird in that there was no corrosion in the alloy bowl, just a tiny hole which is now welded. Mmm.

Sep.

Now welded.

Just for a change, an absolute pig to remove from the bulkhead!

 

[DAKA]

Even more annoying now you know there was no need to remove it

Weird alright , did you notice a wire touching it or copper pipe at the back ?

Otherwise perhaps water corrosion from inside


I had an aluminium tank go the same way, its very difficult to weld, get the mix slightly wrong and you get soot forming between the bond.

I would be a bit tempted to daub a bit of Blue Hylmar on the weld and then cold weld over the Blue Hylomar.

But then mine was petrol and perhaps I was over cautious.

 

[Nauti Fox]

No, nothing touching it and no water in the bottom, the weld was done and then pressure tested.
The bugger was that I couldn't get the bowl off because one of the bolts was inaccessible...just for a change.
I'm just glad it came apart as they haven't been off (drained through a screw at the bottom) since I've had the boat, and probably many years before that.

 

[DAKA]

I see now, could you use a really long bolt/threaded bar with two locking nuts an inch from the end before you fit it back ?