Hi all....
Well, we are in the midst of painting the topside of our Tartan 27 and have taken all hardware off.....sanded, filled, made 4 new deck scuppers, and thought while waiting for the primer to arrive to remove the gas tank (without removing the engine), we have had problems with dirty gas for years now....even with 2 gas filter systems in place it still causes us to rebuild the carb due to debris that made it into the carb......
I was told that it would be able to be removed thru the starboard lazerette locker by another Tartan 27 opwner..... And after many attempts "no go"...... I am to the point to cut the tank in half and pitch it.... Know that all the fuel has been removed, but vapors are more dangerous than a cup of gas........ is there anything that will make it risk free of disaster? Anything that will neutralize the gas? Degreaser, soap & water? Cut it with water in? Expanding foam would be a mess....as would sand. Any thoughts?
Has anyone had to cut a tank in the boat, and live to tell the tale?
Todd
Fuel Tank Removal
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todd gustafson
- Deck Grunge Scrubber
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Chris Campbell
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Re: Fuel Tank Removal
I have not cut a tank in a boat, but have heard of people welding gas tanks by running exhaust through them while they were welding. I have not witnessed this, and it was a long time ago that I heard it, so I'm sure I wouldn't take my word for it, but it could be something to look into.
A LeComte Northeast 38 owner I know was grinding away at the bottom of his keel to do some repairs when it "exploded" on him - he had ground into gasoline-impregnated fiberglass at the bottom of the integral tank. No harm done other than facial hair and pride - but it does indicate that you've got to be careful!
A LeComte Northeast 38 owner I know was grinding away at the bottom of his keel to do some repairs when it "exploded" on him - he had ground into gasoline-impregnated fiberglass at the bottom of the integral tank. No harm done other than facial hair and pride - but it does indicate that you've got to be careful!
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Triton106
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Re: Fuel Tank Removal
Todd,
You did not say what type of fuel tank you have. Assuming it is a fiberglass tank this is what I did to extract it from under the cockpit sole. West Coast Triton's original fuel tanks are made of fiberglass and tabbed to the bottom of the cockpit sole. When they started introducing E10 gas in California it started to cause havoc to many Triton owners here. Once I found that the tank was leaking from a spot into the bilge that was it for me. I decided to cut it out.
I first pumped out a remaining fuel with a navy type hand pump into a gas container. Then I flooded the fuel tank with water and washing detergent (I think you can use any kind of detergent). I left it to sit over night with tank inlet open and cockpit hatches open. The next day I turned on the bilge blower for like 10 mins to ensure that any residual fume in the bilge would be sucked out. I then gingerly cut the tank from the cockpit sole first. Once it is off the sole I then cut it in half. I have to say I was scared to death as I was cutting the tank. You never know if there is any gas left with all of th precautions you take. That's when religion becomes handy (ok, I am just kidding).
Good luck!
You did not say what type of fuel tank you have. Assuming it is a fiberglass tank this is what I did to extract it from under the cockpit sole. West Coast Triton's original fuel tanks are made of fiberglass and tabbed to the bottom of the cockpit sole. When they started introducing E10 gas in California it started to cause havoc to many Triton owners here. Once I found that the tank was leaking from a spot into the bilge that was it for me. I decided to cut it out.
I first pumped out a remaining fuel with a navy type hand pump into a gas container. Then I flooded the fuel tank with water and washing detergent (I think you can use any kind of detergent). I left it to sit over night with tank inlet open and cockpit hatches open. The next day I turned on the bilge blower for like 10 mins to ensure that any residual fume in the bilge would be sucked out. I then gingerly cut the tank from the cockpit sole first. Once it is off the sole I then cut it in half. I have to say I was scared to death as I was cutting the tank. You never know if there is any gas left with all of th precautions you take. That's when religion becomes handy (ok, I am just kidding).
Good luck!
Ray D. Chang
Triton 106 in Berkeley, CA
Triton 106 in Berkeley, CA
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todd gustafson
- Deck Grunge Scrubber
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Re: Fuel Tank Removal
Ray
The tank is a very heavy gauge metal tank.....we measured everything and it seems it may come out if we cut off all the external fittings. We were thinking of first flushing with detergents and than filling with water before cutting fittings.
We are going to prime the decks first so we have some time to think about the tank....
Todd
The tank is a very heavy gauge metal tank.....we measured everything and it seems it may come out if we cut off all the external fittings. We were thinking of first flushing with detergents and than filling with water before cutting fittings.
We are going to prime the decks first so we have some time to think about the tank....
Todd