e28+ fuel tank removal

[donaldd]

Hi, Has anyone removed one of these? I would love to know how may tabs were used before I start ripping up the quarterberth sole which is tabbed on one side to the hull.
Diesel is showing up in the bilge and also in the pan under the engine, but oddly, only after a hard rain. Current theory: tank has a very small leak on the underside of tank. Escaping diesel fills small pockets of unevenly laid fiberglass that is then flushed down into bilge by rainwater entering somewhere in the cockpit. I have checked all hoses, deck fill gaskets etc. Any thoughts? anyone? Thanks, D

 

[Frank Langer]

I think you may be right about the rain washing diesel into the bilge, and maybe the diesel is coming from a leak in the fuel tank. I know you have checked hoses for a possible diesel leak, but have you also checked all the other places it might be coming from other than hoses--for example, a loose secondary fuel filter on the engine, loose fitting on a primary filter, electric lift pump, the hose on the engine that takes extra unburned fuel back to the fuel tank, etc.

Whether water or fuel, any leak can be hard to find, as the liquid tends to take a circuitous route which is rarely obvious. I have had water show up about ten feet away from the initial leak.

Good luck in figuring it out, and let us know if you solve it.

Frank

 

[mherrcat]

Don't know what the access to your fuel tank is like, but on mine, when it was leaking, I stuffed some oil absorbent pads under the front of the tank. You will quickly know if the fuel is coming from the tank when the pad turns pink...

On the other hand. If the fuel is showing up in the pan under the engine, it may be coming from somewhere on the engine. That pan is supposed to be completely separate from the bilge. In other words, if fuel is leaking from the tank it should not get into the pan. And alternatively, if fuel is leaking from the engine, it should not get into the bilge.

If you regularly get water in the pan under the engine, you have another problem. The sides of the pan under my engine are lowest in the back. That means if a LOT of water is coming in somewhere behind the engine (like from the stuffing box or shaft log) it could slosh over the low side of the pan and end up under the engine.

 

[donaldd]

Don't know what the access to your fuel tank is like, but on mine, when it was leaking, I stuffed some oil absorbent pads under the front of the tank. You will quickly know if the fuel is coming from the tank when the pad turns pink...

On the other hand. If the fuel is showing up in the pan under the engine, it may be coming from somewhere on the engine. That pan is supposed to be completely separate from the bilge. In other words, if fuel is leaking from the tank it should not get into the pan. And alternatively, if fuel is leaking from the engine, it should not get into the bilge.

If you regularly get water in the pan under the engine, you have another problem. The sides of the pan under my engine are lowest in the back. That means if a LOT of water is coming in somewhere behind the engine (like from the stuffing box or shaft log) it could slosh over the low side of the pan and end up under the engine.

I know the 30+ and 28+ are more similar than dissimilar, but on my boat if fuel is leaking from tank it would flow mostly into the pan and some into the bilge. Any water leaking into the boat entering further aft should route to the bilge. The engine currently runs very well with no leaks of fluid into pan ( I replaced water pump last year). I am only seeing water/fuel in pan after a storm. Luckily, we have had a dry couple of weeks here in NorCal.
The tank is empty and coming out tomorrow. I will let you all know what I find out. Thanks for the replies, D

 

[brianb00]

Fuel tank leak

I had a very similar experience. Your analysis is spot on with regards to what happened in my boat. The leak was the tank itself. Along the sharp metal bends of the tank small pin holes developed. It appeared to be corrosion from the inside. Fuel would pool under that tank and only show up in the bilge after a sail in strong winds on the SF Bay/Ocean or a lot of rain. The tank was a 20 year old aluminum version.

All is well with a new tank in place.

Brian.