Fuel tank replacement cost?

[Prairie Schooner]

Many thanks, all! It's depressing to have this happen right as I have time to sail... really nice to have people who can help me sort it out efficiently -- deeply appreciated.

- Sounds like everyone's going with 1/8"... anyone sizing up to 3/16", I'd be interested to hear about it. Loren: if you did it again, would you go up from 1/8" ?

- Vanilladuck: Did Coastline put in the brass fittings and label everything (in your image above), or did they provide the tank and you had to get all the fittings? Trying to figure out if this will be plug-and-play.

- Prairie Schooner: what diameter are your inspection ports? Want to size up based on your comment. I see VanillaDuck has 8 or 10" ones.

I'll see if I can find someone local, but suspect I'll end up driving my old tank to someone to copy. And Coastline/Bellingham is (much) farther than Berry/Costa Mesa... though I'll definitely talk with both.

Yes, a pretty large leak... which was very sudden: Bilge dry in the AM, then after a 3-hr, not-too-boisterous sail suddenly a bunch of diesel. Which did not look pink in the bilge, only after getting some on a paper towel; must have to do with the light transiting twice on reflection from the bilge (or, I guess, maybe that the bottom of my bilge is not and never will get as clean and white as one of the image Christian posted of his somewhere.)

The fabricator installed prefab inspection ports in our tank. I'd have to be at the boat to measure, but going from my hand, I'd say no bigger than 5"- 6". There's not room to get an arm in and see what I'm groping for. Pic of our completed new tank before installation.
post #52 - https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/threads/e35-3-replacing-fuel-tank.17731/post-177000
8" - 10" would be nice

Discussions of inspection ports from a few years back, if you haven't seen them:
- https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/threads/inspection-ports-for-fuel-tanks.18789/
- https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/threads/fuel-tank-inspection-port-design-and-installation.13949/


Some links I'd catalogued on epoxy repair:
post #8 - https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/threads/e35-3-replacing-fuel-tank.17731/post-142335
- https://www.epoxyworks.com/index.php/category/boat-repair/aluminum-boat-repair/
- https://www.epoxyworks.com/index.php/aluminum-adhesion/#more-2248
- https://www.epoxyworks.com/index.php/fix-leaking-rivets-in-aluminum-boats-with-gflex-650/

It seems to me there is an even more extensive thread with discussion of epoxy tank repair, but I can't put my fingers on it at the moment.

 

[vanilladuck]

- Vanilladuck: Did Coastline put in the brass fittings and label everything (in your image above), or did they provide the tank and you had to get all the fittings? Trying to figure out if this will be plug-and-play.

The fittings were supplied, but I changed out the NPT-hose barbs to fit Rumour's fuel system hoses. You might be able to ask for specific sizes. I put the labels on at install time

@N.A. - I'm really sorry to hear your tank is leaking. It's a bummer. Many owners have been discovering things like this as our boats age. Others have suggested that ~40+ years brings up a number of "half life" projects. I've definitely been finding a lot of that myself

 

[N.A.]

Thanks, @vanilladuck - I feel for you as well -- I've seen your posts re: the keel.

This one is stinging particularly because it has sunk my plans for the LongPac this summer. I am starting to wonder if the way one prepares for Hawaii is to end up fixing literally every single system on the boat... looking at what Christian has done, it seems like that might actually be the (inadvertent) case. Anyway, at least the tank didn't let go while offshore.

@Marlin Prowell provided some nice information (by email; thanks again Marlin!); relevant bits not posted above include:

* Atlantic Coastal Welding did the job quite inexpensively. I'll probably touch base with them. They claim quick turn-around.

* They epoxy-coated the _outside_ of the tank... I had not heard of this. Unsure what the point it, unless it relates to @Loren Beach 's comment about a pinhole leak due to trapped water on the outside of the tank. Seems like maybe a good idea anyway (? I'll ask other firms too.)

* They modified the tabs on the tank into right-angle flanges, welded to the vertical sides of the tank, then bending over to meet the bolt-pattern on the hull liner. This seems like it might be a good bit more mechanically robust to up/down loads than the flat, and not that thick, tabs on my current tank. I'll ask a MechE friend, but it seems like maybe this is actually the correct way to do a tank mount.

* They added a "Drain Coupling"... which seemed to be in addition to the 4 hoses I know of (fill/vent/fuel/return). Does anyone know more about this / is some additional coupling on the bottom of the tank normal?

 

[Filkee]

I have a 32-3. Pulled it out and took it to a local body shop. They cut a hole in tua nd said the rest of the tank was going to outlive me. Welded a new piece in and sent me on my way for $150. So begins the death watch.

 

[Loren Beach]

* They epoxy-coated the _outside_ of the tank... I had not heard of this. Unsure what the point it, unless it relates to @Loren Beach 's comment about a pinhole leak due to trapped water on the outside of the tank. Seems like maybe a good idea anyway (? I'll ask other firms too.)

I must have mis-stated it. The moisture was on the inside, in one little teeny place.

 

[Loren Beach]

* They added a "Drain Coupling"... which seemed to be in addition to the 4 hoses I know of (fill/vent/fuel/return). Does anyone know more about this / is some additional coupling on the bottom of the tank normal?

I have never heard of such a thing. Any pix to share?