Britton's Fuel Tank

Post by **dasein668** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 7:08 pm

Show it, man! I wanna see drawings and diagrams!

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 7:22 pm

I don't know. You guys are pretty harsh critics...

Post by **dasein668** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 7:40 pm

Dish it, Buddy. No holding out allowed! I don't want to have to sic the forum owner on ya! hehe

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 7:43 pm

Basically, seen from the top the tank is rectangular 36" wide and 20" long. The actual cockpit sole is something like 28" wide so the tank extends past the cockpit sole by four inches either side. I did this so that I could build the tank right to the bottom of the sole with the filler neck coming up in the cockpit locker. (it is actually sloped down a little bit so that I have two inches clearance at the front end for my outlet fitting. Remember, I have a gas engine so all the fittings have to be on top of the tank)

At 20" long the aft side of the tank is right next to the rudder shaft tube and the front side is right above the propeller shaft tube. Perfect access to the shaft seal is maintained. By chance the tank extends about halfway into my cockpit hatch opening which still leaves plenty of room to access the rear of the engine and the cockpit drain seacocks. The tank shutoff valve and a mechanical level guage will also be right under the hatch. I expect to put the fuel filter in the immediate area with a short run to the carburetor.

The front and rear sides of the tank are trapezoidal. The top edge is 20" (same as the tank width duh) and the forward side edges are perpendicular to the top and 8 inches long. The rear side is the same shape and 6 inches long.

The bottom of the tank is V-shaped. To get the V, the front side of the tank will be ... I think 10" ... from the top edge to the bottom of the V. I think the rear side is 8". I had to change these dimensions a bit in order to snake it into position and now I can't remember what I settled on.

The tank snakes in under the starboard galley side so the engine doesn't have to come out for the sake of the tank. The 20" length was partly determined by the maximum width I could fit without cutting into those partial bulkheads at the rear of the cabin. 20" is also a good compromise length for shaft seal and engine access. I could stretch the tank a bit with every inch giving another approximate gallon.

By my calculations I should get about 27 gallons of fuel in there. (I checked my calculating ability by using Tim's published dimensions for his tank and came up with the same capacity) I had once thought about making the tank even wider and extending it further into the cockpit lockers but with the tank so narrow in the ends there wasn't a huge gain in capacity so I went back to what was convenient for the filler neck installation.

Of course I will be adding baffles this time.

When I get some time I will see about creating a drawing. The next time I can get out to the boat in the daytime I should have enough light (barely) to take some pictures of the mockup in position.

Oh, and this is all under the assumption that the transmission shifter is coming out (which is good since I ripped it out already).

-Britton

Will you call off the forum owner now?

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:54 pm

bcooke wrote: Oh, and this is all under the assumption that the transmission shifter is coming out (which is good since I ripped it out already).

It's probably a sign of something, but I love reading sentences like that.

bcooke wrote:Will you call off the forum owner now?

Nathan, can you keep him on standby until we see the photos? The tank does sound pretty neat, but I would still like to see it.

--- R.

Post by **Tim** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:23 am

bcooke wrote:Basically, seen from the top the tank is rectangular 36" wide and 20" long. The actual cockpit sole is something like 28" wide so the tank extends past the cockpit sole by four inches either side. I did this so that I could build the tank right to the bottom of the sole with the filler neck coming up in the cockpit locker. (it is actually sloped down a little bit so that I have two inches clearance at the front end for my outlet fitting. Remember, I have a gas engine so all the fittings have to be on top of the tank)

At 20" long the aft side of the tank is right next to the rudder shaft tube and the front side is right above the propeller shaft tube. Perfect access to the shaft seal is maintained. By chance the tank extends about halfway into my cockpit hatch opening which still leaves plenty of room to access the rear of the engine and the cockpit drain seacocks. The tank shutoff valve and a mechanical level guage will also be right under the hatch. I expect to put the fuel filter in the immediate area with a short run to the carburetor.

The front and rear sides of the tank are trapezoidal. The top edge is 20" (same as the tank width duh) and the forward side edges are perpendicular to the top and 8 inches long. The rear side is the same shape and 6 inches long.

The bottom of the tank is V-shaped. To get the V, the front side of the tank will be ... I think 10" ... from the top edge to the bottom of the V. I think the rear side is 8". I had to change these dimensions a bit in order to snake it into position and now I can't remember what I settled on.

The tank snakes in under the starboard galley side so the engine doesn't have to come out for the sake of the tank. The 20" length was partly determined by the maximum width I could fit without cutting into those partial bulkheads at the rear of the cabin. 20" is also a good compromise length for shaft seal and engine access. I could stretch the tank a bit with every inch giving another approximate gallon.

By my calculations I should get about 27 gallons of fuel in there. (I checked my calculating ability by using Tim's published dimensions for his tank and came up with the same capacity) I had once thought about making the tank even wider and extending it further into the cockpit lockers but with the tank so narrow in the ends there wasn't a huge gain in capacity so I went back to what was convenient for the filler neck installation.

Of course I will be adding baffles this time.

When I get some time I will see about creating a drawing. The next time I can get out to the boat in the daytime I should have enough light (barely) to take some pictures of the mockup in position.

Oh, and this is all under the assumption that the transmission shifter is coming out (which is good since I ripped it out already).

-Britton

Will you call off the forum owner now?

This detailed description could have easily been replaced with a single photo.

Your flash will easily light the space in question for a photo, even at night.

Post by **Tim** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:24 am

Rachel wrote:Nathan, can you keep him on standby until we see the photos?

He's not the boss of me...

Post by **dasein668** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:19 am

Tim wrote:
Rachel wrote:Nathan, can you keep him on standby until we see the photos?
He's not the boss of me...

Hehe

Post by **dasein668** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:23 am

Does that tank fit through the cockpit locker then into the space beneath the sole, or does it have to go in through the galley proper? I ask because I thin that once you build that galley, you'll probably find it easier to remove the engine than the the galley in order to remove the tank.

Do you plan to remove the tank alot? Just curious...

Does the tank have a sump? Do you even need a sump in a gasoline tank?

Post by **dasein668** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:25 am

Tim wrote: This detailed description could have easily been replaced with a single photo.

Your flash will easily light the space in question for a photo, even at night.

I agree! Those of us without a project active need project pics!

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:44 am

This detailed description could have easily been replaced with a single photo.

Okay, okay, I will see what I can do tonight.

The tank will go in via the galley. No, I don't plan on removing the tank but being in the mechanical trades I know that I am asking for trouble if I don't leave myself the option. I haven't built the galley yet so I am not sure how removable it will be or whether the tank will really be able to squeeze out through there. This is in accordance with how I am designing the rest of the boat- I just try to keep the options open as long as possible because I don't know how the next thing is going to turn out.

By a sump do you mean a sump drain or just an extra low point in the tank? Coast Guard regulations forbid a drain in a gasoline tank. Sucking from the top is the only option. The bottom of the tank slopes down and forward and towards the middle making the middle front edge the lowest point of the tank. That is where the fuel pickup will be (about an inch above the bottom to avoid sucking the gunk up). I am thinking I will use two baffles that will help contain the fuel in this lowest part of the tank. Gasoline engines and A4's in particular aren't nearly as sensitive about dirty fuel as your finicky diesels.

-Britton

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:44 am

Maybe you people need projects?...

Post by **Tim** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:47 am

bcooke wrote:Gasoline engines and A4's in particular aren't nearly as sensitive about dirty fuel as your finicky diesels.

Don't start, you...

Post by **dasein668** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:41 am

bcooke wrote:By a sump do you mean a sump drain or just an extra low point in the tank? Coast Guard regulations forbid a drain in a gasoline tank. Sucking from the top is the only option.

Yeah, I meant an extra low point in the tank with a drain for pulling the nasty gunk out the bottom.

Post by **dasein668** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:42 am

bcooke wrote:Maybe you people need projects?...

Does building a darkroom count?

Post by **Tim** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:48 am

dasein668 wrote:
bcooke wrote:Maybe you people need projects?...
Does building a darkroom count?

And what about a house?

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:11 pm

Nathan wrote:Does building a darkroom count?

Since I remember you sniggering at me when you learned I was taking color negatives on the Bachelor cruise instead of digitals the answer is no. (kidding aside that sounds kinda cool)

Tim wrote:And what about a house?

Again no. You have been milking that project much too long :-)

Don't start, you...

I see my reputation proceeds me. Maybe I need to move to another forum where I can create mayhem unimpeded.

Okay, I had planned on revealing all this nicely some time next week with photos and pictures back on the thread I started when I started seriously thinking about this. Since someone leaked my info and stole my thunder I will try to patch it up here.

Here is a drawing. The front and rear are the same shape with just the dimensions different. The sides and bottom are just cut to match everything else.

Here is a photo looking down through the cockpit access hatch. I think the mockup has slid forward and inch or so but I didn't catch it at the time.

Here is the tank mockup in position.

Here is the mockup out so you can see the shape.

Okay critics, do your worst!

Your most humble servant, Britton

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:57 pm

Gotta move that access hatch forward a few inches.

3" height difference at the peak, 2" at the sides? Warped panels, eh? That welder's gonna curse a blue streak! :)

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:57 pm

ok, so my worst isn't all that bad. I must be having an off night.

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 10:05 pm

Sleep on it. I am sure you will come up with something in the morning.

As for the unsquare panels. My welder is well paid. He will get over it :-)

Post by **Tim** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 7:24 am

Figment wrote:That welder's gonna curse a blue streak! :)

They always curse and whine anyway even if everything's perfect, so you might as well make the complaining legitimate!

Post by **Tim** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 7:34 am

bcooke wrote:Okay critics, do your worst!

It looks like you have a baffle drawn inside the tank, which is good. I wonder if you want more than one, however. You still have 18" of free surface there with the single centerline baffle. (I admit that I am paranoid about baffles since my plastic tank has none, so I tend to think at the other extreme now.)

Your mockup doesn't incorporate the bottom of the tank, nor the full size of the two sides. This may not be an issue, but be sure there's not any reason why a full bottom or sides would prevent the tank from sliding in and out of position as required. Just be sure before you have the tank actually built, in case some anomaly in your hull or somewhere might prevent the full tank from fitting where the like-sized, but incomplete, mockup fit perfectly.

Sometimes, something this simple can make a difference to the way you have to handle this thing into position. And sometimes not, of course...but better to find out now, just in case.

Post by **dasein668** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 10:44 am

Looks good Britton,

I'm with Tim on the baffles. I'd go with two, though one is probably enough. What about a nice big cleanout hatch on the top? Is this legal with a gasoline tank? I'm assuming that since the fuel indicator is shown on top, the tank will stay partially sticking out into the access hatch port? That would be a spot to put the cleanout. Maybe you couldn't make it big enough to be useful, though...

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 1:16 pm

Good question about the access hatch. I'd assume it to be legal.
I was planning to cut an access in the top of my tank for cleanout.

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 6:12 pm

Those lines in the drawings are not baffles. I was just trying to show which dimension I was referring to. I too was thinking of two baffles. I just forgot to draw them in.

The tank will be positioned exactly as it is shown in the first photo with the forward end occupying half the hatch access. That makes the fuel outlet, shutoff valve, level indicator, and probably the filter, all easily accessible via the hatch.

I was thinking about those sides I omitted in the mockup. Good reminder. After my last mockup surprise (when I couldn't get it out because it was too big to get past the twin mast beam supports) I am being pretty careful about how things fit all the way in and out. I was keeping a sharp eye on those omitted surfaces and I think I will be okay. It is close but I built it that way to maximize my total capacity.

A cleanout access hatch is probably a good idea. Since it is on the top it shouldn't be a problem. Maybe I could position it in the area that the fuel indicator and outlet are shown. Those two fittings could then just be attached through the hatch which would make it pretty easy for me to install later.

-Britton

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 8:04 pm

yup. fuel guage installed IN the cleanout panel is part of my plan too.

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 10:54 am

Britton,

I'm replacing the tank in Kaholee. I had planned to place the tank in the same location as you are, and I will have a similar inspection hatch for access to the cutlass bearing. I was planning on using the same tank Tim did, but since it is unbaffled my usable fuel load is cut roughly in half in order to ensure the diesel is not starved for fuel. I'd be very interested in having your welder make one of your tanks for me too. I've tried to email you at a couple of different addresses, but I must have them wrong.

Regarding the clean out hatch in the tank itself. I was thinking one of those round waterproof aluminum hatches (approx 9-inches in diameter) located just abaft the main inspection hatch and directly over a round clean out hatch in the top of the fuel tank might work well and allow a larger clean out hatch. I have a similar clean out hatch on my water tanks, but they are plastic with transparent screw-out lids. I doubt these plastic ports would work for a fuel tank though. Any idea what kind of clean out hatch should be used?

Thanks,
Allen

A30_John · Post by **A30_John** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 11:54 am

I'd recommend looking at the Seabuilt access plate. I installed an 8" one in the holding tank I built for my head last Spring and I am very pleased with it. The design is clever, the plates are well made, and the service from Seabuilt was great. I'm planning to retrofit one to my fuel tank someday.

http://www.seabuilt.com/

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 11:58 am

Thanks John, that looks like just the ticket.

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 12:04 pm

Hey Allen, I got one of your emails and I sent a reply back a couple of days ago. I was a little delayed because it went to my junk folder first.

Since there are no secrets on this forum. My email address is:
[email protected]

I was going to talk with the tank fabricator for specific ideas on the cleanout hatch. I am not even sure if he will recomend the idea as it adds an additional point of failure into the design. The chances of leaking are slight but the consequences of leaking are pretty bad obviously. If the welder felt confident about a hatch design then I would go with it as he has lots of experience with fuel tanks. I am sure there are fittings out there but I expect they are hard to find and expensive to acquire. A flat plate with a suitable sealant or gasket might work okay. I have seen that before but I have also seen that design leak/seep. It is rare but I am not sure how safe is safe enough for me yet.

Since you are working with diesel then you won't have the safety problem I have (with gasoline) so I would think a flat plate and gasket would be sufficient. Another thought for a diesel tank; my design has the tank sloping downward allowing two inches of clearance between the front top edge of the tank and the cockpit sole. This provides room for the outlet tube to come out of the top of the tank. With diesel you could put the fittings on the front face of the tank and gain several more gallons of fuel storage. I would have to double check but I would think you could raise the vertical sides of the forward face of the tank by two inches and still fit it all in. That is, the eight inch "front height" dimension I have posted could be changed to ten inches with no problem. That would make the top surface of the tank parallel to the cockpit sole I would just make sure you could slide the tank into position. If you had the engine out then I don't think this would be a problem. If you were sliding it in through the starboard galley area then you should probably check first as it gets a bit finnicky with the sliding and spinning motions needed to get it in position.

Another thought. You could build in a smaller sump tank into your fuel system to reduce the possibility of sucking up air. An electric pump could draw fuel out of the main tank into a half gallon mini-tank that was tall and narrow. The engine could draw out of this mini-tank where the chance of picking up air was greatly reduced. It all adds complexity of course but that seems to be how all this 'upgrading' works. To follow through on this design, a cylindrical tank perhaps twelve inches tall and four inches in diameter with fuel inlet and outlet ports and an additional port on the top that would feed back to the main tank. The electric pump would supply fuel to the mini tank continuously. Any excess fuel or air could exit the top of the mini-tank and be diverted back to the main tank as part of a 'constant loop' flow system. The engine could draw fuel out of the lower portion of the mini-tank which should be air-free.

Then again, I know I have complained loudly about the Pearson engineers (if they could really be called that) but in fact the more I work with the boat the more I understand the compromises they made and why they made them. Maybe a starboard locker fuel tank isn't such a bad idea after all. It holds a fair amount of fuel, it is relatively tall and narrow (as compared to an under cockpit flat and wide tank) and the weight could be compensated for by storing a couple of spare anchors in the port locker. Most importantly, leaving the original tank in means you can bypass a lot of headaches. Just a thought.

My non-boat life got in the way this week so I couldn't meet up with my welder as promised. I expect to have something more to say early next week. If my experience from the last time is any indication it could take up to a month to actually get the project going on his part. I am pretty small fry for him. 500 gallon fuel tanks for commercial fishing boats are more common in his shop. When I asked for an estimate for a 22 gallon aluminum fuel tank in the bilge (about the same amount of odd shapes) the quote was $300-$350. I am expecting something similar but who knows. I am a little afraid this guy has already figured out that what the boat wants, the boat gets and I will pay whatever I need to in the end.

More info coming shortly...

-Britton

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 12:11 pm

Good link. Sadly, they restrict their access plates to water, waste and diesel fuel supporting my suspicions that access plates for gasoline tanks are viewed with suspicion.

[edit]
Yep, just found the quote for their website "Never install the Access Plate System on tanks containing gasoline or other highly flammable liquids or gasses. "

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 1:19 pm

Hi Britton,

More fuel would be nice, but I was thinking it would be quicker to just duplicate the tank since your welder could do them both at the same time based on the same measurements. 22 gal. is much more than the prefab tank's capacity of only 16.5, and probably a couple of gallons more than the original tank.

Regarding the use of a sump, that's a good idea. I'm trying to keep it as simple as possible, but if I wind up using the prefab tank, that's definitely an idea. Maybe if I have to use the prefab tank I can set it at an angle and use a gravity feed into a smaller tank, say 1 gallon, where the fuel is then run to the engine.

The fuel pickup change might be a thought. Just a piece of pipe sticking an inch or so up from the bottom of the tank to avoid sediment might work. When you see your welder, please ask him about this for me and see if he has any other suggested changes for a diesel tank.

We considered using the original tank, or at least its location, but since I'm going to be living onboard for extended periods, the extra storage in the starboard lazarette will be a great help. And all that dead space below the cockpit is just crying out for something to do. :)

The price seems quite reasonable, a fraction of the cost of my stainless steel water tanks and only a bit over twice that of the prefab plastic tank, so I'm definitely interested. Once you have a chance to talk to the welder, let me know how he wants to be paid. Shipping will be to Tim in Maine.

Thanks for the help, I can't wait to get all the projects done and get on the water.

A30_John · Post by **A30_John** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 3:57 pm

I'm wondering if a cleanout port is really necessary on a gasoline tank. Why not simply a sump to collect water and dirt, and then have a valve on the sump to drain it? (Like the fuel tank on a small airplane.) If that's even necessary. Maybe the Racor would collect anything that needs collecting anyway.

I'd think the reason we'd want one on a diesel tank is due to the nasties that grow in there, potentially forming a sludge that would not drain from a sump. But is that an issue on a gasoline tank? Does the same kind of sludge grow in a gasoline tank? Motor vehicles go through life without needing their fuel tanks cleaned out, so maybe a boat can too.

Just a thought to ponder.

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 4:15 pm

I ponder exactlly the same thoughts. I think an access hatch is always nice but not nearly as important for gasoline as for diesel. I believe the 'sludge' most common in diesel fuel is a microbe and that microbe doesn't live in gasoline. I have known of cars to have problems with dirty tanks but they don't usually live long enough to be a real problem. My boat will outlive the typical car though. Then there is the issue with marinas and sloppy gas tank maintenance. One gas stop at a slip-shod marina and I could have half a tank full of crud. At the moment, I am leaning towards no access hatch and an excellent filtration system. I will know more soon.

Allen, what's your time frame? Other than yesterday of course! I am sensing the hidden heavy breathing of an obsessive task master in the background...

-Britton

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 8:09 pm

LOL, you heard that too? ;)

The engine is in the process of being removed so sooner would probably be better than later, but the engine will not be going back in until quite late. I'll need to defer to the aforementioned obsessive task master for an exact answer to that question.

Post by **Tim** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 12:02 pm

Cleanouts are handy, but are often impractical in a boat tank because of the tank's location. The under-cockpit location for a Triton fuel tank would make access difficult or impossible. Still, in a diesel tank, if it's possible, it's a nice feature to have, though it will take years for properly-treated diesel fuel to create dangerous amounts of sludge. Tanks can be fairly effectively cleaned through the larger fuel fill neck, or through a fuel sender unit if installed.

A little sump beneath the lowest part of the tank would be a nice feature, along with a drain valve. This would encourage the accumulation of any sludge in this easily-serviced area. But it's not strictly necessary.

In any event, the fuel pickup should always be located an inch or so (depending on the tank depth) above the bottom of the tank to avoid the dirt and water that inevitably enters any fuel tank.

A deck hatch in the sole directly above the tank inspection hatch would work, but would be tricky to align properly given the lack of space above the tank. But it's possible, of course. It'd be easiest to install the deck plate first, slide the tank in, mark the hole, and then install the tank inspection plate. This can be done successfully with the aftermarket Seabuilt inspection port. One can also simply cut a hole in the tank and install a well-gasketed (or otherwise fuel-resistantly sealed) flat plate over the top, drilling and tapping for machine screws around the edge.

Of course excellent filtration is always a must.

As to the apparently impatient and obsessive taskmaster behind the scenes...I plead the 5th!

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 2:25 am

Britton,

Would it be possible to ship the mockup to Tim so he could check the fit? Tritons vary so much it would be really handy to verify there wasn't any difference in Kaholee that would cause a problem. I would pay the shipping to and from.

Post by **Tim** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:13 am

I'm half tempted to order one of these tanks myself, now! It sounds like a good setup.

Since I'm the one who scared Allen off the low, wide, flat plastic tank like the one I have, I suppose penance may be in order. :<)

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:02 pm

I could ship up the mockup but I bet you or Tim could whack one together in about twenty minutes with some scrap plywood and 2x4's. I am not sure if shipping it would be cost effective.

I am wondering if I can justify a trip up to Whitefield maybe this weekend but with Christmas coming up and no shopping being done... On the other hand an excuse to talk Tim's ear off and a chance to look over Kaholee is hard to pass up. Let me see what I can do.

-Britton

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:03 pm

Britton,

That would be great. I will gladly sacrifice Tim's ear. :)

Say hi to Kaholee for me,

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 9:40 am

Britton, did you ever get together with Tim? How'd things go? :)

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 5:55 pm

yeah, Tim is hounding me too... hehe :-)

The welder has been busy. I have been busy. We haven't connected in any meaningful way. T

The car(s) are fixed, I have the legwork done on the new job that starts in two weeks, the holidays will be behind us, ... and I am going to park myself in the welder's driveway until I can make something happen.

I am sure you are anxious to see something happen and I am anxious for myself and to see Kaholee sail off over the horizon. I expect the welding business to be a bit slower after the holidays so hopefully things will proceed quickly.

-Britton

Post by **Tim** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 8:31 am

bcooke wrote:We haven't connected in any meaningful way.

What is this, The Love Connection?

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 12:21 pm

Hay, whatever works!!! :)

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:39 pm

Tim wrote:What is this, The Love Connection?

Christmas came today and I think I might be in love.

What's better than a spanking new fuel tank I ask you?...

How about TWO spanking new fuel tanks.

A couple of minor details, I had scratched out plans for a bracket on the front for mounting a fuel filter but it wound up there anyway.

The fuel indicator is mounted crooked.

Minor details though. The second tank is destined for Kaholee to go with her new diesel engine. The only differences are a drain plug and return fitting on the diesel tank.

Allen, I sent more pictures to your email.

Allen wrote:Hay, whatever works!!! :)

Exactly. What wouldn't a person do for tanks like these...

-Britton

Mark.Wilme · Post by **Mark.Wilme** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 10:04 pm

Very nice, drool !

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:18 pm

That tab on the front was for mounting a FILTER?!!! 3/16" plate with continuous full-pen weld on both sides, that must've been one SERIOUS filter.

What's the little tab just aft of the filler neck? Ground wire?

The tanks look fantastic. What do they weigh?

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:09 am

Well, since I told the welder to disregard the filter bracket I am not sure exactly what he was thinking. Something got lost in the translation. I agree, the bracket looks a little overbuilt. How in the world did you figure out the thickness?! I just went downstairs to measure it (and look at it again) and it is indeed 3/16"

The tanks don't weigh very much. At least compared to the stainless tanks I had built last year. I would say maybe ten pounds. Pretty stout aluminum though.

Yes, the tab is for a ground wire. Again overbuilt. Maybe they just had some extra stock lying around and they were giving the new guy some practice.

-Britton

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:35 am

eh, call it a well-reasoned lucky guess.

They're just as pretty in daylight.

Ceasar Choppy · Post by **Ceasar Choppy** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 2:42 pm

A30_John wrote:I'd recommend looking at the Seabuilt access plate. I installed an 8" one in the holding tank I built for my head last Spring and I am very pleased with it. The design is clever, the plates are well made, and the service from Seabuilt was great. I'm planning to retrofit one to my fuel tank someday.

http://www.seabuilt.com/

John, or anyone else who might know.. I'm thinking of installing one of these in my new diesel fuel tank. I'd like to mount the pick-up and return on the access plate because of space and ease of replacing issues.

Does anyone know how thick these plates are???