Yet another fuel tank question

[gary randall]

I've removed my tank and I am letting some lacquer thinner take care of the sludge.

The next question is: What material should I use for the new pickup tube?

Plastic/nylon? Stainless? Bronze? Rubber?

The original pickup tube was copper or bronze. Given the current state of the thing, it does not appear to be the material to go with. But it's hard to tell because its covered inside and out with green crystal stuff, which might be simply a sign of neglect and age.


Gary

Bonus question: How high off the bottom of the tank should the pickup tube end and should I put some sort of filter or screen on it?

[hanleyclifford]

Whatever you choose for the pick- up tube it must be able to resist ethanol. I don't like rubber or plastic. What is the tank itself? I would not use a filter on the pick-up tube unless I had good and quick access to it. If the bottom of the tank is flat, one or two inches should be ok.

[gary randall]

Hanley,
The tank is Monel.
(It is 45 years old, but appears to be free of corrosion. I don't think it leaks, but will do a pressure test before reinstalling it.)

[hanleyclifford]

If you have an old monel tank it likely has a bottom drain. Makes cleaning much easier. Also, you should probably go with another copper or bronze pick-up tube. Monel is good.

[Mo]

I'd stick with copper/bronze tube as Hanley suggested. Have a good look at the tank and make sure it is in good shape. A guy I know replaced a Perkins diesel lately. The engine was out of the boat so I told him he should remove that tank and check it out as well as do the stuffing box. It was all in front of him for easy access.....however, he knew it all.

He had returned from the Caribbean last summer and motored quite a ways on his trip home...anyway...when he launched the boat this spring the rubber hose part of his stuffing box went South on him. It was a nightmare to get at and I had no intentions.

Once he fixed that he came back to the boat and had about 10 gallons of diesel on the cabin sole and in the bilge. The bottom had rusted out of his tank.......RATHER than get a complete tank made he sent it out for a patch.......I'll say no more.

Moral of the Story: Fix / maintain what you can when it is accessible. The tank was as old as the boat; the rubber hose at the stuffing box was 13 years old. It's not the boat's fault.

[gary randall]

Gentlemen,
Thanks for the input.
I do plan to take a look at the stuffing box. It is amazing how much space there is to work down there when the tank has been removed.
Hanley, no luck on the bottom drain, but it is cleaning up nicely with the lacquer thinner bath.
And, while we are on the subject of old tanks, would it make sense to wire brush the seams and paint them? There is no obvious corrosion, but even with Monel, it is probably just a question of time.
Thanks once again for your help.
Gary

[hanleyclifford]

Painting metal always makes sense (almost always). Wipe with muriatic acid before priming with Rustoleum.

[Mo]

Good Hustle.

Gary,
I am impressed. You get in there and get it done. It was just a few days ago that it seemed that the tank needed cleaning. Way-da-go! You will have that engine purring in no time.