Boat Builder Central - Builder Forums

I've looked at several places for tanks but have not come up with anything I liked. I want to stay away from Aluminum if possible due to the potential of crevice corrosion.

Where is the best place to buy fuel tanks be it plastic or Aluminum?

Try cabellas or bass proshops or do a google search.

West Marine carries them. Look in their catalog or web site:

www.westmarine.com

yea I'm not quite sure why jacques specifies a brand of tank that can't be found on the web (speaking of cs23)

We specify very common tanks, usually available through WEST Marine but the tank model really doesn't matter. Many other tanks will fit and the floor frames between the mid stringers can be moved around a little bit.
Check locally for Al tanks: they often don't cost more than the plastic ones.

Last point: soon (spring 2004) all our tanks and fuel fittings will be available on the web from
http://www.boatbuildercentral.com/

I found mine at www.defender.com .Their prices are better than West marine, or any other place I looked.

jacquesmm wrote:We specify very common tanks, usually available through WEST Marine but the tank model really doesn't matter. Many other tanks will fit and the floor frames between the mid stringers can be moved around a little bit.
Check locally for Al tanks: they often don't cost more than the plastic ones.

Well Jacques I searched google, msn, aol and heck even altavista for "skyline" and the model number " 244659 " not a single relevant hit

now RDS manufacturing has 55 gallon rectangle, V-bottom, Todd has a 55 gallon V-bottom both listed at west

Tempo, seabowld has a 55gallon Vbottom and tempo has a 50 gallon rectangle @ boaters world



I think what I'm getting at here is a lack of a common brand/model number you can find tempo everywhere.. seabowld someplaces , I've seen rds a few places I can't find skyline anywhere and without being able to first find the skyline tank, I can't shop around because without getting the boat to that point , where I can measure the opening I can't compare LxWxH or area the tank is to be put into

I like to shop for my parts a number of places I had most of my parts before I started my last boat, got some during, and some I'm still buying but I've had my fuel tank the whole time as it was a larger expence

A Skyline tank was also specified for my boat (HM19). When I called Skyline I was told they don't sell to individuals, only manufacturers.

Ralph

Have a local sheet metal fab shop make you one. I'm in that business, have built towers, t-tops etc using our equipment and I can tell you it's not rocket science. The last tank I made was for a Bertram 20 C I'm restoring-74 gals, baffled, then powder-coated white.

Again LxWxH come into play it can't be ordered if you dont have those numbers!

What is the beneftit in powder coating CMP?

Chalk, it is an extra measure against corrosion. You know how bad un-anodized aluminum will corrode in salt air conditions. While most tanks are anodized, vibration can abrade this off pretty easily, so to protect against this and to protect the welded seams, it is a good idea to powder coat or epoxy paint them.

I did this for a buddy using two-part epoxy floor paint on a new tank, and it came out really well- sprayed it on in two really thick coats. Tough as nails. We then bedded the tank on rubber cushion and foam it in place. His old tank had some bad corrosion (unpainted).

What he said!

Timewalker; Just find the numbers the way Jacques does it. Measure the hole the tank goes in, then find one that fits!

hehe yea but then I'd have to be to that stage so I could measure it

Then just calculate from the drawings, and make allowances for the glass laminations, allow some for the rubber mounting strips, fittings, lines, and some foam, and there there you have it.

BTW, Skyline tanks are not available directly but you can buy them from several stores. At the time of the design, they were available from WEST marine.

I have to ask, given a choice, what would be the best option: Alu or Rigid plastic?
Seems I have a few choices here, not sure what crevice corrosion is though...
http://www.asap-supplies.com/

personally i dont want fuel in plastic..... plastic expands and contracts too much to my liking and plastic tanks can absorb fuel.
i would go with a fiberglass tank before plastic.
my first choice is aluminum second fiberglass, and my third choice would be to stay on land. i dont care to be onboard a boat with permeated fuel tanks in the belly of it.

Just like there are Fords & Chevys, I disagree. If I couldn't have stainless, I would want plastic. There are many Coast Guard approved plastic tanks on the market. If there was a problem with fuel leakage due to the fuel permeating the plastic, I doubt they would be approved. Also, I have a 6 gal.plastic tank with my small outboard that is probably in the neighborhod of 20 to 25 years old and it has never leaked despite getting banged around in the boat. I believe fiberglass tanks are really Fiberglass Reinforced PLASTIC. However, if aluminum makes you comfortable, use it. I've seen too many aluminum tanks corrode or start leaking at the welded seams in a boat used in a saltwater environment to want one of them under the floor of my boat.

I like skydad dont find any problems with plastic or stainless

Does any of the gas available now cause problems with stainless? I have also been looking at getting a tank built for another project (a jeep), and have read several cautions about avoiding certain materials because of the way gasolines are being blended now. Hopefully, when I get some floor work finished in the house, I can start the OB19 before the plans wear out. I am curious for this reason, also. Any ideas on this?

Billy

To my knowledge, there is nothing in gasoline that will hurt stainless steel. It would surely tear up engine parts as well if there was. The only problem I know of is with rubber fuel lines, etc. The hose manufacturers have pretty well come up with fuel resistant hoses though. We had a lot of problems with rubber fuel cells, hoses, carburetor needle ends, etc. with some rubber in them in the aviation world with airplanes that were certified to run on auto fuel. Some of the additives and not necessarily just alcohol really did the job on some of these parts.

Thanks Richard.

The old timers will tell you that the fuel tanks can be made from fiberglass. Similiar to the rest of the boat. The gougeon brothers even cover this method for making fuel tanks.

This would allow the builder to make the exact size tank for the location available.

Anybody ever tried it?

Diesel

Diesel wrote:The old timers will tell you that the fuel tanks can be made from fiberglass. Similiar to the rest of the boat. The gougeon brothers even cover this method for making fuel tanks.

This would allow the builder to make the exact size tank for the location available.

Anybody ever tried it?

Diesel

You are correct, it works if you use a certain type of paint.
Resin manufacturers stopped talking about it by fear of liability lawsuits. Not that it is dangerous but science and reality do not matter much in US courts . . . Therefore, I can't even mention it.
This post is for entertainment purpose only.

The problem started when they started adding ethanol to fuel. It ruins the tanks in no time. There is a nightmare story on the web somewhere about a guy building through epoxy skin sensitivities and being fine with gasoline in his homemade tanks until he traveled and put gasahol in the tanks. It ate them up.

JimW is right
I remember the story now.

I think this is the guy Jim is talking about, and here's how he built the tanks:

http://egyptian.net/~raymacke/Cbnskif17.htm

http://egyptian.net/~raymacke/Cbnskif27.htm

Here's what happened and what he did about it:

http://egyptian.net/~raymacke/Cbnskif36.htm

This site is good for learning about other things too - such as allergic reactions to epoxy, the experience of lengthening a hull, and the problem of "upsweep in the aft portion of the hull" (See: http://egyptian.net/~raymacke/Cbnskif30.htm) - perhaps this is why Bateau builders build planing hulls on a jig?

This builder was very determined, and I appreciate the fact that he related his experiences (both good and bad) in such detail. Definitely an interesting read.

Thanks for the reply. So.....If a guy was not interested in gasoline, alcohol, reed vapor pressure or spark ignited engines then a glass tank of his own design, correctly painted is a possible solution.

Just need some inboard boat plans.......
Diesel

CMP,
Quick question for you, off subject. You can fabricate T-tops? Interesting.
If you have a website or business info, I'd be interested in seeing it!
BrianS