CD33 Fuel Tank Replacement

[Marvin Brandt]

The fuel tank on our CD 33 has failed and must be replaced. Does anyone have recommendations for an tank fabricator on the West Coast. I plan on reducing the capacity slightly to provide for easier installation and access.

[Paul D.]

I don't have a recommended source but a few questions/comments. Searching this board and looking up the topic in Good Old Boat magazine should get you the best information possible. GOB just had a very informative Tank replacement article within the last year or so.

You may also consider two smaller tanks to fit in more easily and give you more capacity and options. The way i see it, the recommended manufacturer would depend on the material you choose, Monel, aluminum etc. I have heard of some good ones making tanks for CD owners. I think they are on the east coast.

Was your original tank aluminum? Do you have suspicions on how/why it failed?

Good luck,

[Marvin Brandt]

Thanks for your reply. I have researched this quite extensively and have made the decision to replace the original tank with aluminum again. By all indications it appears that the tank failure was a result of the aluminum contact with the original plywood base for the prolonged period. I have found several manufactures who's products look exceptional, however, they are all located on the East Coast. I have read many articles re: this issue and may have seen the one that you mention in GOB, but, I will look again to see if I may have missed this article.
As it stands now an East Coast manufacture including shipping and handling may be less expensive than the custom yard prices that we have seen. An added expense that we face is the removal of our 5 batteries and water heater with all the associated wiring and plumbing. They were all nicely installed by the previous owner in the only access area to the tank, in the starboard compartment. Two smaller tanks is an option that I did not think of. The loss of a few gallons of fuel would not be of great concern, but I will give this some thought.
Thanks again for the feedback.

[oldragbaggers]

Hi Marvin,
I just came on this thread looking for information about replaced a 33 fuel tank and was wondering who you used for yours and if they did a good job. We are on the East coast.

[Jim Evans]

I replaced my CD33 fuel tank 5 years ago as mine started leaking. I had Florida Marine Tank (Henderson, NC) build me a new aluminum tank. They built the original fuel tanks for Cape Dory back in the early 80's, and they were just terrific to work with. They still have the original prints, and built me an exact original fuel tank, though I had them add a sending unit so I could install a fuel gauge, and I had them install an access plate on top for inspecting inside the tank. Our original fuel tanks were built using .090" gauge aluminum, and their new tanks are built using .125" gauge material. They recommend installing the fuel tank on strips of 1/4" neoprene applied to the plywood base, which is what I did. At the time, they charged me $11 per gallon for the fuel tank, plus $75 for the modifications I requested. With the shipping, I recall my total cost was just about $400.

I wound up removing the engine in order to gain access to the fuel tank. My boat was in the water, and I just rested the engine on the cabin sole while I did the fuel tank work. With the engine out of the way, it wasn't too difficult getting the fuel tank out, and the new one installed. The alternative would have been to remove the tank through the port locker, and I didn't like the looks of that adventure, though it may be doable. While the engine was out, I also replaced the muffler mount, and did some other housekeeping chores in the engine bay.

[Jim Walsh]

Hi Marvin,
I just came on this thread looking for information about replaced a 33 fuel tank and was wondering who you used for yours and if they did a good job. We are on the East coast.

I don't know where you are located on the east coast but if you are close to Bristol, R.I. try Luthers Welding. They made my replacement a few years ago and did a great job. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again. I gave them my old tank and they duplicated it while adding an "L" bracket on the base which I requested to facilitate installation.

[Steve Laume]

I replaced the tank in Raven a few years back. It too had corroded to the point of weeping fuel from sitting on the bare plywood base. I had to cut the tank in half to get it out and determined that if it was 1.25" shorter it would fit back in. I had Florida Tank build the new one and lost 2 Gals. of capacity. They did have the original drawings and sent me a new one with the dimension I requested for may approval before fabricating the tank. I got a rubber floor mat that was about an inch thick and had lots of air holes in it. I cut the mat to fit the shelf and mounted the tank on top of it. The old tank had a mechanical fuel gauge and the new one came with a sender so I did have to install a gauge. Other than that it was an easy swap, Steve.

[oldragbaggers]

Thanks for all this great contact info.

[David van den Burgh]

I'll second the recommendation of Luther's. They were great to work with and delivered a quality product. I replaced Ariel's diesel tank a couple seasons ago. If you're interested in a picture or two, here's a link to the project: http://ariel-cd36.org/wordpress/?tag=diesel-tank The only thing I'd consider adding to the tank is an inspection port. I chose not to because the tank can be removed for cleaning, when/if that becomes necessary. If your tank location requires extensive labor to install/remove, then I'd certainly add the inspection port.