Fuel Tank removal CD 36

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camroll
Posts: 84
Joined: Aug 21st, '10, 16:21
Location: CD 36 "Nutmeg" located Rockland, Maine

Fuel Tank removal CD 36

Post by camroll »

A couple of years ago we had noticed diesel fuel in our bilge. After pumping the fuel tank dry we hooked up a outboard motor fuel tank to the motor and have been running on that since. It was now time to replace the old fuel tank. A year ago I removed all the screws in the main salon area of the floor. This would turn out to be helpful as a year of walking on the floor helped to loosen the glue.

To get started I removed the bottom of the corner seat of the port side settee. The plywood top is one piece with the rest of the settee but the bottom just unscrews. Then after carefully measuring the hole size necessary I used my skill saw and cut down the two long sides. I was careful to cut along one of the holly strips. I then used an oscillating tool to cut the ends. Here I just cut through the plywood veneer. Then after removing the trim boards from around the small hatch in the floor I stuck a wide chisel in and pounded away trying to separate the floor plywood from the subfloor. It took a while but eventually the glue began to give way.

Image

Once that outside edge started to lift I got a chisel and then a pry bar under it being careful to not damage the floor. Then it was just working my way down the edge until suddenly the whole thing just popped out.

Image

Image

I then proceeded to cut the ends of the subfloor with the oscillating tool and it popped right up exposing the fuel tank.

Image

We had installed a composting head several years ago and so I was able to just cut the sewer pipe and hose which connected the head to the holding tank and remove it. For those of you with regular marine heads this pipe was filled with dried solids. I then cut the stringer out and the fuel tank just lifts out. At this point it dawned on me to worry if it would fit through the companion way. It did but by the barest of margins. And I wrestled it out onto the ground.

Image

Image

As you can see the fuel tank rests in a fiberglass pan. There are drain holes in several spots but it is not to contain spilled fuel but rather to keep the aluminum tank out of any water that

Image

Surprisingly the tank was in pretty good shape and I had a hard time finding where the leak was. There was some corrosion on the aft bottom as you can see but it did not leak there. It was only after getting it home and rolling it over that I found the leak. On the bottom there was a small piece of corrosion that was filled with black gunk. When I cleaned it out I could stick the probe right into the tank.
People keep asking if I could repair it but my feeling is its a 40 year old tank and owes me nothing. For the trouble I went through to get it out I will put a new aluminum tank back in. We have ordered a new tank from Luthers Welding in Bristol RI. He has the plans already and has made them before.

I made a temporary stringer and replaced the two floors so I could walk in the boat and now its on to the next project while waiting for the new tank.

Russ
Jim Walsh
Posts: 3364
Joined: Dec 18th, '07, 13:04
Location: CD31 "ORION" Hull #27 Noank, Ct.

Re: Fuel Tank removal CD 36

Post by Jim Walsh »

Great work and thanks for documenting so others might profit from your experience. Luthers made me a new tank a few years ago. They are a fine operation. Since my tank just fit into the port cockpit locker I brought them my old tank and asked them to duplicate it precisely, which they did.
Jim Walsh

Ex Vice Commodore
Ex Captain-Northeast Fleet

CD31 ORION

The currency of life is not money, it's time
tvangilder
Posts: 58
Joined: Feb 23rd, '16, 08:34
Location: CD 36 #53 "NIrvana"

Re: Fuel Tank removal CD 36

Post by tvangilder »

This is great information as I see this being done in our CD36 eventually.
Thad Van Gilder
CD36 #53 "NIrvana"
Home Port: Rock Hall, Md
John Stone
Posts: 3621
Joined: Oct 6th, '08, 07:30
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Re: Fuel Tank removal CD 36

Post by John Stone »

Very nice work. Well done.
camroll
Posts: 84
Joined: Aug 21st, '10, 16:21
Location: CD 36 "Nutmeg" located Rockland, Maine

Re: Fuel Tank removal CD 36

Post by camroll »

Here is the finally installed fuel tank
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/ ... 5584714632

I put in a new floor joist as I had to cut the old one in order to get the tank out. I brought the floor home with me and cut a new access hatch in order to be able to access the tank cleanout.
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/ ... 5584714632

I will install the floor the next time over. I also had installed a new fuel fill hose which turned out to be the hardest part. I had to cut the old hose into 4 pieces in order to get it out. In order to get the new one in required moving a lot of hoses and wires and much gymnastics.

Russ
Jim Walsh
Posts: 3364
Joined: Dec 18th, '07, 13:04
Location: CD31 "ORION" Hull #27 Noank, Ct.

Re: Fuel Tank removal CD 36

Post by Jim Walsh »

The links provided require creating a blog. Unable to view your blog.
Jim Walsh

Ex Vice Commodore
Ex Captain-Northeast Fleet

CD31 ORION

The currency of life is not money, it's time
John Stone
Posts: 3621
Joined: Oct 6th, '08, 07:30
Location: S/V Far Reach: CD 36 #61 www.farreachvoayges.net www.farreachvoyages.com

Re: Fuel Tank removal CD 36

Post by John Stone »

saw same thing as Jim. Link to provider but not a blog.
ghockaday
Posts: 440
Joined: Aug 17th, '20, 06:29
Location: CD 30C
Contact:

Re: Fuel Tank removal CD 36

Post by ghockaday »

camroll wrote:A couple of years ago we had noticed diesel fuel in our bilge. After pumping the fuel tank dry we hooked up a outboard motor fuel tank to the motor and have been running on that since. It was now time to replace the old fuel tank. A year ago I removed all the screws in the main salon area of the floor. This would turn out to be helpful as a year of walking on the floor helped to loosen the glue.

To get started I removed the bottom of the corner seat of the port side settee. The plywood top is one piece with the rest of the settee but the bottom just unscrews. Then after carefully measuring the hole size necessary I used my skill saw and cut down the two long sides. I was careful to cut along one of the holly strips. I then used an oscillating tool to cut the ends. Here I just cut through the plywood veneer. Then after removing the trim boards from around the small hatch in the floor I stuck a wide chisel in and pounded away trying to separate the floor plywood from the subfloor. It took a while but eventually the glue began to give way.

Image

Once that outside edge started to lift I got a chisel and then a pry bar under it being careful to not damage the floor. Then it was just working my way down the edge until suddenly the whole thing just popped out.

Image

Image

I then proceeded to cut the ends of the subfloor with the oscillating tool and it popped right up exposing the fuel tank.

Image

We had installed a composting head several years ago and so I was able to just cut the sewer pipe and hose which connected the head to the holding tank and remove it. For those of you with regular marine heads this pipe was filled with dried solids. I then cut the stringer out and the fuel tank just lifts out. At this point it dawned on me to worry if it would fit through the companion way. It did but by the barest of margins. And I wrestled it out onto the ground.

Image

Image

As you can see the fuel tank rests in a fiberglass pan. There are drain holes in several spots but it is not to contain spilled fuel but rather to keep the aluminum tank out of any water that

Image

Surprisingly the tank was in pretty good shape and I had a hard time finding where the leak was. There was some corrosion on the aft bottom as you can see but it did not leak there. It was only after getting it home and rolling it over that I found the leak. On the bottom there was a small piece of corrosion that was filled with black gunk. When I cleaned it out I could stick the probe right into the tank.
People keep asking if I could repair it but my feeling is its a 40 year old tank and owes me nothing. For the trouble I went through to get it out I will put a new aluminum tank back in. We have ordered a new tank from Luthers Welding in Bristol RI. He has the plans already and has made them before.

I made a temporary stringer and replaced the two floors so I could walk in the boat and now its on to the next project while waiting for the new tank.

Russ
Easier to do the job only once. Dee
Lower Chesapeake Bay, Sailing out of Carter's Creek
Danielle Elizabeth
CD30
camroll
Posts: 84
Joined: Aug 21st, '10, 16:21
Location: CD 36 "Nutmeg" located Rockland, Maine

Re: Fuel Tank removal CD 36

Post by camroll »

Hopefully here are some pictures of the fuel tank and floor
fuel tank replacement (1).JPG
fuel tank replacement (1).JPG (3.77 MiB) Viewed 1543 times
Floor modification (2).JPG
Floor modification (2).JPG (3.23 MiB) Viewed 1543 times
Russ
John Stone
Posts: 3621
Joined: Oct 6th, '08, 07:30
Location: S/V Far Reach: CD 36 #61 www.farreachvoayges.net www.farreachvoyages.com

Re: Fuel Tank removal CD 36

Post by John Stone »

Very nice job Russ.
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Maine Moke
Posts: 10
Joined: Jul 17th, '15, 08:33
Location: CD36 Irie #107

Re: Fuel Tank removal CD 36

Post by Maine Moke »

Thanks for all this great information. We have had a small leak for a couple of years, thought it might have been an over fill problem but now as we are ready to launch this year, the bilge is full of fuel - time to replace the tank. Your information is invaluable.

We are putting an 18 gal tank in the lazarette temporarily. I would guess that it would be impossible to find a plastic tank of the shape of the bilge area where the old tank sits. Is the new tank the same size? I was thinking of downsizing to 30 gal as I rarely use any more than half the fuel in the old tank.

THanks.

David Mokler - Irie, Biddeford, Maine
MaineMoke
CD36 Irie
Biddeford, Maine
kaleevala
Posts: 6
Joined: Apr 10th, '22, 09:19

Re: Fuel Tank removal CD 36

Post by kaleevala »

I have a 36' CD named Hejira. She sat neglected for a couple of years before I bought her. The fuel in the tank looked like coffee.I asked the yard to clean the tank, but because of the tank baffles, they said they could not. There is black sludge on the tank walls. So far, the tank is not leaking and I am wondering what alternatives I have to removing the old tank. The idea of cutting a stringer to get the tank out worries me. You would think they could have designed the boat for better access. Had to cut a hole in the icebox to get the rusted out starter out!

Jim Albright in Geargia
JD-MDR
Posts: 892
Joined: Feb 8th, '17, 14:23
Location: s/v "Leoma" 1977 CD 30K #46 San Francisco CA

Re: Fuel Tank removal CD 36

Post by JD-MDR »

Screenshot 2022-08-18 at 08-48-32 The Cape Dory Board • Search.png
Screenshot 2022-08-18 at 08-48-32 The Cape Dory Board • Search.png (787.08 KiB) Viewed 1386 times
I had the same problem trying to get my tank out.. I got one of these access . Since you have baffles you might need to put a couple of them.. At least you can clean the tank out once in a while..These things are kinda expensive I thought) $200, but worth it and easy to install
WDM3579
MMSI 368198510
User avatar
gonesail
Posts: 233
Joined: Jun 22nd, '19, 16:39
Location: CD30 MKII FLORIDA

Re: Fuel Tank removal CD 36

Post by gonesail »

JD-MDR wrote:I had the same problem trying to get my tank out.. I got one of these access . Since you have baffles you might need to put a couple of them.. At least you can clean the tank out once in a while..These things are kinda expensive I thought) $200, but worth it and easy to install
agree the seabuilt inspection ports are the best. as you said .. easy to install and worth the money.
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