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Replacement gas tank

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Mark Christensen
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Replacement gas tank

Post by Mark Christensen » Sun May 04, 2014 2:45 pm

I have a '61 24' sportsman. I chased engine problems all summer only to find that it was my gas tank (I know I know. Should have been the first place I looked). Anyways I had a local radiator place clean it out but I don't think they got everything because i still have the same problem (albeit much less frequently). Anyways I want to replace it. Who should I talk to? And what am I looking at cost wise? I don't need it to be period correct, just to fit.
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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by charlesquimby » Sun May 04, 2014 5:18 pm

It is said that aluminum and ethanol-based fuels are not compatible over a long period of time, that leakage occurs in weldments due to stress corrosion. Do you use ethanol "blend" ? I have gotten good workmanship from both Rayco and, most recently, from Atlantic Coastal Welding, in aluminum. Both construct to your specs, but will not deviate from USCG contruction requirements. The Coastal tank is 40 gallons, two fill tubes, a pickup and vent tube, two grounding tabs, two baffel panels, and a generic sending unit penetration, certified pressure test, and painted. Cannot recall costs, but I felt the amount was reasonable. Turnaround was about two weeks, and you speak with the head man in their Fabrication Dept, not the apprentice boy or welder's helper. I supplied a detailed, scaled print, and it was followed to the letter. Very satisfied.
Can someone address the ethanol/aluminum issue? Looks like the EPA is now pushing ethanol to 15%... CQ

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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by Mark Christensen » Sun May 04, 2014 5:30 pm

I run only premium. So I think the ethanol issue is minimal.
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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by Doug P » Sun May 04, 2014 6:45 pm

FYI
Ethanol free gas stations

http://pure-gas.org/

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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by Jim Bell » Mon May 05, 2014 12:56 pm

Mark Christensen wrote:I have a '61 24' sportsman. I chased engine problems all summer only to find that it was my gas tank (I know I know. Should have been the first place I looked). Anyways I had a local radiator place clean it out but I don't think they got everything because i still have the same problem (albeit much less frequently). Anyways I want to replace it. Who should I talk to? And what am I looking at cost wise? I don't need it to be period correct, just to fit.
Did you install a remote fuel filter/water separator? This won't address ethanol issues but it will usually stop tank contamination from getting to your carb.

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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by Mark Christensen » Mon May 05, 2014 1:03 pm

I have a good fuel filter, but the problem is there is a screen on the bottom of the tank that gets clogged by the stuff in the tank. So my fuel pump is getting starved -> causing engine problems.
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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by quitchabitchin » Mon May 05, 2014 2:33 pm

Even premium fuel can have up to 10% ethanol. Ethanol is a great cleaner and breaks down any old varnish or build up in your tank. I fought this same problem for a long time until I had the tank professionally cleaned, no issues since on that side of things. I would have the tank cleaned and inspected again. Or buy a new one.
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Mark Christensen
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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by Mark Christensen » Mon May 05, 2014 2:50 pm

I would like to buy a new one, just curious where some good places are that are reasonable cost.
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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by jim g » Mon May 05, 2014 4:16 pm

You should not have a screen in the tank. Someone added that to it. Get rid off it and run it and see how long it takes to stop up the spin on fuel filter.

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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by jim g » Tue May 06, 2014 4:51 pm

If you have this on the end of your pick up remove it. It will only cause you problems. If your tank is just dirty and not rusty inside clean it as best as you can remove the screen on the tube and run it with the good spin on fuel water separator. While you look for a new tank.

I would suggest calling Jeff at Rayco about a tank. Someone has bought his business but he is train them on how to correctly make the vintage boat tanks and your name will be on the list to be made.
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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by Mark Christensen » Tue May 06, 2014 6:54 pm

I tried removing the pickup from the top of the tank but I'm worried about snapping it off. It was really stubborn. Any ideas? I'm sure I have that angled pickup. There wasn't any rust in the tank, just what looked like sand.
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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by jim g » Tue May 06, 2014 7:09 pm

can you post a picture of the top of your pick up? You can take a MAPP torch and warm the collar that the pick up screws into. Just make sure the fuel valve is off. You can also put a plug in the fitting to seal it. Also use a fan to blow fresh air in the back of the boat.

If the tank is out then just stand it up on end and put a box end wrench on it and push down on it. Warm the threads with the torch try to keep it off the brass of the pick up.

If you have the angled one its not correct. That was one I just pulled out of a customers boat who was having running issues. It was also a steel tube and very rusty. Someone replaced the tank years ago with a stainless steel one. Its dirty inside and the dirt was stopping up the screen. If your is angled you want to cut it off so the tube is straight and it sits up about a 1/2" to 3/4" of the bottom of the tank.

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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by mbigpops » Wed May 07, 2014 12:02 pm

I just did this on my tank which has been empty and the fill tube removed for four years.

I first heated the outside fitting with a mapp gas torch and then used an impact driver and after a a lttile while it came loose.

No luck with a large adjustable wrench.

Godd luck.

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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by charlesquimby » Wed May 07, 2014 12:05 pm

Maybe I'm missing a point made earlier. Open flame, wooden boat, fumes? BOOM! CQ

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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by Mark Christensen » Wed May 07, 2014 12:46 pm

The best bet is to drain the tank, take it out of the boat. Then leave the cap on and the valve turned off to heat the valve. Is an impact wrench ok to use on the fitting? i'd worry that if it's brass or copper that it would snap? Or is an impact wrench better than gorilla'ing an adjustable wrench?
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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by jamesm2733 » Wed May 07, 2014 4:55 pm

By no means should you put an open flame to a fuel tank that has or recently had any fuel in it. You need to remove the fuel from the tank, remove the tank from the boat and then get out as much residual fuel as possible. Take your tank to a welding or job shop and let pro's handle the removal for you. Stay alive and go boating.

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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by mbigpops » Wed May 07, 2014 6:17 pm

I used the impact driver on mine and there is not even a scratch on it.

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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by mfine » Thu May 08, 2014 6:31 am

jamesm2733 wrote:By no means should you put an open flame to a fuel tank that has or recently had any fuel in it. You need to remove the fuel from the tank, remove the tank from the boat and then get out as much residual fuel as possible. Take your tank to a welding or job shop and let pro's handle the removal for you. Stay alive and go boating.
+1000

Vapor in the tank is highly explosive. I would get it off without heat or flame (dry ice to cool, impact wrench etc) or take it to a shop that can flush it with inert gas before heating. Lots of people successfully weld gas tanks, but some do blow up. Putting a torch on it is a game of Russian roulette with unknown odds.

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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by fozbuzz » Thu May 08, 2014 1:05 pm

I have a good tank from a 50's Sportsman I'll sell ya--how bad do ya want it?

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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by jim g » Thu May 08, 2014 4:20 pm

Mark Christensen wrote:The best bet is to drain the tank, take it out of the boat. Then leave the cap on and the valve turned off to heat the valve. Is an impact wrench ok to use on the fitting? i'd worry that if it's brass or copper that it would snap? Or is an impact wrench better than gorilla'ing an adjustable wrench?

You don't want to heat the valve. You just want to heat up the collar it screws into. Along as you have the valve turned off cap on the fill pipe and a plug in the vent line hole. Your good. If you have a fuel sender leave it in. You just want to put enough heat to the collar to warm it up. 20 to 30 seconds or so. Move the flame around the collar to warm it evenly. The trick is to warm the collar but not to warm up the pick up tube fitting.

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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by mfine » Fri May 09, 2014 5:39 am

It is a lot safer and easier to cool the valve with dry ice or an inverted air duster and you can get a much greater temperature differential.

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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by Mark Christensen » Tue May 27, 2014 12:18 pm

I was able to get the pickup off with brute force. Everything came off nicely. Unfortunately the bottom of the strainer looks totally fine. I did notice though that my shutoff valve when "open" was blocked by the nut for the fuel line causing my shutoff to be ~10 to 15 degrees from "totally on." I looked inside and I could see that even that little of angle was enough to limit fuel flow, and I'm guessing stuff got hung up on the valve when that happened too. I was able to adjust everything so the valve could be completely on from now on and not limited.

What is the bleeder screw on the top of the pickup tube? It has a super small hole in it. Is this some sort of anti-siphon or something?
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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by mfine » Tue May 27, 2014 3:56 pm

Yes, anti siphon. Don't make that hole any bigger and don't cover it up.

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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by jim g » Tue May 27, 2014 5:20 pm

Make sure the hole isn't stopped up.

I got a call from Woodys Restoration in kentucky today. They bought Rayco. They told me there welder is going down to Jeff's for 30 days to learn about the tanks. They also said that nothing was going to change. They should be up and running in 4 to 6 weeks.

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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by tuobanur » Sun Nov 23, 2014 6:06 pm

I checked my supply tube and didn't find the anti-siphon hole, the screw is brass and appears to be original,but no hole. My question is, can I just drill a hole on this set up and if so what size??
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Re: Replacement gas tank

Post by jim g » Sun Nov 23, 2014 6:18 pm

The screws not original. Someone has replaced the carb jet that was in there. You can drill a hole but its is extremely small. I would recommend putting a anti siphon valve in line.
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