Fuel tank rust

[Deano1988]

Hi all

 

I am quite new to boating I have been doing my canal boat up and gone to start the engine and wouldn't start. ( I have had it started a few times in last 6 months)

 

I had a friend look at it with me who is a bit more mechanically minded than myself.

 

The fuel filters were totally blocked with slime and looked rusty colour. We also blead fuel directly out the tank and rust particles come out

 

I have ordered the fuel filters and think I will be able to get the engine started with a temp tank.

 

The problem I am looking to solve with this post is the fuel tank is built into the boat with no inspection hatch. Is there any solutions to get the tank rust free again? 

 

Thanks in advance 

 

Dean

 

 

[Bod]

The Slime is most likely "Diesel Bug" and needs fully cleaning out before trying to use the engine.

There are various fuel additives that will help keep the Bug under control, in the future.  But for now "Fuel Polishing" is about the only cure. Search for Fuel polishing company's near you.

It's quite a common problem with the newer Bio fuels, and bad storage.

 

Bod

[WotEver]

And as for rust - a full tank of diesel will stop that. 

[Bee]

Best thing is to make a project out of this and do it properly. Where is the tank?  If it is possible then cut a 6" dia. hole or so , drill a ring of small holes, enlarge them and with a cold chisel (Not a wood chisel) bash the disc out. then you can drain the gunge out and swab the rust and crap out and start again. Fix a plate over the hole, drill and tap bolt holes and with a decent gasket fix the whole lot back together. That is what I did. Its a horrible job but I can check every year now. If that is impossible then all  you can do is flush it many times and do the best you can.

[ditchcrawler]

10 minutes ago, Bee said:

Best thing is to make a project out of this and do it properly. Where is the tank?  If it is possible then cut a 6" dia. hole or so , drill a ring of small holes, enlarge them and with a cold chisel (Not a wood chisel) bash the disc out. then you can drain the gunge out and swab the rust and crap out and start again. Fix a plate over the hole, drill and tap bolt holes and with a decent gasket fix the whole lot back together. That is what I did. Its a horrible job but I can check every year now. If that is impossible then all  you can do is flush it many times and do the best you can.

Or even cut it out with a jig saw, much neater than hammer and chisel 

[Deano1988]

Thanks for the info. I have thought about the idea of making a trap in it but just wont have time. 

 

Looked into the fuel polishing and just been given a quote of £250.  Does this sound reasonable?

[Alan de Enfield]

19 minutes ago, Bee said:

If it is possible then cut a 6" dia. hole or so , drill a ring of small holes, enlarge them and with a cold chisel (Not a wood chisel) bash the disc out.

Or buy / hire  a 4" or 6" 'Tank-Cutter" and make a proper, tidy, hole.

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-bi-metal-holesaw-102mm/42986?

 

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-bi-metal-holesaw-152mm/89872

[WotEver]

5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Or buy / hire  a 4" or 6" 'Tank-Cutter" and make a proper, tidy, hole.

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-bi-metal-holesaw-102mm/42986?

 

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-bi-metal-holesaw-152mm/89872

Note that those saws also require an arbor:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-11mm-holesaw-arbor-32-152mm/1779h

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, WotEver said:

Note that those saws also require an arbor:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-11mm-holesaw-arbor-32-152mm/1779h

Don't all boaters already have a tank-cutter kit ?

Running pipes, cables, flue etc

Edited January 2, 2020 by Alan de Enfield

[nb Innisfree]

2 minutes ago, WotEver said:

Note that those saws also require an arbor:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-11mm-holesaw-arbor-32-152mm/1779h

And a big drill! 

[WotEver]

1 minute ago, nb Innisfree said:

And a big drill! 

And strong wrists. 

[Alan de Enfield]

4 minutes ago, nb Innisfree said:

And a big drill! 

 

2 minutes ago, WotEver said:

And strong wrists. 

 

or, a slow speed drill and a few squirts of oil.

I managed to cut a hole for the flue with a standard drill without any serious effort.

[WotEver]

13 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

or, a slow speed drill and a few squirts of oil.

I managed to cut a hole for the flue with a standard drill without any serious effort.

Well it definitely needs to cut slowly whatever size of drill. Otherwise it’ll work harden in seconds. 

[IDS]

Balance £250 against how much fuel is in the tank. You can either drain the tank from a drain point (if fitted), or just pump it out with a drill pump and a short length of hose, and send it to the tip for disposal. Large plastic containers are sometimes available from garages or boat yards for this (empty bulk oil delivery containers).

Then put in some fresh fuel with a double dose of your chosen biocide additive. It worked for me.

Rust flakes and larger particulates usually settle on the bottom of the tank, where they stay unless shaken up. The fuel delivery pipes usually draw from an inch or more above the bottom of the tank.

[ditchcrawler]

 

[blackrose]

2 hours ago, WotEver said:

And strong wrists. 

Yes, have you ever tried to hang onto a drill with a 4" or 6" hole cutter? The torque on your wrists as soon as that cutter touches the steel is very difficult to control even with a side handle on the drill. 

[Alan de Enfield]

6 hours ago, blackrose said:

Yes, have you ever tried to hang onto a drill with a 4" or 6" hole cutter?

 

Yes - fitting a flue thru a roof.

[Boater Sam]

7 hours ago, IDS said:

Balance £250 against how much fuel is in the tank. You can either drain the tank from a drain point (if fitted), or just pump it out with a drill pump and a short length of hose, and send it to the tip for disposal. Large plastic containers are sometimes available from garages or boat yards for this (empty bulk oil delivery containers).

Then put in some fresh fuel with a double dose of your chosen biocide additive. It worked for me.

Rust flakes and larger particulates usually settle on the bottom of the tank, where they stay unless shaken up. The fuel delivery pipes usually draw from an inch or more above the bottom of the tank.

I use a wet and dry vax with a thin extension tube through the filler to suck out the bottom of the tank where the muck is.

[WotEver]

10 hours ago, blackrose said:

Yes, have you ever tried to hang onto a drill with a 4" or 6" hole cutter? The torque on your wrists as soon as that cutter touches the steel is very difficult to control even with a side handle on the drill. 

Yup, hence my post

[ditchcrawler]

10 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Yes - fitting a flue thru a roof.

Same here for 4 mushroom vents, I used a jigsaw for the stove flue.

[Alan de Enfield]

7 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Same here for 4 mushroom vents, I used a jigsaw for the stove flue.

Maybe regular 'use' has made our wrists stronger ?

[bizzard]

I use this weapon to suck fuel and muck out of fuel tanks. Its really a fuel transfer pump for use on 40 gallon drums.  It pumps like anything. Note the pump handle on to which you w--k up and down. The pick up tube is long and pretty flexible and will bend around corners. Its called a Marksman pump bought it on Ebay for £6 something.

Edited January 3, 2020 by bizzard

[WotEver]

 

Edited January 3, 2020 by WotEver

[Boater Sam]

5 hours ago, WotEver said:

 

Who hung the pussy?

[Deano1988]

This is the tank area in engine bay. Just making sure the 1 with the handle on is for the lubricant for the propeller? 

 

Do you all think fuel polishing will do the trick?

 

Thanks dean