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Debris in the fuel tank


blackrose

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How much crap do builders typically leave in fuel tanks or would most make sure there were no bits of swarf, etc left in there to potentially block fuel lines? In 15 years from new I've never even dipped my tank to check for a build up of dirt. 

 

I remember when I bought my boat it included a free course on engine maintenance at HMI. One chap I met there told me to check my water tank before first filling it as he'd found a bucket of swarf and a welding glove in his!

 

Still, it could be worse I suppose...

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51499777

 

 

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2 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Before filling the fuel, or water tanks up for the first time, take the filler caps off, turn the boat upside down and give it a good shake.

Jen ?

Do it over a clean sheet of paper though to show the builders what you find.

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On a more serious note. If you have never done any maintenance on the tank in 15 years you have been lucky. If you do not do it fairly regularly pleas at least try to get the collected water out of the bottom of the tank.

 

I suspect the worst you will find in the tank is a bit of welding scale, rust and a build up of dirt that  came in with the fuel and through the breather over the years

Edited by Tony Brooks
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6 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

On a more serious note. If you have never done any maintenance on the tank in 15 years you have been lucky. If you do not do it fairly regularly pleas at least try to get the collected water out of the bottom of the tank.

 

 

My filler is directly over the tank so I think I'll get hold of a clear 15mm rigid plastic pipe and dip the tank to see how much water and sediment is down there.

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4 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

My filler is directly over the tank so I think I'll get hold of a clear 15mm rigid plastic pipe and dip the tank to see how much water and sediment is down there.

I routinely do mine and BSPs once a year since I had an engine stall caused by gunk stirred up from the tank.

I use a pela pump, first time I got at least 15lts of gunk and water, now hardly anything 

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2 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

I routinely do mine and BSPs once a year since I had an engine stall caused by gunk stirred up from the tank.

I use a pela pump, first time I got at least 15lts of gunk and water, now hardly anything 

 

You just put a hose down there and pump it up from the bottom? I guess the trick is to make sure the hose is actually resting on the bottom of the tank when you're pumping?

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5 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

You just put a hose down there and pump it up from the bottom? I guess the trick is to make sure the hose is actually resting on the bottom of the tank when you're pumping?

Yes.

At first I loaded the side with the filler to try to bring more of the gunk to where I could get it, now I just dip the tube as is.

Frankly the rubbish I got out was horrifying. 

I also now ensure the gasket around the filler is in good nick and after a fill up smear silicone grease around the gap between cap and fitting

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I used a length of clear plastic hose with a bit of copper pipe pushed in the end to form a syphon. If you put a bow in the copper pipe you can use that to sweep around the corners and low spot in the tank. I used to use a Pella pump but I found the chunks of muck it  as pulling up clogged the joint between the plastic hose and Bowden cable outer. I found a 10mm ish bore hose and copper pipe to push inside far faster and more effective.

 

I would advise a good supply of clean empty milk cartons to accept  the liquid. There is likely to be far more of the messy stuff than you think. As you can see through milk cartons you ca let the fuel stand and if no slime or soft lumps are present decant most of the fuel back into the tank once the water has settled out.

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1 hour ago, blackrose said:

How much crap do builders typically leave in fuel tanks or would most make sure there were no bits of swarf, etc left in there to potentially block fuel lines? In 15 years from new I've never even dipped my tank to check for a build up of dirt. 

 

I remember when I bought my boat it included a free course on engine maintenance at HMI. One chap I met there told me to check my water tank before first filling it as he'd found a bucket of swarf and a welding glove in his!

 

Still, it could be worse I suppose...

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51499777

 

 

You'll have to ask Boeing. They're experts especially with their 737 Max (see current press reports)

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8 minutes ago, bizzard said:

My £8 Marksman hand pump from China pumps like anything and never clogs, used it several times on boar fuel tanks. Long bendy, stiffish plastic suction pipe.

Which end of the boar do you access the fuel tank from?  Does the boar not get upset?

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Recently got a hole drilled into the rear top of the tank to get access to the back end of the tank. Used a magnet to pull out any swarf from the drilling and was surprised at how much metal came out. I reckon most of it was welding scale from when the boat was built.

 

...............Dave

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1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

I used a length of clear plastic hose with a bit of copper pipe pushed in the end to form a syphon. If you put a bow in the copper pipe you can use that to sweep around the corners and low spot in the tank. I used to use a Pella pump but I found the chunks of muck it  as pulling up clogged the joint between the plastic hose and Bowden cable outer. I found a 10mm ish bore hose and copper pipe to push inside far faster and more effective.

 

I would advise a good supply of clean empty milk cartons to accept  the liquid. There is likely to be far more of the messy stuff than you think. As you can see through milk cartons you ca let the fuel stand and if no slime or soft lumps are present decant most of the fuel back into the tank once the water has settled out.

I suppose one of those 12 volt oil pumps, which you put down a dipstick tube, would do the job.

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7 minutes ago, jenevers said:

I suppose one of those 12 volt oil pumps, which you put down a dipstick tube, would do the job.

As I explained before. At least the Lidle ones have a metal vane type pump with very small clearance between the rotor and chamber at one point so any scale rust or grit particles stopped mine dead and blew the soldered in fuse. It lasted about 5 minutes before I used the hose supplied with it to make a syphon. For a narrowboat with conventional tank far better. The pumps like Biz uses are also good.

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3 hours ago, blackrose said:

Would an old whale gulper 220 be any good? It's working fine but I'm not sure if it'll be ok for pumping diesel?

Not sure what diesel will d to the diaphragm & flap valves, I suspect they would degrade. I also suspect it would be fine for a short time but if you needed to use it again getting the diesel off the rubber parts may be difficult. My feeing is that you want a much slower flow for maximum effect and to minimise drawing good fuel downwards into the end of the tube.

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on a number of occasions i have tried to remove debris from my tank using a pump via the filler cap with limited success and often wondered why narrowboats do not have a waterproof inspection hatch bolted on to the deck to allow proper access. is it against BSS or merely the fear of water ingress. any suggestions ?

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My favourite story (from the marina at Braunston) was about a boat that had a bus ticket in the tank. Every now and again it got stuck across the end of the pipe leading to the pump. Engine stopped. Bus ticket dropped off. Engine started fine and worked well for months. Repeat. 

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5 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

My favourite story (from the marina at Braunston) was about a boat that had a bus ticket in the tank. Every now and again it got stuck across the end of the pipe leading to the pump. Engine stopped. Bus ticket dropped off. Engine started fine and worked well for months. Repeat. 

 

You do realise that "that stupid bus ticket on [name of boat]" is a euphemism, don't you? :D

 

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