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How to open water tank inspection hatch


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3 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Looks bad, small screws, posidrive too.

A good pounding with a hammer?

Drill the heads off, remove lid, redrill lid and frame and tap frame for some allen head stainless screws.

 

Have you thought of selling?

At least  the posidrive like heads will centre the bit when drilling them off.

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2 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

 

 

Have you thought of selling?

Just purchased. Yet to leave the brokers! So not yet :D

 

the rest of the hull is grand according to survey. This had thick carpet over it for the last decade so waters just been sat on top of it

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4 minutes ago, madsunday said:

They are Allen key heads. 

 

Will add impact driver to the shipping list!

That is good. Remember to use a small pointy tool to dig the crud and paint of ages out of the socket heads and check if they are metric or imperial, you will need a good snug fit in the socket,  maybe even a hammer fit.

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2 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Looks bad, small screws, posidrive too.

A good pounding with a hammer?

Drill the heads off, remove lid, redrill lid and frame and tap frame for some allen head stainless screws.

 

Have you thought of selling?

I would go with drilling as well rather than grinding/cutting

2 hours ago, Pie Eater said:

Soak with WD 40 and leave over night and then loosen with an impact driver and club hammer.

That's how I did mine.

Plus Gas is much better than WD40 for that, even a drop of diesel would do a better job in my opinion but Plus Gas would be the best bet.

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I assume the hexagon hole is rounding rather than you not having enough strength? A set of good "socket set" type hexagon bits might be better. Clean the holes out then maybe hammer in a hexagon bit, if they are metric then the next size up imperial might just be a good fit, especially if you file a taper onto it. But, these are very small bolts and so the chances of getting them all out are fairly low. Getting access to a good big "magnetic base" drill might be the best way to drill them out.

 

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

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You have my sympathy - I've just finished my tank. Fixed with hex head bolts but the main point was that some sensible person, probably when the shell was built some 17 years ago (Pinder), used some lubricant on the threads which meant that all 16 sailed out.

Suggest that, as well as suggested above, you chip out the groove around the hatch early doors. Once you solve the fixing bolts you will probably find that the hatch is just as reluctant to lift. Brick bolster + lump hammer??

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I just drilled mine out, re-tapped the holes in the deck, drilled some bigger holes in the cover and replaced them with some 8mm A3 stainless Allen key dome headed bolts. The advantage of bolts rather than screws is that they're not going to get burred up with a screwdriver and will be easier to get out next time, but you don't want hex bolts sticking proud of a deck as they could be a trip hazard (unless you're covering them with something), so I chose short dome bolts. Most deck coverings will trap water of course and just lead to more corrosion.

 

If that deck has been neglected don't be surprised if the water tank has too!

Edited by blackrose
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6 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I just drilled mine out, re-tapped the holes in the deck, drilled some bigger holes in the cover and replaced them with some 8mm A3 stainless Allen key dome headed bolts. The advantage of bolts rather than screws is that they're not going to get burred up with a screwdriver and will be easier to get out next time, but you don't want hex bolts sticking proud of a deck as they could be a trip hazard (unless you're covering them with something), so I chose short dome bolts. Most deck coverings will trap water of course and just lead to more corrosion.

 

If that deck has been neglected don't be surprised if the water tank has too!

and Copperslip on the threads?

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38 minutes ago, blackrose said:

you don't want hex bolts sticking proud of a deck as they could be a trip hazard (unless you're covering them with something),

Agreed but hatch is fairly well forward plus I've got a cratch which encourages careful stepping. Bolt heads are fairly low profile plus foredeck is covered with pretendy grass. Gets quite warm under the catch plus limited rain falling in there so not much water lies in there.

Edited by Opener
Spelling of cratch
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1 hour ago, blackrose said:

Well I did say "unless you're covering them with something" and you're covering them with two things.

Yup! Cratch stops the rain and grass stops me tripping over bolt heads ? .

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  • 10 months later...

If you get it open and it looks like ours did ... It can be saved (added a before and after pics). We had it cleaned and lined by these super helpful guys ... done in two days:

 

http://watertankrelining.co.uk/wp/index.php/narrowboat-reline/

 

I should add that we opened it after shot blasting the bottom blew a hole in the tank bottom. Hull repaired by local Boatyard. Tank lined on our mooring, they had all the kit the needed...! Don't neglect your tank especially if its integral, lesson learned.

IMG_20210531_071808_022.jpg

IMG_20210623_161046_425.jpg

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