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Skin Tanks Rusted Through


Parahandy

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I have an old Boater Friend currently moored at Leighton Buzzard after undergoing some Plating Work . The Boat was lifted back into the Water whereupon after a mile or so it was found to be overheating ,

the cause of which was a hole in the skin tank . Upon inspection both tanks were found to be heavily corroded and leaking , my old friend is now in a quandary as what to do next . As far as I understand it 

 

the engine will probably have to be removed as I would have thought it nigh on impossible to weld in such confines and Professional Advice sought yesterday confirms this   CRT have kindly given my old 

 

Friend an extension for a couple of weeks but I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts or opinions or even an alternative solution ? Thanks as always John . 

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5 minutes ago, Parahandy said:

I have an old Boater Friend currently moored at Leighton Buzzard after undergoing some Plating Work . The Boat was lifted back into the Water whereupon after a mile or so it was found to be overheating ,

the cause of which was a hole in the skin tank . Upon inspection both tanks were found to be heavily corroded and leaking , my old friend is now in a quandary as what to do next . As far as I understand it 

 

the engine will probably have to be removed as I would have thought it nigh on impossible to weld in such confines and Professional Advice sought yesterday confirms this   CRT have kindly given my old 

 

Friend an extension for a couple of weeks but I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts or opinions or even an alternative solution ? Thanks as always John . 

The simplest method (although not always the best) would be to pipe directly thru' the hull and use 'raw water' cooling.

A 'mud box' could be fabricated to act as a filter, or again, going for simplicity, install a suitable filter 'in the line'.

 

May need to do some 'jiggery-pokery' with the plumbing / piping but undoubtable cheaper and quicker than engine removal and re-building skin tanks.

 

I have these on both of my boats.

 

https://www.force4.co.uk/department/engines-inboard-outboard/gauges-engine-room-equipment/water-strainers.html

 

640010.jpg

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Who if John - you, or your friend?

It is normally far easier to have a new external skin tank welded on to the swim, than to try to reconstruct internal ones, where access may normally be a nightmare.

 

This however assumes the steelwork you are fabricating it on is in good enough order, and it sounds like the boat may have some issues in that area, (i.e. the inside of the new skin tank may well be formed from steel where the old skin tank is already leaking!

Presumably the work already done was at that boatyard near Grove?  It wouldn't be the first time I have had doubts cast on some work that is done there, frankly.

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Removing the engine shouldn't be required, I have seen work carried out by PJ Barber I believe, where he cuts out the tank from the outside, and then welds the new one in place. May be worth looking at his Facebook page to get an idea?

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1 hour ago, alan_fincher said:

Who if John - you, or your friend?

It is normally far easier to have a new external skin tank welded on to the swim, than to try to reconstruct internal ones, where access may normally be a nightmare.

 

This however assumes the steelwork you are fabricating it on is in good enough order, and it sounds like the boat may have some issues in that area, (i.e. the inside of the new skin tank may well be formed from steel where the old skin tank is already leaking!

Presumably the work already done was at that boatyard near Grove?  It wouldn't be the first time I have had doubts cast on some work that is done there, frankly.

Least said about the Boatyard the better Alan as my old Friend is still in close proximity

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I think my internal skin tank has rusted through, and I can't see it being accessible without removing the engine.

 

Am external tank could be a good idea... Perhaps cutting out a panel to include the internal tank from outside.

 

I'm on The Bridgewater at Stretford. Anyone know someone reliable for skin tanks and welding in the area? Long Eaton is a bit far ?

Edited by Richard10002
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I  assume the skin tank is leaking on the inside and leaking coolant into the engine bay and not through the hull into the tank where it has been overplated.

Did your friend ask for the inner skin tank wall to be overplated as well? Hardly seems fair to be complaining about a leak if you dont pay to have it fixed.

As a cheap and quick solution Alan de Enfield makes alot of sense..

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4 minutes ago, PaulJ said:

Did your friend ask for the inner skin tank wall to be overplated as well?

Over-plating the outside of a skin tank is a very regular reason why they stop working well enough.

In general not a great idea at all!

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Can't agree with Alan, going to direct raw water cooling will require a new self priming water pump, thermostat bypass, cooler thermostat, and a cooling water  exit fitting in the hull. The boat would probably have to come out to fit the raw water inlet. If its out than I think a run of pipe around the outside of the swim, doubled if necessary and than welded through the hull would give ordinary keel cooling but I suspect an external skin tank  or decent conversion to direct raw water cooling would cost a similar amount.

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Absolutely agree-I wouldnt personally do it but come across a fair few in regular use that have had just that done though.

I was commenting on the inside leak though to be clear..

3 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Over-plating the outside of a skin tank is a very regular reason why they stop working well enough.

In general not a great idea at all!

 

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4 minutes ago, PaulJ said:

Absolutely agree-I wouldnt personally do it but come across a fair few in regular use that have had just that done though.

I was commenting on the inside leak though to be clear..

 

Have we actually been told if it is aleak to inside the boat, or one to outside?

In fact as the OP says both tanks heavily corroded, perhaps it's both!

I reckon if it is a new external tank will be a far better bet than trying to patch and mend.

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2 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Have we actually been told if it is aleak to inside the boat, or one to outside?

In fact as the OP says both tanks heavily corroded, perhaps it's both!

I reckon if it is a new external tank will be a far better bet than trying to patch and mend.

If it was leaking from the outside  in the engine would have an unlimited supply of cold water so shouldnt overheat! If its both you have bigger problems than just overheating lol.

As you say-an external tank is the (expensive) proper way to go..

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1 minute ago, PaulJ said:

If it was leaking from the outside  in the engine would have an unlimited supply of cold water so shouldnt overheat! If its both you have bigger problems than just overheating lol.

As you say-an external tank is the (expensive) proper way to go..

That was my original thoughts.

However I'm far from convinced that in my last water cooled boat that the level of the header tank and exhaust manifold cooler was not higher than the canal level.

So I can see that an external leak might result in coolant draining into the cut to the point where the level in the engine cooling circuit was too low for circulation, in which case it could overheat.

I'm not saying that is the case here, but I can conceive it could happen in some installations.

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On 11/09/2018 at 13:45, Richard10002 said:

I think my internal skin tank has rusted through, and I can't see it being accessible without removing the engine.

 

 

Has it rusted through from the outside - in a damp engine room for example - or from inside the tank?

 

I guess it highlights the importance of keeping the engine bilges dry and/or the antifreeze regularly changed and topped up. I imagine without proper anti-corrosive antifreeze the inside of the engine's water-jacket must suffer from corrosion too - especially with aluminium and steel in contact?

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15 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

 

Has it rusted through from the outside - in a damp engine room for example - or from inside the tank?

 

I guess it highlights the importance of keeping the engine bilges dry and/or the antifreeze regularly changed and topped up. I imagine without proper anti-corrosive antifreeze the inside of the engine's water-jacket must suffer from corrosion too - especially with aluminium and steel in contact?

I don’t know. It’s at the rear of the tank at the apex of the plates and members that the engine sits on, where there is very little space to see what’s going on, other than it’s rusty. So it’s definitely rusty on the outside, so that’s what I think, but I don’t know for sure.

 

im wondering if, when it comes out of the water next year, it could be cut out from the outside, and a new piece of plate welded in, perhaps with a skin tank on its inside, or an external skin tank fired after.

 

i don’t really know how these things work, so I need an expert, boatbuilder and welder, to advise and sort it out.

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1 hour ago, Richard10002 said:

im wondering if, when it comes out of the water next year, it could be cut out from the outside, and a new piece of plate welded in, perhaps with a skin tank on its inside, or an external skin tank fired after.

 

i don’t really know how these things work, so I need an expert, boatbuilder and welder, to advise and sort it out.

Yes.  This is the "best" fix on a boat with a rotten skin tank - cut away the hull on the outside of the old skin tank, weld a new tank and baffle(s) in place from the inside to the outside and reskin the outside following the original swim profile. 

 

External skin tanks are a great addition to a sound but undersized skin tank (but please fit the new external tank on the opposite side to the original skin tank!)

 

Yes, you need a boatbuilder that knows what they are doing - the number of numpties that overplate skin tanks and stop them working efficiently is frightening.

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2 hours ago, cuthound said:

Kedian Engineering is a CWDF member who is highly respected for his welding work.

 

http://www.kedianengineering.co.uk

 

Might be worth a phone call.

I would imagine that Kedian need a boat out of the water at their yard to do this kind of work. It’s a bit far for me, from Stretford, and probably a bit far for the OP in Leighton Buzzard.

 

My boat would probably come out of the water at Hesford’s on The Bridgewater, so I am guessing I need someone in that area. I’m also guessing that Hesford’s May have someone who could do it, but it would be good if someone here could recommend someone who has a lot of experience of skin tanks.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Just to bring you up to Speed my old Mate has had the Skin Tank replaced while the engine was in situ , the old Metalwork from the original Tank being ground down flush in order to facilitate welding of the new Tank . So far so good in the sense that it appears to be working with no leaks though he now suspects that the Head Gasket has gone . The Head is being taken off this Weekend and I shall keep you Posted

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