venture fuel tanks

J

jennykatz

New member
We had the boat in for maintenance and some mods .We added a separate bilge pump in v-berth plus put in a new 1100gpm bilge pump in the back and fixed some elec problems ,
We smelled gas smell coming from tanks we pulled the tanks and we had pock marked small hole in both gas tanks . So we are having new tanks made up . The original 32 gallon tanks were placed right on the fiberglass deck where they never could dry out .So new tanks will be elevated 1/2 in hopefully these will last a little longer .The originals lasted 11years could have lasted more if the tanks were elevated .Maybe venture owners should put starboard or washers to raise tanks ?
 
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I don't know about Cape Cruisers but our 2008 C-Dory Venture had the fuel tanks sitting on top of two rubber strips about 3/8" thick. Only one shown as the other was already been glued back in place. I had pulled the tanks to remove water that was found coming in via the fuel vents. I changed the fuel vents to an Attwood model that cured the problem.
D.D.
 
A couple of suggestions followed by many who replace or build boats with new tanks:

1. Coat the aluminum tank with coal tar epoxy before installation, with proper prep.

2. Elevate the tank, so that any water will flow under it, and that air can circulate around the bottom. Make sure that there is no obstruction which catch bilge water.

3. bed the tank in an adhesive such as 5200--4200 etc. fiberglass or plastic battens work well. Put them on the hull with the sealant, and then the tank on the batten with the sealant.

4. Do not use rubber for strapping or to support the tank. Rubber contains carbon which leads to accelerated corrosion of the tank.

5. Never foam in the tank. Foams will invariably trap water near the tank and cause corrosion.

10 years is about the average length of life of tanks from factory boats. I know of boats with over 30 years on aluminum tanks, and still look as good as when done.
 
" Do not use rubber for strapping or to support the tank. Rubber contains carbon which leads to accelerated corrosion of the tank".

How about all the cars and trucks tires mounted on aluminum wheels? :mrgreen:
D.D.
 
What about replacing them with plastic tanks?
I have the original plastic tanks on my 1989 22.

Should I be worried?
 
Have the aluminum tank builder weld the 1/2" high feet to the bottom of the tank.
As you have learned, aluminum does not hold up to having water trapped between two layers.
So battens, are not the "ideal" solution. Thataway, is getting away from the problem by using the sealant.
Weld the feet on !
alan
 
Will-C":397lbgd9 said:
" Do not use rubber for strapping or to support the tank. Rubber contains carbon which leads to accelerated corrosion of the tank".

How about all the cars and trucks tires mounted on aluminum wheels? :mrgreen:
D.D.
Click to expand...

Plenty of literature and experience supports my statement.

The aluminum on car wheels are not constantly bathed in salt water, or in contact with foam which has salt water in it. Damage is done to aluminum wheels from salt on the roads, unless anodized or otherwise protected (which most wheels are)

Some aluminums are more susceptible to corrosion than others. Many of the tanks are not made with the aluminums which are most resistant, because of other qualities.
 
Yes we will add a strip or feet to keep the tanks about 3/8in off the fiberglass deck.
Dr. bob what is the coal tar epoxy .are you talking about inside or outside of new tanks ? I was going to use a self etching primer paint for alum then paint with an epoxy finish coat for outside of tanks ? Hopefully this will solve the problem .
I still love this cc-23 Venture Great boat for Florida .although I could be talked into a Venture 26 or maybe a cd-25 I love the spaciousness of both boats .
 
Jennykatz:

There are some specific preparation steps required to perform a successful epoxy coating of aluminum including abrasive prep (sanding with 80 grit alum. oxide with a thorough air-blast cleaning should be sufficient-you need to open up the surface to give it some "teeth" to hold the epoxy), acid wash/etch, etc. It is crucial that you apply the epoxy coating within a few hours of abrasion, before the aluminum re-oxidizes itself. Use an epoxy primer/barrier coating specifically designed for use with aluminum. Make sure you use proper PPE including a respirator. This could be a fun and rewarding DIY project for you. It might also be more economical to have a reputable vendor do the work due to the high cost of the coatings and the fact that you will need so little - they could do your tanks in conjunction with the coating of a boat hull for very little extra cost. You can get information on the web from the various vendor sites (Petit, Awlgrip, etc.). Once you've epoxy coated the tanks you've galvanically isolated them, and you just need a finish coat to protect the epoxy from UV damage (if the tanks are exposed to UV). Use nothing which contains copper, even though the aluminum is now isolated. Do not coat the inside of the tanks. You may want to use the Sta-bil fuel treatment which emits protective vapor as an added internal barrier. Thataway's suggestions re: avoiding water-trapping crevices also represent good practice. Best of luck with your tank replacement! Mike
 
Coal tar goes on the outside of your fuel tank.
It would be far easier for a first timer than than trying to spray a two part epoxy.
Most important thing, get the tank off the deck.
alan
 
Good advice given here as usual. the present builders must have listened to earlier complaints or had more knowledge. Our tanks are raised about 1" off the deck to allow any water to flow without collecting under the tanks.
 
Westward and San juanderer give excellent advice. My problem with aluminum legs would be several fold. You are not supporting the weight of the tank well with feet (You could weld angle or channel across the tank and give support.)

The second issue with "feet" is putting large amounts of point loading on the hull laminate. If you put tabs, which are then bolted or screwed into stringers, that would be OK--but the stringers would support the weight of the tank.

Tanks are often not made of the thickest metal. You want a metal which bends easily--the less welds the better.\

Coal tar epoxy can be obtained for as little as $75 a gallon--which should be more than enough for the tank/tanks with a 20 Mil coat. (2 to 3 coats.)

Some of the plastic fuel tanks in C Dorys have failed. So there is no ideal solution.
 
forrest":2ctgthe7 said:
Has anyone tried Rhino or Line-X coatings? Or maybe having the tanks powder coated.
Click to expand...
d

The bed liner has been used since at least 2005. It all goes back to good prep and adhesion. Line-X claims to have a superior product.

If the bed liner comes off--same with epoxy which does not stick--not much good. If plain epoxy primer and urethane paint stick then they are good.

I have seen too many powder coat failures to suggest that, but I am sure it will work, as long as the tank is properly installed.

[img=http://www.yachtsurvey.com/fueltank.htm] here is a good summary on proper installation of fuel tanks.

There are dozens more of similar articles. [/img]
 
We always used to use Zinc chromate paint on an aluminum outboard skegs before painting with outboard matching color paint.
We just cleaned up two small painted steel propane tanks that were starting to rust in spots. Our propane locker sits on the swim platform of our R.T.. I sanded the rust spots down with a vibrating power tool. Since they were steel I sprayed them cold galvanizing paint (not needed for an aluminum job). Then I found some spray on black bed liner paint. It ends up with a bit of a textured finish. It was around $10 at Ace Hardware. That would seem to be a decent solution that could be easily done. The spray paint dries in two hours although I let my job sit over night.
D.D.
 
I pulled my 60 gal tank out about 5 years ago, and it also had small pitting and some corrosion. I coated the bottom and up 1/2 the tank with a product called Gluvit Epoxy with hardener made for use with gasoline. After sanding and prep you brush it on, I also rolled some glass in with the last coat. I mounted the tank on 3/4 teak slats that where fasten down with sikaflex so the tank bottom could be flushed. The original mounting holes where drilled out and filled with epoxy
["no longer needed"]. This winter I pulled the tank again to check it and its fine. This should be a factory standard in my mind.

Jim.
 
Good work. Agree--but the 22's all seem to come with the plastic tanks these days. At least they are no longer screwing the "cleats" which hold them in place to the inner part of the hull bottom.

Any epoxy will work. Long ago, I had a steel fuel tank built in an 18 foot runabout. I pulled it, after cleaning, wire brushed the entire tank, the and wrapped the entire tank, including up to the fill, vents etc, with 6 oz glass cloth and a thick Shell epoxy--put two more layers of cloth and epoxy. Pulled the tank after another 10 years of use and the now glass tank remained in good condition.

This was an open boat, where I had the ability to see the bilge every time I started the engine, and give it the "sniff test". The boat had been thru some very serious rough water, and no sign of the tank delaminating or failure.

Not sure I would do this with the C Dory where there is a cabin, and moreelectronic/electrical gear however.

I don't know how if the current C Dory 25 and Venture 27 tanks are treated, and supported.
 
The bed liner paint I have in the Ford truck melts with gasoline. I assume that would not be desirable on a gas tank, but then you put the gas inside.

Also, I've powder coated bumpers that have shown rust after a few years. I assume it's porous.

Boris
 
I was leary at first using epoxy to coat a gas tank so I made a container of gluvit to hold gasoline and let it sit for two weeks and it held fine, did not leak or go soft. On a spare piece of aluminum sheet I coated, I beat it with a hammer and tried to remove it with no avail. It seems to works as good as plastic.

Jim.
 
Below, I've cleaned up the link in Bob's post.

thataway":1e6fszk4 said:
forrest":1e6fszk4 said:
Has anyone tried Rhino or Line-X coatings? Or maybe having the tanks powder coated.
Click to expand...

The bed liner has been used since at least 2005. It all goes back to good prep and adhesion. Line-X claims to have a superior product.

If the bed liner comes off--same with epoxy which does not stick--not much good. If plain epoxy primer and urethane paint stick then they are good.

I have seen too many powder coat failures to suggest that, but I am sure it will work, as long as the tank is properly installed.

Here is a good summary on proper installation of fuel tanks:
http://www.yachtsurvey.com/fueltank.htm

There are dozens more of similar articles.
Click to expand...
 
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