Need a new fuel tank!

[MutherTucker]

To make a long story short. I bought this boat in June, went to change the plugs and oil and found fuel in the engine compartment near the exit of the fuel compartment plug. Pulled all the plugs, flushed the fuel compartment out, put it back in the water. No fuel was present for almost 2 months. I keep my boat in a slip with no lift. Recently, I checked the engine compartment and found a small amount of fuel again just outside of the fuel compartment.

I pulled the boat out of the water and took it to my "guy". I needed a new fuel sender anyway so I ordered one for him to replace. Once he removed the fuel sender he plugged up the hole and pressure tested the tank. He said it seems I have a pin size hole somewhere in my tank.

Now, purchasing a new tank is one thing, I can handle that part of it, but cutting a hole in the floor is an entirely different scenario. My "guy" is confident he can perform this task. I'm not sure where to go from here. I'm not sure taking it to the yamaha dealer is something I trust either and I am certain it will be expensive if I do.

Anyone ever had to replace a fuel tank before?

 

[Bruce]

Does your boat not have a large hatch over the fuel tank?

 

[MutherTucker]

Does your boat not have a large hatch over the fuel tank?

no, it has a tiny hatch.

 

[GTBRMC]

Does your boat not have a large hatch over the fuel tank?

I believe those came to the 23 footers in 2007

 

[Scottintexas]

how much do you trust your "guy"? what's a small amount of fuel, teaspoon? I'm very confident I can cut a hole in the floor also, it's the what is going to look like when it's put back together that scares me. I would think about asking if he can put a screw/latch type hatch on it like the latter models have in case you ever need to access that area again.

 

[-klb-]

It seems to me that there were some 2004/2005 boats that came with the wrong length fuel senders, so they could contact and wear a hole in the bottom of the tank. I forget if you are supposed to have 1/2 inch, or a full inch of clearance between the sender and bottom of the tank, but it is worth checking.

Also, was the fill and vent lines isolated during testing? If not, one of them, or the factory vent line valve might be your problem. Especially if it is happening when stored with a full tank.

 

[MOA_Chaser]

It seems to me that there were some 2004/2005 boats that came with the wrong length fuel senders, so they could contact and wear a hole in the bottom of the tank. I forget if you are supposed to have 1/2 inch, or a full inch of clearance between the sender and bottom of the tank, but it is worth checking.

Also, was the fill and vent lines isolated during testing? If not, one of them, or the factory vent line valve might be your problem. Especially if it is happening when stored with a full tank.

This thread is relevant to my interests....

My fuel gauge is VERY touchy when I adjust it, it's worthless. Sounds like something that I should replace (since I'm not leaking fuel) sooner rather than later??

 

[Scottintexas]

I was thinking some more on this, it's hard for me to think one of these plastic tanks would get a pin hole or where a vibration might wear a hole, as KLB said above maybe the fuel sender could have worn it through somehow, I would think if it would develop a leak it would be around the attachments, fuel sender, vent line, feed lines.

were you storing you boat with a full tank or do you notice a leak when it has less fuel? I would try to isolate when it happened. If it leaks when you have less than half a tank it obviously a lower tank problem and no choice but to replace.

 

[sstegh]

I was thinking along the same lines as @Scottintexas, seems much more likely to be a leak at a fitting. How did he decide it was the tank and not a fitting? Just a pressure test wouldn't determine that...

 

[Englewoodcowboy]

Is your guy a fiberglass man or a mechanic. My dad used to do repairs like this all the time and when done you could not tell he touched it. A good fiberglass guy will color match to your present gel coat, cut it open, replace the tank and glass the deck back down and you will be fine. Not a cheap repair by any means due to the time involved. If you are planning on keeping the boat another 10 years you could have him do a little more work and make it a removable hatch like all of the new models are but if not, I would just get it replaced and repaired.

 

[Big Shasta]

This is a huge fear of mine. I don't know what Yamaha was thinking....

@MOA_Chaser My fuel sender needs replaced too. I have the new one sitting in my garage, I just need to do it. It's either off by 10 gallons or if I adjust it, it stops working altogether. Don't order a gasket when you order the sender, it comes with it. I have 2 now.

 

[Bruce]

@Glassman, what needs to be done here? Could the hole cut in the floor be rebuilt as hatch?

Or I guess if you feel comfortable that you will never need in there again you could cut the hole in the floor, replace the tank, epoxy the floor back in place then install Sea-Dek or Hydro-Teak over it. The new flooring might be cheaper than repairing the gelcoat.

 

[Gym]

I'm wondering if there isn't a sealant you can put in the tank. If you pressurize the tank with the sealant in there it should force the sealant through the leak. When the pressure is removed the sealant should dry and plug the leak. If the tank leak is just below the sending unit it should be visible and accessible through the sending unit hole in the fuel tank and able to be patched.

 

[Englewoodcowboy]

If it is a plastic tank and depending how big the opening is when the sender is out, also depending if you can locate the leak, you could drain it and use a hot iron to melt the tank shut basically a cheap plastic weld kit to repair it. Or as Bruce stated, that might be your cheapest option. You can use an epoxy like Marine Tech to seal the deck back together and it is white so it will match somewhat, then a great cover is the Sea Dek.

 

[MutherTucker]

how much do you trust your "guy"? what's a small amount of fuel, teaspoon? I'm very confident I can cut a hole in the floor also, it's the what is going to look like when it's put back together that scares me. I would think about asking if he can put a screw/latch type hatch on it like the latter models have in case you ever need to access that area again.

Well, my guy was highly recommended by a close friend and he has been working on boats for years, BUT I can't tell you I would know if he was totally correct in his diagnosis. I have a certified yamaha dealer within an hour of me and I will take the boat over there for a second opinion before we go poking holes into things.

To answer your questions of how much gas, after sitting in the slip for 2 months, once I pulled the plug I would say it was more than a gallon of gas that drained out of there. But, with that said, without a fuel sender I would fill my tank to overflow every time we took the boat out.

It seems to me that the fuel leakage happened with the boat sitting with a full tank.

 

[Big Shasta]

You might just have a leak in the gasket on top of the tank....fuel pumps or fuel sender....Depending on the angle you left your boat in, and filling it to the brim. I had a heavy fuel smell after filling my boat and I would see fuel on top of the tank through the small hatch for the pumps/sender. I got a screwdriver and tightened all the screws on everything and it never did it again.

Seems like a LOT of fuel for it to be that thought. I hope it's not a major fix.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Not sure if this helps , years ago sea doo had faulty fuel tanks in some of their jet skis, the government I believe it was the coast guard forced them to replace those tanks regardless of the age of the ski.
This was a recall that even if you had one of them today they would be compelled to replace the fuel tank.
That being said perhaps some research would determine if this is actually a recall item and covered by the factory. It's worth checking on. Start with the coast guard and the dealers. Leaking fuel in a vessel is a life or death situation so it could be covered if it was a factory screw up.

 

[buckbuck]

1 gallon of gasoline! That is scary!

 

[Bruce]

1 gallon of gasoline! That is scary!

That really is scary.

One gallon of gasoline is equivalent to 14 sticks of dynamite in explosive force.

http://www.town.hull.ma.us/Public_Documents/HullMA_Fire/Gasolinewasmadetoexplode

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Actually it is 1 quart of gas vaporized equals the explosion power of 14 sticks of tnt I believe they were off on that one.
Or we were taught wrong back in the police academy when we were building bombs for the fun of it. Ahhhh the good old days.