Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

[texasvet54]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

Aside from cleaning out my 100 gallon tank, I'm thinking of another project that might be better in the long run. Attached find a picture of my fuel tank. You can see the fill hose and the return hose on the upper right along with the two fuel lines that go to my merc and my power plant.

You can also see that I have quite a bit of room available. I don't take the boat out that much and when I do the engine will run a max of say 3 hours and the power plant will run maybe 6 hours. What do ya'll think of my replacing the current fuel tank with say a 30 or 40 gallon plastic tank. That way I will not be storing a lot of fuel at any given time. I would only keep what I need and during the winter months I could empty the tank.

The next question would be: How do I go about installing a fuel tank?

texasvet

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

never downsize the tank. that will come around and bite you when you need it if you follow the 1/3 rule.

by the way from the pic, it looks like you could take the tank out for cleaning if its empty. unbolt it, lift it over the structure and pull out from the area where the camera is.

 

[texasvet54]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

never downsize the tank. that will come around and bite you when you need it if you follow the 1/3 rule.

by the way from the pic, it looks like you could take the tank out for cleaning if its empty. unbolt it, lift it over the structure and pull out from the area where the camera is.

My hatch to the bilge is 2' X 2' near the tank and the tank is 16" High X 26" deep X 60" long so it looks like I may have to cut a joist to get it out. The odd thing is that the previous owner told me that he replaced the tank, but he told me a lot of stuff that wasn't quite right. I haven't traveled the length of the boat on my back yet to see if there is another way that he could have gotten it in. The hatch in the very front of the boat is a little larger. I'll take a look there tonight when I go to the boat. Maybe it can be wiggled out that way.

Also, I'll bite. What's the 1/3 rule? My guess is that for every one gallon that you think you will use, bring 3.

texasvet

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

1/3 rule. where ever you boat to, when you used 1/3 of your fuel, you head back. that way you always have 1/3 in reserve.

If you down size your tank to 30 gallons, that means after 10 gallons you turn around. and depending on wind, boat, etc, that may only be 5 miles.

that tank is original based on the photos. however you should be able to get the sender out, and be able to look into the tank with a mirror, or better yet, one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/General-DCS30...TF8&qid=1340505214&sr=8-5&keywords=bore+scope

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

Wow, I can't believe you all don't know where that junk comes from. It's not from your tank it's from where your getting your fuel. Might have just been one fill up at a Marina that was running their tanks down for the season and their filters were so gunked up they were running in bypass. Most of them just run cheap oil filters that are designed to bypass the filter when they become plugged. But hey, save that stuff, you paid twice as much for it at the marina as you would at a discount gas station, (the second most likely source).

As for you filter, get yourself a Racor Fuel/Water separating filter with the clear plastic sight bowl at the bottom and be done with it.

 

[texasvet54]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

Wow, I can't believe you all don't know where that junk comes from. It's not from your tank it's from where your getting your fuel. Might have just been one fill up at a Marina that was running their tanks down for the season and their filters were so gunked up they were running in bypass. Most of them just run cheap oil filters that are designed to bypass the filter when they become plugged. But hey, save that stuff, you paid twice as much for it at the marina as you would at a discount gas station, (the second most likely source).

As for you filter, get yourself a Racor Fuel/Water separating filter with the clear plastic sight bowl at the bottom and be done with it.

I wondered about that so I asked the guys that pump the fuel and several other houseboat owners if they have ever had any complaints about the fuel at the fuel dock and they all said "no." Regardless, I have a lot of work to do.

texasvet

 

[texasvet54]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

As for you filter, get yourself a Racor Fuel/Water separating filter with the clear plastic sight bowl at the bottom and be done with it.

I looked up the Racor filter at the following site and found the comment below: http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=6427


Comments about Racor Gasoline Spin On Fuel Filter/Water Separator:

Unit comes with a 10 micron filter and is not suitible for use as a suction side filter with electric fuel pumps and carburated systems. This application requires an 80 to 100 micron screen. Use of a 10 micron filter causes cavitation in the pump leading to premature failure of the pump.

End of Comment

Is this a concern for my Mercruiser V8 with a carb?

texasvet

 

[texasvet54]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

Ok, here's the latest on this thread that I started, in pics, concerning my gummed up tank.

I removed all of the fuel from the tank, removed the fuel level unit, and peeked in. I then used my See Snake and took some pics with my iPhone of what I could see. I discovered a few things:

1. The bottom of my tank looks pink and rippled, kinda like the surface of Mars.

2. About 1/4 of the tank seems to be sectioned off by a wall. That sectioned off portion is where the two pickups for my main engine and my power plant are located.

3. The one picture looks like a stain of some kind with a fungus growing in it.

I have a gallon of POR-15 ready to dilute and spray in as best I can through the fuel level mount hole (about 2" in diameter), but I won't be able to spray the sectioned off part. Maybe I can put the one gallon in about 5 gal of water and at least soak the bottom of the tank.

Help, where does that put me?

Thanks,
texasvet

 

[texasvet54]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

see above message.

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

Wow, I can't believe you all don't know where that junk comes from. It's not from your tank it's from where your getting your fuel. Might have just been one fill up at a Marina that was running their tanks down for the season and their filters were so gunked up they were running in bypass. Most of them just run cheap oil filters that are designed to bypass the filter when they become plugged. But hey, save that stuff, you paid twice as much for it at the marina as you would at a discount gas station, (the second most likely source).


As for you filter, get yourself a Racor Fuel/Water separating filter with the clear plastic sight bowl at the bottom and be done with it.

Sorry to say it, but the clear bowl used on the filter is a absolute no-no in the enclosed spaces, per Coast Gaurd. The metal bowl must be used in enclosed spaces. The clear bowl can be used above decks only.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

Texasvet54, looks like fuel sludge and varnish. the baffle is there to keep fuel around the pickup.

the idea of putting a few gallons of POR-15's marine clean in the bottom to let it soak sounds like it should work well since the sediment is on the bottom.

is there a way you could agitate the solution? maybe use one of these http://www.harborfreight.com/all-purpose-drill-water-pump-34302.html


did you check to see if you have enough room to get the tank out?

 

[texasvet54]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

did you check to see if you have enough room to get the tank out?

Unfortunately, it would be a major project getting that 100 gallon tank out. I'd have to cut two sets of 2 X 8's and rip up the flooring above it to get the tank out. It would be easier for me to modify my hatch by enlarging it and then slip a 37 gallon tank below deck since the 100 gallon tank is more than I really need as the lake that I'm on isn't that big and there aren't any rivers to run up and down.

I'm looking at a 37 gallon tank (http://www.iboats.com/37-Gallon-Per...3428639--session_id.768843334--view_id.484232). The only issue that I have with it is that it only shows one output and I need a second one for my Westerbeke 12.5KW generator.

Anyone know how to add another output? I would think that drilling a hole in the top and adding a fitting with a pickup hose attached would be the thing to do.

Thanks for the reply,
texasvet

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

I was talking about getting the tank out to clean it.

your this far, I would mix up the marine clean and pour it in. agitate if you can. then pressure wash if you can (at least flush with garden hose). then drain out the water. dry with compressed air.

then put the sending unit back in, fuel it up and go boating.

 

[texasvet54]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

I was talking about getting the tank out to clean it.

Scott,

I see that you just hit 2,000 posts. You must be retired like I am

I could probably shove a piece of wood under the tank on each end, remove the mounting bolts and shake the tank up a little. Is that what you mean?

texasvet

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

no, just currently unemployed.

no, use a small pump (like a parts washer pump, or the drill operated one that I posted earlier) to circulate and agitate the marine clean. let it soak for a bit, then let it circulate a bit to loosen the goo up. this will help get the stuff from the back side of the baffle cleaned up.

 

[texasvet54]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

Well, I mixed up a gallon of the POR-15 with a gallon of water and sprayed it in through the fuel sending unit hole. I used a small pump of tank sprayer and I think that I was able to get all of the tank, except the baffled part. I let it set for over an hour and then used my pressure washer as best I could. I'm sure that I didn't hit every spot, but the good news is that I looked inside with my See Snake and it looks a whole lot better. At this point, I doubt that it's gonna end up looking clean as a whistle.

I then used my dry vac to suck up most of the water. I couldn't get all of it, so I'm hoping that it will evaporate when the cleaning is done. There appears to be a gritty residue left on the bottom so I just filled the entire 100 gallon tank with water and I'm letting it sit. I'll pump it tomorrow and then see what it looks like.

That POR-15 is some pretty good stuff.

texasvet

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

great news

as far as drying it out - put an air hose in it, or if you can hook up your shop vac to blow, put the shop vac hose in there.

 

[texasvet54]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

Update:

I let the water sit in the 100 gallon tank for a couple of days because lots of crap came up in my life. Today I pumped the last of it out with a fuel pump and it looks a whole lot better but it certainly doesn't look new.

Here's a pic of the bottom of the tank directly below the fuel sending unit hole taken with my iPhone. It's a hair out of focus, but not too bad. It kinda looks a little stained and gritty. I stirred the 100 gallons of water up a little before I pumped it out. Is this about as good as I'm going to get it or should I try another gallon of Marine Clean?

texasvet

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

I would put another gallon thru there if you have it, then call it done

 

[texasvet54]

Re: Can someone tell me what this stuff is?

Hello Scott,

I sprayed another gallon of Marine Clean in, let it sit for a few hours, added a few gallons of water, pumped it out, filled the tank up to the top with water, let it sit overnight, stirred it up as best I could and the bottom still has some grit on it as shown in the attached picture. You can see the scrape marks where I dragged my piece of PVC that was attached to my suction hose across the grit. Hopefully, when I add fuel it won't be an issue.

It looks a whole lot better than before, but I sure wish that I could have gotten it clean as a whistle. I'm gonna put my carb back on next week, add an additional in-line filter and hope for the best.

texasvet