Home Made Test Tank

[Outrage 19]

Hay guys I want to make a test tank. I have a 330 gal plastic tank witch measures about 4’ X 4 1\2’ X 4’. I figure I’ll screw 2 X 6’s to the inside for support and to be able to hang smaller outboards on it. My questions are how high off the ground should I cut the opening to accommodate boats on trailers, and what can I do to vent the smoke with out using electricity?

 

[Luna Sea]

Re: Home Made Test Tank

That's going to vary a lot depending on the size of the boat, the size of the engine, the type of trailer-bunks/rollers, ect. Heck, I just moved and now I have to shim the barrel I custom cut 6 inches to make it work. <br /><br />Jackscrews on the bottom................

 

[Outrage 19]

Re: Home Made Test Tank

Thanks Luna Sea good idea maybe some old scaffold bucks with screw jacks or set some 4 X 4’s in the ground and use pump jacks. Cut the side at about 30” from the bottom so even a small long shaft could be hung off the side without hitting bottom and adjust up for trailers. Great idea. Thanks again.

 

[Fouled Plug]

Re: Home Made Test Tank

For ventilation, maybe stovepipe with one of those rotary ventilators on top. My brother has one on the roof of his metal shop, and in the slightest breeze it turns pretty quickly and draws quite a bit of air.

 

[Outrage 19]

Re: Home Made Test Tank

That’s what I was thinking Fouled Plug. I was asking to see if anyone had another was of doing it, but thanks anyway.

 

[dinsdale]

Re: Home Made Test Tank

Make a Sheetmetal Hood and add a 110 V fan blowing out dryer hose (cheaper than stovepipe).<br /><br />Wind or not, it will suck the fumes out.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Home Made Test Tank

Use 12volt blower fans, like in an engine compartment.<br /><br />Don't be droppin any parts in that tank now.

 

[Outrage 19]

Re: Home Made Test Tank

dinsdale, roscoe thanks for the replies. I have an old heater/AC blower motor from a car. Do you think that will push enough cfm? Or would I do better to go to a local bone yard and get a radiator fan off of a car?

 

[dinsdale]

Re: Home Made Test Tank

Heater fan should be good.<br /><br />Also surplus PC fans (120 MM) would work.<br /><br />You could run several. One at Hood, 1 in middle of exhaust, 1 at exaust opening. <br /><br />Pretty much a trial and error thing.

 

[Outrage 19]

Re: Home Made Test Tank

dinsdale are you talking about the fan from a PC’s power supply? If so I don’t think they could take the dirt, they get clogged up just running in a PC I’d hate to see one after an hour of pulling smoke past it. I’m going to try the blower motor, at this point it’s free. Thanks for the suggestions though.

 

[jegervais]

Re: Home Made Test Tank

I've been playing with a similar idea myself, so here's my 2 cents -<br /><br />Since the tank is at least 4 ft high, and the average small motor that you could run in this size tank only would probably only have a 25" leg (bottom of transom clamp bracket to top of anti-ventilation plate) you'llneed to add another 18 inches or so to clear the prop from the bottom of the tank. Cut the opening in the front and forward/top part of the tank to accomodate this and build a frame around it.<br /><br />You could then angle the "transom board" to simulate the exact running position of a motor on the boat, you could cut out an over-flow drain at the appropriate level and, you could add the "stove-pipe" style ventilator to the top/back of the tank to vent the exhaust/smoke.<br /><br />I don't think I've done a very good job of explaining myself here, but if you've ever seen a quality tank at a dealership, I think You might get the idea...<br /><br />-John

 

[Outrage 19]

Re: Home Made Test Tank

Thanks John ya that’s just about the picture I had in mind.<br /><br />The tank I have has a 6” round raised opening at the back just asking for a peace of stovepipe. I’ll cut the top middle section back far enough to be able to back a trailer up with the motor locked up and swing it down into the water. I’ll screw 1 X 6’s there at the edges so I can lay the cut out back in place to keep the water from splashing out. I figure to reinforce the back inside, so smaller motors can be mounted, with a 2 X 8 and the other three sides with 1 X 6.<br /><br />I’ll be running a verity of engines in it, my friends and I have engines ranging from 7.5 to 225 horse. I figure that anything above 50 hp wont be able to do more than ¼ throttle, and above 115 hp no more than idle, unless of course I can find a set of test props on ebay for a reasonable price. It will provide the back pressure of water at the exhaust and it beats getting your feet wet when trying to trouble shoot an engine that won’t start while hooked up to a hose<br /><br />Once again I have to complement the host and users of this site on being a great sounding board for ideas. Anyone with other suggestions or advise please chime in.

 

[dinsdale]

Re: Home Made Test Tank

No, Fans made to cool PCs. I have one that runs 75 CFM on 12V. Thats ALOT of air for an 80MM fan!<br /><br />Fan Exapmle in Canadian $<br />