Remove and clean fuel tank in 1986 Sea Ox 230C Center Console

[winstonwilliams]

Someone gave me a 1986 Sea Ox 230c Center Console. The boat has been sitting for at least ten years with gas in the tank so I need to pump out the gas, remove the fuel tank, clean it, and if it is in good shape put it back in the boat. I was hoping I could find someone who has done this before to give me some pointers and/or pictures before I start this project.

Thanks for the help

Winston

 

[Bondo]

Re: Remove and clean fuel tank in 1986 Sea Ox 230C Center Console

Someone gave me a 1986 Sea Ox 230c Center Console. The boat has been sitting for at least ten years with gas in the tank so I need to pump out the gas, remove the fuel tank, clean it, and if it is in good shape put it back in the boat. I was hoping I could find someone who has done this before to give me some pointers and/or pictures before I start this project.

Thanks for the help

Winston

Ayuh,... Better yet,... Post up some pictures of what yer tryin' to do...

Is there a hatch, or are ya cuttin' out the deck,..?? removin' the console,..??

 

[winstonwilliams]

Re: Remove and clean fuel tank in 1986 Sea Ox 230C Center Console

I dont have the boat yet (going to get it this weekend) so I will have to wait to post pictures. But I am thinking I am going to have to remove the console and then there is a huge hatch that comes off to grant access to the fuel tank. How hard is it to remove the console? I am guessing the trottle cables, steering cables and all the electrical must be disconnected first.

thanks for the help

Winston

 

[Bondo]

Re: Remove and clean fuel tank in 1986 Sea Ox 230C Center Console

I dont have the boat yet (going to get it this weekend) so I will have to wait to post pictures. But I am thinking I am going to have to remove the console and then there is a huge hatch that comes off to grant access to the fuel tank. How hard is it to remove the console? I am guessing the trottle cables, steering cables and all the electrical must be disconnected first.

thanks for the help

Winston

Ayuh,... Donno,... Maybe it can be leaned 1 way or another,....

post some pictures...

Atleast there's a hatch to remove, 'n ya ain't gotta cut up the deck,....

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Remove and clean fuel tank in 1986 Sea Ox 230C Center Console

consider cleaning the tank in place. Lots of threads here on how-to.

 

[winstonwilliams]

Re: Remove and clean fuel tank in 1986 Sea Ox 230C Center Console

It would be great if I could clean it in place but my thinking was after sitting for 10+ years this thing is gonna be in bad shape. I am open to ideas so I will search some threads and do some research and check it out. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[jestor68]

Re: Remove and clean fuel tank in 1986 Sea Ox 230C Center Console

What do you suppose might be in there that a good dose of cleaner won't take care of?

Just dump in the cleaner, slosh around a little, siphon out through the fuel pick up and repeat until it comes out clean.

You cannot remove an in floor fuel tank without taking the boat apart. Forget that.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Remove and clean fuel tank in 1986 Sea Ox 230C Center Console

What are you going to be doing to clean it that requires it to be out of the boat that you couldn't do while it was in the boat?
The only real reason to remove it from the boat would be to replace it with a new one.

If the fuel system has had the fuel cap on the whole time, there may be nothing extra in there except a little water, maybe none!
Pump some out, if you get some water, filter it, mix it with some fresh E-10 and go burn it up!

 

[winstonwilliams]

Re: Remove and clean fuel tank in 1986 Sea Ox 230C Center Console

Removing all the sediment would be easier if the tank was not in the boat and the tank could be inspected too

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Remove and clean fuel tank in 1986 Sea Ox 230C Center Console

If "easier" includes removing and reinstalling, no. And why inspect? Inspect what? if it leaks, it's not full of old gas any more!

If you think you have to turn the tank upside down and shake it like you would a 6 gallon, then turn the whole boat over and shake it. Or just do it the conventional way that has worked for decades: in place.

 

[Solittle]

Re: Remove and clean fuel tank in 1986 Sea Ox 230C Center Console

Do a search on fuel polishing.

 

[winstonwilliams]

Re: Remove and clean fuel tank in 1986 Sea Ox 230C Center Console

I picked up the boat this weekend and found that the boat has a plastic tank which is weird because everyone that I have heard from that own these boats have had aluminum tanks There is a brown sludge all over the out side of the tank.... another weird thing is that the fuel sending unit does not exactly line up with the 8" access hole. So I am thinking that this is not the original tank. I am going to order a 14" access port and cut a bigger access in the floor of the boat so I can get the fuel sending unit out and hopefully inspect and pump the tank. What do you guys think?

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Remove and clean fuel tank in 1986 Sea Ox 230C Center Console

Removing the tank will give you a good opportunity to look around below deck.

You should check the floatation foam for water logging and core sample the stringers and transom for rot. The brown sludge you speak of on the outside of the fuel tank sounds like there might have been or is a problem with water intrusion.

Free boats are never really free.