I get that, my boat's old tank didn't have one. I'm gonna buy an extra fitting like you have and keep it on the boat. Would be a fairly easy swap on the water. Just more things that can go south.
I think you benefit from less fuel restriction to your motor. I was really on the fence with adding it, truth be told, I just wanted to get the boat out again instead of waiting on another part.
Anyway, boat is running like a champ, awaiting my next hurdle
Thanks,
The bow eye cleat and anchor cleat bracket in the bow was probably one of the hardest things on my restoration, my big hands and forearms don't fit well in that tight space. The original bracket was a pile of crumbled rust in the forward storage compartment, nothing left of it at all. I feel great knowing it is now made of stainless!
Received new tank yesterday. Thanking Shaun (UCPA111) -I think that stands for U See Pennsylvania...I grew up outside Pittsburgh. And Paul Spisak from Patriot Marine Fabricating in NJ for making such a nice looking tank that was tested to USCG standards, and packaged superbly for transit across the country. He also welded an extra plate where my fuel sending unit goes-I appreciate that.
I used my friend's house to do the work that doesn't have an aggressive HOA (I got a letter in 2 days from having my boat in front of my house
Dry fit the new tank in the coffin. Figured out how thick the side and end spacers should be, then cut a PVC board for spacers, clamped and glued so the would be easier to install. Marked where I wanted the spacers to go for the side lag bolts.
Used 5200 to attach the closed cell neoprene to the wood supports that go on top of the tank. Then glued the strips to the bottom of the coffin. Opposite of what Davis Pascoe suggests for an install, but in my case the fiberglass pads that the tank sits on were a bit uneven and I want the tank to sit solidly on the bottom, so I could adjust the strips to the contours of the existing pads.
Tomorrow will install the new tank into coffin
Glad it all worked well. I am super happy with how mine turned out. Hose replacement was difficult! I too read about coating vs not coating the tanks. My boat was 33 years old when I replaced the tank. It definitely had water in the compartment. I currently store boat indoors and the compartment is bone dry. Water trapped between the tank and something else will yield corrosion. Since I don't have risk of that, I am fine with tank being uncoated. If you have coating failure, it can trap moisture. Horse a piece.
I live in Union City, PA (30 minutes SE of ERIE PA). Hence the UC PA name.
I had to replace mine as well. Rusted apart. It was DIFFICULT. My Dad and I welded a heavy duty aluminum bracket together and it was a squeaker to get it in. Then, tightening the cleat bolt and bolts was another fun time! You have to be a contortionist and ignore the pain...LOL!
Roger that, plus I did mine in high summer heat. That cuddy has zero air circulation. You definitely did a more substantial fix than I did. I got some aluminum braces from Home Depot, and 2 cartridges of West System Six10 from West Marine. 2 part epoxy that is thickened and self mixes as you squeeze through the caulk gun. Squirted that all over the inside hull where the cleat goes in then smeared it by hand wearing a latex glove. then got the braces in along with the new bow eye, tightened up the inside before the epoxy cured (it's like 40 mins working time) then used second tube of Six10 to cover the outside of the braces to the fiberglass.
