Fuel line may be bad

[DennisG01]

Sounds like you and I would get along quite well!

Here's a "mod" I did this Spring to my Sundancer. I added the teak, windlass, foot switches, center cleat and cut the abrasion pad by hand (of course I had to match the shape of the cleat!) for the chain. Also had to completely cut out the wood from underneath that entire foredeck area. All of the wood wasn't bad... but while 'yer in there... you know? Did it all by standing on my head through the anchor locker! Ouch! I had bruises in odd places!

 

[Lt.Mike]

Dennis that's very impressive! Almost too nice to use. :goodjob

 

[NIGHTIDES]

On/Off is made of 3 different types of acid all three may have reactive effects with metal yielding caustic vapors or compounds that are not rubber friendly.

Those lines owe you nothing. Change is a good thing.. Also most tank failures develop in the bottom of the tank and given that the tank is well beyond it's rated life.. well you know the rest..

You will love the hull and good luck with the upgrades/maintenance.

 

[ROBERTH]

Lt. Mike, I think you should really consider pulling that tank out, cleaning/degreasing it, check for any area where corrision is starting to dig down and possibly compromise the fuel tank. If not too corroded, coat those areas with Marine Tex Epoxy, then coat your entire tank with Coal Tar Epoxy for protection.
Of course while tank is out, clean up and replace hoses.
You will find the area on the tank to worry about is actually on the bottom and sides where the rubber supports are contacting the aluminum.
When reinstalling tank, make sure no rubber contacts the aluminum. Use either neoprene or pvc. Lots of articles on this. Read up on Dale Pescoe Marine Surveyor article.

 

[Lt.Mike]

Gas lines are a no brainer to replace. Pulling the tank will make me flinch but I agree, better to know. Hoping to get another year out of it with luck.


reading one of his reviews on an '88 24' grady was interesting. The photo below sure looks familiar and he commented on how the snap in covers leak.

 

[ROBERTH]

True they do leak but if you replace them with new ones and lubricate with Vaseline they, they seal really well.

 

[ROBERTH]

One other thing, is if it is not too hard to remove the tank due to how it is installed, it is really worth removal and attempting to restore if possible now. Your safety is in mind here and just based upon those fuel lines, I would not go another day without pulling the tank and inspecting and if still good, save it while you can and forego the cost of a new tank. Much cheaper to protect it now and ensure no fuel leaks for peace of mind and safety to you and your crew! Winter time is a great time for this...... :mrgreen:

 

[georgemjr]

A tank either holds fuel, or has deteriorated to the point of leaking (which happened on my '88 24 Offshore). If it is not leaking, it is fine to use. The question becomes, while apart, is it worth coating to try to extend the non-leaking life, just leave it be until it starts to leak, or do you just install new? New comes with peace of mind. That peace of mind price tag is few hundred dollars. Leaving it is just fine as long as you keep an eye/nose on it to make sure it doesn't develop a leak and if it does, change it.

 

[ROBERTH]

To replace both my tanks, I got an estimate of nearly $1000.00. To recoat my tanks took some elbow grease and a gallon of Coal Tar Epoxy....done less than $150.00. Coating the tanks with Marine tex and Coal tar is accepted practice by marine surveyors and stops further deterioration of the aluminum since it is no longer exposed to the elements. I talked to many folks about this before I took the approach to coat the tanks.
Mostly, what I have found working with tanks >20 years old in both my previous boat and current, they both were in same condition, the area that was bad was only where the rubber straps were making contact. Seems if you catch the tank at the 20 year mark, you might be ok to re-coat and save it. Others on here that are near 25 years are having to replace them.
In both my cases, the deterioration was not so deep that Marine tex could not help strengthen the area and protect it. I feel I made the right decision and I know the guy that has my 1986 boat and still no leaks on that tank that was coated many years ago.
I agree that replacement is the rule if the corrosion is very deep into the aluminum. Also, there are different grades of aluminum tanks out there in other boats, but seems Grady used a heavy gauge which allows some room for saving.
Each person that does the evaluation of their tank has to make the decision. Some knowledge we get from folks helping out and adding our own common sense should help us determine which way we go. If in doubt, change it out.
In this post, the view of that hose was really scary to me. I have never seen a hose deteriorate like that. That drives more concern on what caused it and is it also affecting the tank? I would have to pull it now to make sure!

 

[DennisG01]

I'm thinking along the same lines as Robert. Not to discount other viewpoints, but I personally believe it's better to take preventative measures, especially when dealing with safety concerns, than to wait for a problem to arise. Even though I don't see, nor smell, any problems with my tank I'm going to remove it this winter and give it a good going over and address the mounts and any pitting.

Removing the tank should be pretty simple and straight forward. I'll siphon the gas into portable tanks and then cars. After that it should be pretty easy. Heck, even the siphoning is pretty easy.

FYI, depending on the type of rubber used for o-rings, Vaseline may not be the best choice. Nitrile (buna) and Viton are OK, but EPDM can get brittle from petroleum based products. However "plumbers grease", which is readily available at Home Depot, is safe for all three since it is silicone based. Does the same job, just no worry of possibly breaking down the rubber.

 

[ROBERTH]

Thanks for the new tip Dennis on the Plumbers grease. Will check for it next time I am there.
I think that the manuf. recommended the vaseline so hopefully I am ok with whatever type oring they provided, but will use the plumbers grease on future.
I keep vaseline on board as the folks that redid my curtains said to use vaseline on the zippers as well would work better than any other product out there. I wonder if the plumbers grease would be better in that application as well.......hmmm.

 

[DennisG01]

You're probably right, Robert, that Vaseline is OK for your type of rubber. The only reason I mentioned it is because plumber's grease is good for all rubber types and whenever possible, I prefer a "one product that does all" type thing.

I'm not sure about any type of inverse reaction with the plastic zipper (I doubt there is). I also doubt one would work better or worse than the other. But, I do have a recommendation... Personally I don't like using anything that is greasy on zippers or snaps since it can collect dirt. Instead, I use bees wax. I bought a 1-pound brick from a craft store for $5 about 15 years ago and I still have 2/3 of the brick left. Cut off a 1" cube and rub it along the zipper teeth and onto the male snap head. Once or twice a season and you're golden. I learned this one from my grandfather.