Rinse fuel tank compartment?

[Hookup1]

Only know when you inspect. Open post on hatch, sniff around, pull plug and see what you get, lift hatch and pump out with plastic pump, age of tanks, etc.

 

[Blaugrana]

Where would the plug be if there is one? Under the gas tanks??? Or in the bilge?

 

[Hookup1]

Aft bilge. Read the whole tread...

 

[Blaugrana]

Ok - Anyone have pics of what it looks like? I definitely don’t have one in my 228 from what I see.

 

[Blaugrana]

Here is mine..two pipes on bottom have no plug

 

[Toothpick 10]

Aft bilge. Read the whole tread...

Hookup, What hatch or opening do you use to access the fuel compartment plug? Can you actually reach it?

 

[Hookup1]

Hookup, What hatch or opening do you use to access the fuel compartment plug? Can you actually reach it?

Access is thru the aft deck plate. You can't see it but you can get your hand and a pliers on it. I have never pull it. Last time I serviced the tanks I had the deck hatch up. Tanks were wiped down and the water in the bottom was pumped out with a plastic bailing hand pump.

I can see the plug from the battery compartment when I lift the seat up but you could never reach it.

 

[Toothpick 10]

Access is thru the aft deck plate. You can't see it but you can get your hand and a pliers on it. I have never pull it. Last time I serviced the tanks I had the deck hatch up. Tanks were wiped down and the water in the bottom was pumped out with a plastic bailing hand pump.

I can see the plug from the battery compartment when I lift the seat up but you could never reach it.

Thank you. I'm not sure how different the 97 and 02 Islanders are, but I could not see the tank compartment from the battery compartment when I lifted the seat. I'm concerned that if there is a plug in there, I am carrying around a lot of soapy water. I spent a lot of time this spring flushing my bilge area and fuel tank compartment. It seemed that the water was draining out the aft bilge drain plug of the boat, but I want to confirm.

 

[DennisG01]

Thank you. I'm not sure how different the 97 and 02 Islanders are, but I could not see the tank compartment from the battery compartment when I lifted the seat. I'm concerned that if there is a plug in there, I am carrying around a lot of soapy water. I spent a lot of time this spring flushing my bilge area and fuel tank compartment. It seemed that the water was draining out the aft bilge drain plug of the boat, but I want to confirm.

If you shoot water into the fuel compartment and water drains into the aft bilge, you have confirmed there is no plug.

Put your phone on a stick if you still find the need to.

 

[Hookup1]

Thank you. I'm not sure how different the 97 and 02 Islanders are, but I could not see the tank compartment from the battery compartment when I lifted the seat. I'm concerned that if there is a plug in there, I am carrying around a lot of soapy water. I spent a lot of time this spring flushing my bilge area and fuel tank compartment. It seemed that the water was draining out the aft bilge drain plug of the boat, but I want to confirm.

I looked at 270 Owners Manual and don't see much difference. You have to climb into the battery compartment to get a look. It looks like 1" white PVC runs from forward bilge to aft bilge. Right next to it looks like 5/8" reinforced vinyl hose with a fiberglass plug in it. I have 3 access ports on the deck centerline. Two are for access to fuel tank sending unit and the aft one gives you access to (on my boat) the water pickups for bait well and wash down. You should be able to see the drains and get your hand in there.

 

[HMBJack]

If you want to plug the drain between the fuel tank compartment to the stern bilge, this is easily done after a quick visit to your local Ace Hardware store.

All you need are two inexpensive items:
1. a Toilet Wax ring seal, and
2. a 3 foot piece of 1x2

On my 330, my arms are not long enough to reach way down to the drain area.
So, you place a section of the toilet wax ring on the end of the 1X2 and shove the material into the drain.
Repeat as necessary to plug the drain(s).
And, with the same 1X2, you can later remove the wax plug by reversing what you did to install it.

I did this a year ago and completely isolated my fuel compartment from the aft bilge.
I however removed my wax plug in favor of draining water - which perhaps I never get in there (?).

So... I'm thinking maybe I will put the wax plug back in - for safety reasons - whatever that means...

 

[Ky Grady]

On my boat, I've been in both the bilge and the coffin box for the fuel tank, and pretty sure I was first person in there from the looks of my tank. I had no plugs between the two areas in my 2004 Seafarer. I prefer it that way. I had a fuel leak and no I didn't blow up. I would rather everything drain to the bilge when I wash down than it sit around the tank and stay wet. There is no way to access those pipes without removing either the floor panel and tank or the livewell.

 

[DennisG01]

Jack, I keep a wax ring on the boat for plugging holes (emergency type stuff), but I'm curious about one thing... it seems plausible that some of the wax could end up staying IN the tube. How would you easily remove that?

 

[leeccoll]

My '87 Seafarer had a plug and a metal link chain that was screwed into the coffin. I yanked everything out and left the plug out for good when I pulled the deck plates to fix the soft spots on them a while ago.
I want the water/debris to drain from the forward bilge to the rear without obstruction.

 

[HMBJack]

Dennis,

The wax plug can be fully removed. I make it stick on the outside of the drain tube and I didn't jam it in there (at least not very far).
Regardless, you can fully remove the wax down there if you remove the caulked in deck panel (for better access).

I still kinda agree with leaving the drain OPEN. As KYGrady says above:
"I would rather everything drain to the bilge when I wash down than it sit around the tank and stay wet."

 

[DennisG01]

Dennis,

The wax plug can be fully removed. I make it stick on the outside of the drain tube and I didn't jam it in there (at least not very far).

Ah, that clears it up, thanks. Yes, I thought you were jamming wax INTO the hole.

 

[Toothpick 10]

I looked at 270 Owners Manual and don't see much difference. You have to climb into the battery compartment to get a look. It looks like 1" white PVC runs from forward bilge to aft bilge. Right next to it looks like 5/8" reinforced vinyl hose with a fiberglass plug in it. I have 3 access ports on the deck centerline. Two are for access to fuel tank sending unit and the aft one gives you access to (on my boat) the water pickups for bait well and wash down. You should be able to see the drains and get your hand in there.

Hookup:

I went up to my boat and took a closer look. I only have two access ports. When I looked into the aft access port, I could not even see the back portion of the fuel tank, let alone the back portion of the fuel tank compartment. I sent an email to Carolyn at GW and asked her if the fuel compartment of 2002 Islander is indeed isolated from the rest of the bilge, and if so, how it is drained.

 

[wditterline52]

Hookup:

I went up to my boat and took a closer look. I only have two access ports. When I looked into the aft access port, I could not even see the back portion of the fuel tank, let alone the back portion of the fuel tank compartment. I sent an email to Carolyn at GW and asked her if the fuel compartment of 2002 Islander is indeed isolated from the rest of the bilge, and if so, how it is drained.

 

[wditterline52]

Did you ever get an answer from Grady?
I can’t figure out how to reach into the stern bilge to see if my fuel coffin is plugged, but there’s no water draining out from it, and my tank is floating!

 

[Hookup1]

Did you ever get an answer from Grady?
I can’t figure out how to reach into the stern bilge to see if my fuel coffin is plugged, but there’s no water draining out from it, and my tank is floating!

See post#19

268 Islander Fuel Tank Replacement

Decided that this is the year to replace my 25 yo fuel tanks. No leaks. I plan to keep the boat. I'll document the process here. Pulled the hatch. This hatch was rebuilt a few years ago with Coosa board. Looks good and feels solid. Hatch was set with 3M 4000 - kept everything sealed. Some...

www.greatgrady.com

I did my tanks last year and documented what I found. There are two pipes into the aft bilge. The 1/2" PVC one goes to the forward bilge and was/is plugged with a removable plug. The other 3/4" pipe coupling is just a feed thru into the fuel compartment. Both fuel compartments are connected and both will drain into aft bilge. It's likely your fuel compartment is plugged with debris.