Rolled the dice and I lost it seems.

[Ky Grady]

Looks like I already have a winter/spring 2020 project on the books.

I had seen some gas coming out of the garboard plug and wrote it off to residual from changing out fuel/water separator and me pulling all the old fuel lines and such from my auxiliary fuel tank install. While down in Florida the last couple of weeks, I still had a faint fuel smell, nothing like last year with the auxiliary tank leaking. Anyway, while down there after running in the GOM on a couple of bumpy days, I noticed my bilge pump was running when I shut down at the sandbar, the float switch had turned it on. Strange, as no water was coming out.

I just pulled my bait tank and found the switch was no longer connected to it's mount in the bilge. The mount and the base of the switch have melted from sitting in fuel, evidently quite a while. So saying all that, looks like the main tank will be coming out for replacement this winter. Guess I should have pulled it to verify it's condition on the bottom, but I took a chance and seems I lost.

On the bright side, after this and a repower down the road, I'll have a brand new 2004 228, nothing else left!!

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

That's too bad. Good thing you did ignite the fuel with fireworks, an acetylene torch, or something like that. It's good that you caught it and no physical harm to you or your crew.

 

[wrxhoon]

It's a bit unusual for the tank to corrode in 15 years use , they are well made from marine aluminum and painted as well. It is more likely corrosion around the sender as they are fixed with S/S screws .

 

[Ky Grady]

It's a bit unusual for the tank to corrode in 15 years use , they are well made from marine aluminum and painted as well. It is more likely corrosion around the sender as they are fixed with S/S screws .

Lack of freshwater flushing will also do it. It had been a saltwater boat its entire life until I bought it. The main tank has had very little gas in it all summer, not enough to leak around the sender. I also looked at the sender last night and see no indication of a leak there. I'm sure there is a pinhole or two in the bottom.

 

[SirGrady226]

I believe that even a coated tank will have wear at the contact points on the bottom from the pounding these boats take. Once the coating wears away at all, and salt water gets trapped in between these areas, you get run away corrosion. Every contact point on my old tank had deep pitting, and all the rest of the tank was fine even though it was not coated. That's why I installed fiberglass wear pads I had made directly to the bottom of the tank with 5200 at every contact point. The epoxy primer, and 5200 should keep any moisture from getting trapped in there, and in between the fiberglass wear pad and the bearing points of the bilge I installed expanded PVC to help cushion the tank. I doubt there is anything else I could of done to keep the problem of corrosion from eating holes in the tank again. Time will tell I guess. Sorry to hear about your issues, but I'm sure your up for the challenge.

 

[glacierbaze]

Some might say that you rolled the dice, and won!

 

[Ky Grady]

Some might say that you rolled the dice, and won!

True, no fire or explosion.

 

[Doc Stressor]

15 years is about when you need to start worrying about a tank. It's really hard to inspect the points of contact where the crevice corrosion takes place unless you pull the tank. And in that case, you might as well replace it. I hose my compartment out twice a year, but I think I may be smelling fumes. Mine's only 11 years old. The tank on my last aluminum boat lasted 14 years.

So are you just going to use your auxiliary tank for the rest of the season? If so, you might want to pump out your main tank as best that you can and then flush it out a few times with water + detergent in order to control the fumes.

I recently watched a boat blow up and burn at a public launch ramp in my area. Leaky tank. The guy hit the ignition and BOOM! You've been lucky so far.

 

[Parthery]

Sounds like your boating season is over. Sorry to hear that....guess that get together with you, me, Smoky Mtn Grady, and anyone else in this neck of the woods will have to push to 2020.

 

[Ky Grady]

Sounds like your boating season is over. Sorry to hear that....guess that get together with you, me, Smoky Mtn Grady, and anyone else in this neck of the woods will have to push to 2020.

I still have the auxiliary tank I can use.

 

[teaklejr]

Makes me wonder if I should pull my tanks in our 1997 Tigercat and check them Have never smelled or seen any fuel in the bilge but I guess you really never know until you check into it. If you have not had any problems would you pull tanks or wait till something comes up?

 

[Ky Grady]

Until you see/smell fuel, I'd be inclined to leave them alone for now. Mine were probably premature failure due to lack of care. A good friend of mine changed his out a few years back and it was in a '88 Seafarer. 15 years is a short timeframe for fuel tank life.

 

[wrxhoon]

Lack of freshwater flushing will also do it. .

I think that is the problem.
If the boat lived in the water in your summer months makes it even worse as some salt water will be in the bilge . After each use I wash my boat using hot water, rinse the top of the tank and half fill the bilge so the pumps go on this way I know they work and no salt in there . I even made a rubber cover for the through hull pick ups with a hose adapter to run fresh water through the deck wash and live well. This covers the pick up completely turn the water on and switch the pump on run it for a couple minutes to rinse the salt.

 

[Ky Grady]

I think that is the problem.
If the boat lived in the water in your summer months makes it even worse as some salt water will be in the bilge . After each use I wash my boat using hot water, rinse the top of the tank and half fill the bilge so the pumps go on this way I know they work and no salt in there . I even made a rubber cover for the through hull pick ups with a hose adapter to run fresh water through the deck wash and live well. This covers the pick up completely turn the water on and switch the pump on run it for a couple minutes to rinse the salt.

Bought from Tampa Florida, so year round use on saltwater. I knew it was a saltwater boat when I bought it, so kinda knew there would be issues, just didn't think they'd all surface together. Once I complete all the issues, I should be good to go for quite awhile.

Hadn't thought about the high speed pickup flush muff. These are available and adjustable.

 

[leeccoll]

Sorry to hear this, but good attitude about it!

 

[Ky Grady]

Sorry to hear this, but good attitude about it!

Thanks Lee, nothing I can do about it, might as well go on with life and don't fret about it. I'll order the tank first of the year and put it in in the spring. At least I have all new hoses to both tanks so that part is done.

I had entertained the idea of changing out both tanks but chose to only change the auxiliary as it was the obvious leaker at the time. I'll pump out the remaining fuel and run in my zero turn, shouldn't be a lot, ran the tank down low while in Florida. Still have a full auxiliary tank I can operate on.

 

[Gizmolvr1974]

This was the main tank on my 97 tournament 22. Water gets between the rubber grady puts in And the tank. Replaced both tanks. Attached neoprene with 5200 directly to tanks so water cant get trapped against the aluminum again.

 

[Ky Grady]

This was the main tank on my 97 tournament 22. Water gets between the rubber grady puts in And the tank. Replaced both tanks. Attached neoprene with 5200 directly to tanks so water cant get trapped against the aluminum again.

I'll be curious to see where my main tank is leaking. That was a healthy hole on yours. I'm guessing it will probably be on the bottom.

 

[RussGW270]

Sorry to hear it, K...but take pictures so others can learn from it.. and I am sure glad you caught it before it caught you.

R

 

[Ky Grady]

Reached back out to FMT and will be ordering new main tank first of the year. Being a returning customer so soon, they are helping me out with shipping it to me at a reduced rate. I can't make the road trip and motel bill for what they are charging me for shipping this time around.

I enjoyed my first trip to pick up my new auxiliary tank, got to spend time with SmokyMtnGrady on my way down, did the Grady factory tour and stopped in to meet the folks at A&J Canvas and toured the FMT facility. Good road trip for sure.