[C38] fuel leak

[Gus Woods]

When I had a similar problem my local marine welding shop told me the Coast Guard does not allow them to repair tanks that way. I do not know if that is just an issue with aluminum or all metals or perhaps they did not want to do it. My friend had his steel tank repaired at an inland shop and they made no mention of it.

I spent the summer operating from a six gallon outboard tank that I had purchased to incorporate Tom's refueling method but I sail on the Chesapeake and it takes me a long time to use six gallons of fuel ( have a Yanmar engine that returns fuel to the filter rather than the tank.). This winter I will install a fiberglass tank that I have modified for my boat.

>>> DRS <drstrong at ucdavis.edu> 10/24/2007 5:31 PM >>>
Les: Thanks for your insight. I have used small sections cut from fuel 
absorbent pads to localize the leak. It is on an edge weld of the tank. 
If I cant stem the leak with epoxy (everyone including my wife says that 
I've reading too much Beatrix Potter; no way that epoxy could ever stem 
a diesel leak with glue-I am beginning to believe them) I will remove 
the tank and take it to a welding shop.
   The pads are very good for keeping the mess to a minimum. No diesel 
has made it to the sea.
Don

Les wrote:
> Hi, Don,
> 	Once I had a leak under the fuel sender.  I couldn't find it.  We could
> clean out the bilge, and wipe up all the fuel (what a mess), use those
> bilge pads to absorb the fuel from the top of the bilge, pump and dry it
> out, and look all over the fuel tank, engine, and everything, but there
> was no problem.  Finally one of the young men at the fuel dock filled
> the tank to the filler when I wasn't looking.  I smelled diesel, and
> opened the hatch and sure enough it was seeping around the sender
> flange.  I bought a new gasket and installed it.  No more leaks.  No
> more escaping diesel.  We still leave a bilge pad down in the corner of
> the fuel tank area (you can see it in the photos), just in case.
>
> 	I have also had a problem once with the vent hose stopping up.  I took
> it off the fuel tank, put a captive device over the breather, and pumped
> and then sucked until it cleared up.
>
> 	On jace, you can see the breather where it leaves the tank, then is
> strapped to the bottom of the bunk area until it bridges the gap near
> the quadrant, then goes up a bit to the vent on the transom.  It should
> be good that way, but I suspect there is a check valve that is going
> bad.  I need to pull it and replace the necessary components, but this
> month I have replaced the alternator, the battery charger and the
> carburetor on the outboard as well as all new canvass, so my boat budget
> is sort of flat, flatter, flattest right now.  Maybe in a month or
> two???
>
> 	Any way, that hose could be a source of your fuel.  Also, some people
> setup the fuel pump between the separator and tank (which is wrong, the
> pump will stir the water into the fuel and make it more likely to pass
> the separator).  If this is the case and the filter is not well sealed,
> it will leak fuel from the pressure feeding it.  The correct way is to
> put the pump after the separator so it draws a vacuum, but then when you
> replace the filter you MUST be sure to get it sealed well or it will
> suck air.  But you will be less likely to pass water in the fuel to the
> engine.  Pick your devil...
>
> Regards,
> Les H
> On Wed, 2007-10-24 at 10:34 -0700, DRS wrote:
>   
>> Dear Phil: 
>>     Discreet Charm is hull #50, 1980 and has a 20 gal fuel tank. It is
>> leaking somewhere that I have not been able to find. I have had it out
>> and have replaced it, all pretty easy. 
>>     I have images for you, but have not been able to post them owing
>> to the file size restriction.
>> How does one post images on our site?
>> Would it be possible to post these on the tech tab of our site?
>> Who is in charge of doing this?
>> Don
>>
>>     
>
>
>
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>   

-- 
Donald R. Strong
Professor
Dept. of Evolution and Ecology
Bodega Marine Laboratory
University of California, Davis
Davis, Ca 95616
530 752 7886