[C38] Fuel Tank Clean-Out Port

[Glen Robinson]

Hi, group:
  This may not be practical in Panama, but a few years ago, using a portable 12V fuel pump, I pumped the diesel from SNOWBIRD tank into 5 gal cans, then removed the fuel tank and fuel to my garage.  I connected the fuel pump to a large filter and "polished" all the diesel, into clean cans, changing filter elements as necessary.  I then mopped the tank thoroughly with rags attached to flexible implements poked through the fuel guage port, then rinsed several times, until the rinsing solvent came out clean.  All was reinstalled, and SNOWBIRD has run happily ever after. 
  A couple of thoughts:
   1) Adding the 2 clean-out ports, as Les has done,  would have made complete removal of the tank unnecessary, and the fuel then might have been polished in place by simply recycling it through that extra filter.
  2) Before leaving California for Mexico I removed Catalina's stock RACOR fuel separator,replacing it with a manifold containing (2) 200-Series RACOR spin-on separator filters.  Two Y-valves allow immediate, effortless change from one to the other, even in the roughest conditions (when all filters will clog--particurlary in a shipping lane, with no wind), allowing the element in the off-line filter to then be changed--even with the engine running.
  2) I had read that the old "cyclone" type filters require somewhere between 5 to 20 times the fuel flow of a Universal 24 to work properly. Also that beast was a @$%& to service in its original location, necessitating a board to lever it into position while securing the band.
  3) Despite it's considerably smaller size, the 200 Series RACOR is more than adequate.  After some 3000 blue water miles, I was still running on the original filter, and later swapped to the second only in the course of regular maintenance.
  Glen Robinson
  SNOWBIRD
  C38 #296
  
Les <hlhowell at pacbell.net> wrote:
  On Sun, 2008-04-06 at 14:38 -0700, Rich West wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I have a friend sailing near Panama who is having trouble with a dirty fuel
> tank and clogged fuel filters. My wife and I had the same problem with our
> C38. To solve the problem, we cut two ports in the top of the fuel tank
> through which we could clean out the tank. My friend is going to do the
> same thing and I posted some notes and a drawing on my web site for him
> about our experiences with the project. I thought I'd share it here in case
> it could be of help to anyone thinking about doing the same thing. The info
> is here:
> 
> http://www.idea-asylum.com/fuel-tank-hatch/
> 
> Best wishes,
> 
> Rich, Legacy, #360
> 
> 
Hi, Rich,
I don't know if he can get it in Panama, but biodesil will certainly
clean the tank. But if the hoses are old, then it will attack them.
The local fuel dock cleaned our tank with it and several filters later
we are in pretty good shape. He accessed our tank through the fuel gage
port.

But I will certainly check out your mods.

Regards,
Les H


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