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Fuel Tank Leak

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Old 09-03-2018, 04:07 AM   #1

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Default Fuel Tank Leak

I have a 97 Talari 209. I am pretty sure my fuel tank is leaking from somewhere along the bottom of the stern side of the tank. Reason being, on the trailer with the bow propped up I am seeing a small but steady stream of fuel pass from the through-hole into the engine bilge. It only stopped when I completely emptied the tank. As a further test I refilled about 1/4 gallon and the leak immediately resumed.

Am I perhaps missing anything or does the above explanation confirm my suspicion?

I am still a bit new to boats. Am I looking at needing to cut the floor open to pull and repair/replace the tank?

The photo attachment provides a little bit of context if it helps (fuel sending unit already removed).
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File Type: jpg FuelTankAccessDoor.jpg (192.1 KB, 42 views)
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  • Old 09-03-2018, 12:08 PM   #2

    pole trick is currently offline
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    Default Re: Fuel Tank Leak

    I would think that the tank has problem on bottom or lower.sides. Aluminum tanks can Crack on welds and can get holes rubbed through them. All your fittings and fill are high on tank. So it must be problem on lower part of tank. How to get it out to replace it..I have no idea. If boat built like my 180. It looks like cutting the floor up is only way out? Pretty sure tank was installed first then floor..sucks..
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    Old 09-05-2018, 06:57 AM   #3

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    Default Re: Fuel Tank Leak

    Pulled the tank and confirmed the leak after filling it with water. Overall it was in worse shape than I imagined. There are numerous pits with varying levels of corrosion, mostly on the bottom (see photo).

    What are people doing for replacement tanks? I'm not seeing anything online that has the same dimensions as my 40 gallon. It looks like RDS can custom make an aluminum tank. It also looks like there are some prefabricated plastic tanks that could work but I'll need to take a little bit of a capacity reduction.

    Also in case it helps anyone else I threw in a picture of the deck after removing the panel that covered the fuel tank. In my case I didn't have to cut anything, just needed to find the screws and lift the panel up. I was aided by the fact that the fiberglass/resin that was laid over to protect the deck was in very poor shape on that particular panel, allowing me to find the screws relatively quickly.

    Unfortunately I think I'll have more trouble with the deck repair than anything I have done thus far. The decking on the starboard side has slightly lifted and I am hoping it is well enough to be refastened and re-glassed without having to fully replace the whole deck.
    Attached Images
    File Type: jpg LeakyFuelTank.jpg (144.9 KB, 34 views)
    File Type: jpg RemovedFuelTankPanel.jpg (239.4 KB, 49 views)
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    Old 02-22-2019, 08:29 PM   #4

    Vandehad is currently offline
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    Default Re: Fuel Tank Leak

    What did you end up doing for a tank? Did you have one built or go plastic?
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    Old 02-22-2019, 08:49 PM   #5

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    Default Re: Fuel Tank Leak

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Vandehad View Post
    What did you end up doing for a tank? Did you have one built or go plastic?
    I bought a 39 gallon plastic one, which has a lower purchase price but requires retrofitting since I need to move the bulkhead that separates the fuel tank cavity and the ski locker back a few inches. I actually started the demo and hit a few things I wasn't sure how to handle. I'll likely get back into it in the coming weeks and finish the related deck replacement work as well.
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    Old 02-22-2019, 09:04 PM   #6

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    Default Re: Fuel Tank Leak

    Thanks! Post pics when you get into it, did you do one of the moeller tanks or which did you go with?
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    Old 02-22-2019, 09:45 PM   #7

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    Default Re: Fuel Tank Leak

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Vandehad View Post
    Thanks! Post pics when you get into it, did you do one of the moeller tanks or which did you go with?
    Yes I got the Moeller 39 Gal. Below Deck Fuel Tank, #FT4011-1. Main compatibility issue is what I mentioned above, the bulkhead needs to be pushed back, but on the plus side it will fit between the existing stringers and the fuel capacity is roughly the same as my old tank. The other more minor issues are the fuel line and fuel hose will need to be slightly longer.
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    Old 08-01-2021, 10:01 AM   #8

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    Default Re: Fuel Tank Leak

    Forgot to come back and post pics of the finished project.
    TankAfterBulkheadMove.jpg

    TankWithFloorRoughedIn.jpg

    FuelTankConnections.jpg

    Floor Finished.jpg
    mikeyt and GregT like this.
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    Old 08-02-2021, 09:45 PM   #9

    1993Shabah is currently offline
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    Default Re: Fuel Tank Leak

    Thanks for posting the update and especially the pictures! Chasing a fueling issue on my Shabah and fear I might have to pull the tank and it is nice to see what is actually under the carpet and what I may be getting into.
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    Old 08-02-2021, 11:06 PM   #10

    porker is currently offline
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    Default Re: Fuel Tank Leak

    No problem, glad it helps. This was my first boat project and found the prospect of pulling the carpet and cutting into the deck to be pretty intimidating. Some of the other threads I found on here helped give me idea of what to expect and made me much more comfortable with the process.

    But if your boat is like mine was, the fuel tank is covered by its own panel that can be pulled after cutting through the top layer of glass. If I remember correctly, the rest of the deck was held down by staples, but the fuel tank cover was actually held down by screws. The fuel panel was in worse shape than the rest of the floor, which at least made finding the screws a bit easier.
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