Fuel tank warning

davidww1 · 2004-03-22 02:02:36

In his comments on replacing the A4 on Hyperion, his 1971 Mk I, Ralph Ainslie notes,

"I replaced my tank with one I had made out of stainless steel to original dimensions. When I removed the 30-year-old tank, I could poke my finger through the bottom. Scared the daylights out of me."

Sixty litres of gas sluicing around in the bilge is not a happy thought. Checking your tank, expecially if it's mild steel as Ralph's was, might be a sound idea this spring.

David Weatherston
"Towser", Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV

Last edited by (2004-03-22 02:03:54)

2004-03-22 09:13:21

I had the same problem a few years ago. We were racing around the marks and smelt gas (thought it was the over flow on the low side). Opened the lockers up when we got in and found the bottom of the gas tank was "wet" with gas. Discovered that the bottom of the tank and 'worn away" and was slowly leaking.
I replaced it with a plastic tank available from a company in Thornhill Ontario (check with your local chandlery for the name of the place). Demensions were the same (although a bit longer - gives you 2 more gals). Came ready to go with gas gauge preinstalled. Just pulled out the old one and replaced it with the new one. Wires and hoses fit dead on.
Total cost (three years ago) was around $120. For those of you converting to deseil, you might want to pick up one of these tanks.

Frank Marsden · 2004-03-22 18:24:22

Fuel tanks often rust from the inside. A low cost solution, if the tank is not too badly corroded, is to remove it, clean it , and plastic coat the inside.
Products required, both USA produced, are Marine Clean and POR 15. The latter puts a complete coating on the inside of the tank, impervious to fuels, and will fill pinholes.Supplier:- POR 15 Inc, Restomotive Labs, Morristown, NJ.
I have used this to sucessfully repair a leaking tank on my 1956 MGA. (car not boat)
Frank Marsden

whippet · 2012-11-19 07:30:53

I plan to replace aluminum fuel tank on C&C27 MkIII since i believe it has 30 years of accumulated crud and seems replacing w new Moeller plastic will have more peace of mind than re-installing old one. It is original 76 liter in starboard cockpit locker.

Only unknown is tank fore end disappears into firewall with no easy means of access. not sure if anyone else has done this operation. Once I remove bracket on aft end of tank, will tank slide out of fore end that I can't access? I'm sure i can just try it, but rather know what's ahead. Thanks
Steve
TS&CC, 1981 MkIII, Hull 886
Toronto ON

carriden · 2012-11-20 12:50:58

Hello Steve,
I pulled the tank out of Carriden, a 1980 Mk III, shortly after purchasing her. Once I took the fastening bracket off of the aft end of the platform on which the tank sits, it slid out of the hole in the bulkhead with no problem. Maneuvering the tank out of the locker was more challenging, as the clearance between the fittings on the top of the tank and the sides of the locker opening was very tight. However, it can be done.

If the tank is still solid and in one piece, why not simply clean it out, rather than replace it?
Marcus from Carriden

Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario

whippet · 2012-11-20 23:26:49

Thanks Marcus

I will make the call once the old beast is out and see what shape the bottom and inside is in. I hear stories that insides take many flushes to get clean. $150 for new Moeller might be a reasonable trade for labor avoidance and peace of mind that 76 liters don't find their way to bilge one choppy day. Plus I get the withdrawl shakes if i don't spend several hundred $ a month for new boat stuff.

Thanks for specifics on this MkIII tank fitting. Seems our boats came off the line in N-O-L in pretty close sequence.
Steve
TS&CC, 1981 MkIII, Hull 886
Toronto ON

PLogan · 2017-03-12 01:46:06

Hi, just wanted to confirm if this Fuel Tank Picture would be the original and therefore requiring replacement ASAP or does it look like a replacement tank.

Tank looks like it is in pretty good shape but wanted to confirm. Thanks
Peter Logan
C&C 27 MK III 1975 Tomorrow
LaSalle Park Marina Association
Hamilton ON

BillSalton · 2017-03-12 03:58:05

That looks original to me. My MkIII has the aluminum rectangular tank, but my friend's slightly older MkIII has a tank that looks just like that.

davidww1 · 2017-03-12 07:21:55

An experienced marine mechanic told me that what does in aluminum tanks is water, particularly de-oxygenated water (no oxygen = no opportunity to form a protective layer of aluminum oxide). For that reason, a round tank on thin brackets is arguably less prone to corrosion than the later rectangular tank, which sits on a shelf on which water can accumulate and lose its loose oxygen.

The tank in the photo might therefore be fine, but if you're concerned you could pull it and inspect it. And maybe even treat it with the products mentioned in a post above, from http://www.por15.com/Fuel-System-Restoration_c_17.html (I don't know anything about these products, but I do know Frank Marsden was an engineer at a large auto manufacturer, so he probably did).

On the other hand, you might just want to say, in for a penny, etc. and replace the old with new. There are lots of discussions of sources for approved plastic tanks in the Forum.

David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV

Last edited by (2017-03-12 07:27:49)

PLogan · 2017-03-12 22:29:37

Thanks for the feedback. Regards

Peter Logan
C&C 27 MK III 1975 Tomorrow
LaSalle Park Marina Association
Hamilton ON

PaulB · 2017-03-13 16:18:57

The tank pictured is monel, not steel or aluminium. Very expensive, very corrosion resistant.
Paul Baker
Sidney, BC
1974 Mk II

PLogan · 2017-03-24 10:41:15

Thanks Paul
Peter Logan
C&C 27 MK III 1975 Tomorrow
LaSalle Park Marina Association
Hamilton ON

PaulB · 2017-03-24 16:15:05

No worries, I pulled mine as I was replacing the whole fuel system and didn't need anything that big, after a clean up it was perfect. I guess at some point later in production they cheaped out and used steel/alu, but the monel originals should last a lifetime.
Paul Baker
Sidney, BC
1974 Mk II

davidww1 · 2017-03-25 05:20:15

"Cheaped out" is a bit strong for the situation. C&C started out using steel tanks, then switched to monel, but not for long before settling on aluminum, and for good reason. By the late seventies, all boatbuilders were under serious price pressure from low-cost builders like Hunter and Catalina. Pressure was greatest in smaller boats, like ours, because it takes almost as many man-hours to build a 27 as a 32 or 34, but there was no way the company could raise the price of the boat - it was at the maximum they thought the market would bear as it was. More cost-conscious design for manufacturing of the current line helped a lot, but the real solution lay in fundamental redesign, which yielded the Mk V.

And far from cheaping out, C&C was doing things no other boat-builder was doing, like swapping out the vulnerable, industry-standard brass gate valves for real bronze sea-cocks.

David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV

mV · 2022-04-29 18:43:02

Yikes! I just read this thread and have two weeks before my "new" 1982 Mk IV is scheduled to be launched.

The fuel (diesel) tank looks original and I'd greatly appreciate it if there is someone who could tell me what type it is.

Anthony Millevolte
Passages, 1982 Mk IV
Bayfield, WI

Superior Blue · 2022-07-11 14:01:47

Anthony,

That s an aluminum fuel tank. You can see the welds the photo you posted. Aluminum tanks are a good. I still have the original Monel tank in our boat.

Was Wayne Bergraff's the original owner of your boat?

BTW, I previously posted in this thread, and completely missed your post. Nice to see another Bayfield address on the forum.

mV · 2022-09-06 10:02:18

Thanks Phil! I'm never sure about which alloys are corrosion resistant - I once had an aluminum canoe that didn't fair well... Yes, it was indeed Wayne and Linda's boat - it is even in the original slip (since 1982)!

C&C 27 Association Forum

Announcement

#1 2004-03-22 02:02:36

Fuel tank warning

#2 2004-03-22 09:13:21

Re: Fuel tank warning

#3 2004-03-22 18:24:22

Re: Fuel tank warning

#4 2012-11-19 07:30:53

Re: Fuel tank warning

#5 2012-11-20 12:50:58

Re: Fuel tank warning

#6 2012-11-20 23:26:49

Re: Fuel tank warning

#7 2017-03-12 01:46:06

Re: Fuel tank warning

#8 2017-03-12 03:58:05

Re: Fuel tank warning

#9 2017-03-12 07:21:55

Re: Fuel tank warning

#10 2017-03-12 22:29:37

Re: Fuel tank warning

#11 2017-03-13 16:18:57

Re: Fuel tank warning

#12 2017-03-24 10:41:15

Re: Fuel tank warning

#13 2017-03-24 16:15:05

Re: Fuel tank warning

#14 2017-03-25 05:20:15

Re: Fuel tank warning

#15 2022-04-29 18:43:02

Re: Fuel tank warning

#16 2022-07-11 14:01:47

Re: Fuel tank warning

#17 2022-09-06 10:02:18

Re: Fuel tank warning

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