Fitting a portable fuel tank

[Downhilldai]

Why the privacy on fuel hoses?

[longjohn]

I've just had a custom 60 litre S/S tank made and intending to make this may main tank and fit it in a dead space in the forward locker. My existing plastic 42 litre tank is already in the forward locker and I intend retaining this as my reserve/spare.

I was intending using the existing fuel line and merely manually swapping over, at the tank end, when needed. I will T-piece the breather hoses together and put in a 3-way switch for the fuel senders.

Should I be looking at two complete file lines and swapping manually at the engine end? Swapping at the engine end is obviously easier from the helm perspective but leaves the unused fuel line more exposed. A 3-way tap would be ideal but I can't really see an ideal & accessible place to site this.

John

[wellhouse]

Originally Posted by longjohn

I've just had a custom 60 litre S/S tank made and intending to make this may main tank and fit it in a dead space in the forward locker. My existing plastic 42 litre tank is already in the forward locker and I intend retaining this as my reserve/spare.

I was intending using the existing fuel line and merely manually swapping over, at the tank end, when needed. I will T-piece the breather hoses together and put in a 3-way switch for the fuel senders.

Should I be looking at two complete file lines and swapping manually at the engine end? Swapping at the engine end is obviously easier from the helm perspective but leaves the unused fuel line more exposed. A 3-way tap would be ideal but I can't really see an ideal & accessible place to site this.

John

how much did it cost for the tank? i need one about 100ltr to replace my 63ltr? cheers

[longjohn]

Originally Posted by wellhouse

how much did it cost for the tank? i need one about 100ltr to replace my 63ltr? cheers

It was more expensive than initially envisaged as we dummied up a mild steel tank first to ensure it would fit in the very confined space - I also had a couple of other bits of fabrication done at the same time. Total cost was £560

[Downhilldai]

Originally Posted by longjohn

Total cost was £560

Did that include fuel?

[wellhouse]

Originally Posted by longjohn

It was more expensive than initially envisaged as we dummied up a mild steel tank first to ensure it would fit in the very confined space - I also had a couple of other bits of fabrication done at the same time. Total cost was £560

wow! i'm only looking for a rectangular one with no funny angles so hopefully a lot cheaper. I may squeeze in one of the big plastic ones about £150. Cheers

[wavelength]

we have a 90 litre fixed tank in the helm consol ...plus a pigtail fuel line with tohatsu snap fitting to portable tank which fits snugly between front of the consol and the anchor locker (the boat was specced up for that dimension). The fuel line slides out of the front consol when needed. Changeover valve, one fuel filter/ water seperator, one primimg bulb after both of those. For long trips we have extra portable tanks with the same tohatsu fitting and we use the portables up before the main tank on the grounds that it is easier to persuade a taxi driver to take a portable tank or two to the filling station than cans, which we would have to carry anyway. For local trips we still use a portable tank as it improves the balance of this boat, particularly into a head sea, where it is sat plus I dont have to keep taking the rib for a trip to Morrisons at busy times.

[Nick Hearne]

Well thanks for all the input, this is what I ended up doing & so far works well & nice & simple.
Just fitted second hose to the water filter this leads in to the rear storage compartment under the back seat & can be stitched between tanks stored there. Also fitted taps to the inlets to the filter to be able to select which tank or turn them off altogether.

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

Well thanks for all the input, this is what I ended up doing & so far works well & nice & simple.
Just fitted second hose to the water filter this leads in to the rear storage compartment under the back seat & can be stitched between tanks stored there. Also fitted taps to the inlets to the filter to be able to select which tank or turn them off altogether.

looks like a simple set up, just what I need too