Fuel Tank - Flushing

[Mode]

Hi All

As you may know from the other posts I have a project - a Ribtec 655.

This has a built in fuel tank (140litres according to others on here) - how would I go about flushing/cleaning it out etc?

Any suggestions welcome!

Cheers!

Mode

[georgeirl]

Sorry to jump on the bandwagon but I will be in the same position in about 2 weeks (8m ribtec), only difference is my tank is diesel. If there is different advice for diesel vs petrol can we get the full picture. Thanks in advance.

George

[davej]

Originally Posted by georgeirl

Sorry to jump on the bandwagon but I will be in the same position in about 2 weeks (8m ribtec), only difference is my tank is diesel. If there is different advice for diesel vs petrol can we get the full picture. Thanks in advance.

George

Some years ago we had a problem with the build up of crud in the tank on our tornado dive boat,. After cleaning the idle jets out umpteen times on our lovely yam V4 we took the bull by the horns and cut a large hole in the top of the alu tank with a hole saw. I then flushed it out wit endless buckets of hot soapy water. This is after syphoning all or as much of the fuel as I could get out. The crud inside was surprising as well as some water. Droplets. After the final flushing with petrol it was all left to dry and we made a plate with a screw cap to fit on. Not had a problem since, fingers crossed. Dave j

[gtflash]

My tank is built into boat and got contaminated through my own doing. It has a 6" round hole on top of tank at rear. I tried flushing with soapy water and pumping it out with a drill pump before I finally removed the inspection hatch. I was amazed how much muck and slime still contaminated the tank. I did same thing, hot soapy water, then pumped it out on an angle to move debris to the last bulkhead I could get too. Then back flushed with hose and sponged all the bits out multiple and multiple times. The baffles collect all sorts, so I used what would ever fit through the holes to scrub every bit I could reach. I doubt I got to even half of it in reality.

Rinse and repeat. Fairy liquid seems to work and I then cleared that it with petrol flushes. Not used it yet mind.

[Mode]

I thought it would be a big job! Will keep you posted when I get round to it!

Cheers

Mode

[sailrib]

Originally Posted by Mode

Hi All

As you may know from the other posts I have a project - a Ribtec 655.

This has a built in fuel tank (140litres according to others on here) - how would I go about flushing/cleaning it out etc?

Any suggestions welcome!

Cheers!

Mode

Does the tank have an inspection port for you to access the inside of the tank?

[Chris]

Never had to clean a tank however It would probably be a job I would leave to the pros...

Home - Tank Tech Fuel

[mikew4]

Who cleans car fuel tanks? So why would you clean a RIB tank? Besides, both have fuel filters, which are consumable items.

[willk]

Originally Posted by mikew4

Who cleans car fuel tanks?

Some gadge who stands under it and turns a bleed screw.

What's your point?

[mikew4]

As in, why would you need to clean a fuel tank? Fuel filters are consumables.

[georgeirl]

If you saw the state of the fuel coming out of mine you would want to clean it too!!

[willk]

Originally Posted by mikew4

As in, why would you need to clean a fuel tank? Fuel filters are consumables.

If boats were cars we'd all be richer.

To some degree, I agree with your unspoken argument - "tanks are tanks, fuel is fuel, engines are engines". But the realities of seasonal boating are that tanks are unused for seven months and waterside fueling stations are low volume. The result is water in tanks, debris and biological contamination in fuel supplies. Tanks can and do become heavily contaminated and filters are a poor solution when the contaminant load is high, especially when it is something other than water. A good clean out may be essential.

My fuel pickup is at the very bottom of my tank. My fuel system filters the entire tank on an ongoing basis. But I always give my filter extra love after refueling at strange places and at the start of each season...

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by willk

If boats were cars we'd all be richer.



To some degree, I agree with your unspoken argument - "tanks are tanks, fuel is fuel, engines are engines". But the realities of seasonal boating are that tanks are unused for seven months and waterside fueling stations are low volume. The result is water in tanks, debris and biological contamination in fuel supplies. Tanks can and do become heavily contaminated and filters are a poor solution when the contaminant load is high, especially when it is something other than water. A good clean out may be essential.



My fuel pickup is at the very bottom of my tank. My fuel system filters the entire tank on an ongoing basis. But I always give my filter extra love after refueling at strange places and at the start of each season...

Do you have a fuel polishing system willk? Constantly circulating through filters? Nice touch if so👍


Lions led by donkeys

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Do you have a fuel polishing system willk? Constantly circulating through filters? Nice touch if so👍


Lions led by donkeys

It's called a diesel engine they constantly recirculate a high volume of fuel back to the tank

[willk]

Originally Posted by beamishken

It's called a diesel engine they constantly recirculate a high volume of fuel back to the tank

I meant to mention that...

[Erin]

Be very careful. Petrol vapour is very flammable, liquid petrol is not. I would avoid using liquid detergents but rather just set up a fuel polishing system with a decent fuel water separator with filter such a Racor or Separ. Feed the pick up down to the base of the tank and let it run. You will never get all the crud out, but so long as the remnants are well stuck I can't see it becoming a major issue. WRT diesel, your biggest enemy is water causing diesel bug. Again, a fuel polishing set up is the best unless you already have bug in which case steam cleaning might be the best option.

[Patch]

Pressure test it and if in any doubt, bite the bullet and rip it out. It's one of the most important aspects to any RIB and yet we often ignore or band aid repair them.

390L tank in a 6.7m RIB WTF

[Last Tango]

With the number of tank failures we all see, you'd think the manufactures would get the message.
These damn things are more or less consumable!
Why on earth would you construct a boat in a manner that requires the deck to be cut out when the tank fails (and it will). Really it beggars belief, but still some RIB builders do it.
I don't know if this is down to some delusional belief that the tanks they fit will never fail or they just don't care, it'll be out of warranty and someone else's problem by then.
(I'd hasten to add my Coastline's tank is fitted in a sealed well under the console and wasn't to bad a job when it failed at 15yrs.

[sailrib]

Originally Posted by Last Tango

With the number of tank failures we all see, you'd think the manufactures would get the message.
These damn things are more or less consumable!
Why on earth would you construct a boat in a manner that requires the deck to be cut out when the tank fails (and it will). Really it beggars belief, but still some RIB builders do it.
I don't know if this is down to some delusional belief that the tanks they fit will never fail or they just don't care, it'll be out of warranty and someone else's problem by then.
(I'd hasten to add my Coastline's tank is fitted in a sealed well under the console and wasn't to bad a job when it failed at 15yrs.

I completely agree, it's bad enough that they don't even provide an inspection port to the tank.

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by Erin

Be very careful. Petrol vapour is very flammable, liquid petrol is not. I would avoid using liquid detergents but rather just set up a fuel polishing system with a decent fuel water separator with filter

Fuel polish works when the level of crud is low. Just like ur misses polishing the coffee table with Mr Sheen. But when ur Mayes have been round and left beer mats glued to the coffee table with spilled vindaloo I don't think polish will sort it... But perhaps if the wife had polished before your mates came and you'd had a suitable oily rag to hand you wouldn't be trying to peel the beer mats off -- if you get my analogy you will understand I'm saying fuel polishing may well be useful for minimising contamination but not for a good spring cleaning...

Was ur reference to vapour connected to the detergent? I don't get that.