Leaking fuel tank. 1980 Irwin 37

[Eleanna]

Anybody knows how to pull the fuel tank out of the boat without gutting the floor?
I had the unpleasant experience of leaking 65 gallons of diesel ito the bilge.
E.

[essman]

You could cut a hole in the bottom of the boat and take it out that way.

Taking up the floor is about the only way of getting to the tank. They didn't make them to repair them...

I've seen where people have pulled the old tanks and replaced it, and I've seen where they cut the top out of the old tank and put a new tank inside the old shell.

[Eleanna]

yeah but the problem is you only have about 10% of the tank accessible.
Cutting the floor is out of Q. As of now the new tank is sitting where the water heater used to sit. But it's only a 18 gallon tank. There will be no long trips with that tiny tank
E.

[sailingketch]

I have a 15 gallon tank under the starboard setee. No pulling up the floor on this boat. I'm lookin to sell the boat anyway after 7 years.

[mcollins07]

I have a 1977 37' with a leaky fule tank. I plan on pulling the tank and having it repaired.

Under the sole, there are about 6 cross members. About 4 are bolted to the pan near the settees and can be removed easily by unbolting them. Only two are fiberglassed into the hull. I plan on cutting the ones that are fiberglassed in at the edge of the pan. Then fiberglassing the remaining stubs to stregthen and prevent rot. When I go back, I'm going to replace the wood crossmembers with an Aluminum lattice, which has lateral crossmemebers and also longitudinal brace between the lateral ones. With the latticed bolted to the pan and the fiberglassed stubs, I think the boat will be stronger than original. If a tank needs to be removed in the future, I will be able to remove and restore it without any fiberglass work, only unbolting and bolting.

[jorjo]

If the only way to fix it turns out to be cutting the floor then

Originally Posted by Eleanna

Cutting the floor is out of Q.
E.

is the same as saying fixing it is out of the question

To sell the boat like that is passing the problem on.

I don't mean to sound harsh with this comment. However.
If the mains tank leaks or is replaced with a small tank, Then Its not exactly safe. Refusing to rip up the floor if it turns out to be the only option is (to be blunt ) putting the boats cash value before its safety.

The Boat is currently devalued by the problem regardless of the interior condition. It really only worth the same amount with the interor ripped out and the tank fixed as it is with the leaking tank and an intact interior. Opting to try for better price at sales time by playing down the tank problem dosn't sit right.
Bite the bullet and do what ever it takes so the Next owner gets a mechanicly safe and capable boat. If that means the floor has to come up. Then so be it !

[Eleanna]

I'm sure there will be more problems that will force me to "bite the bullet"
Where the tank sits now is a safe and secure location for a fueltank, no freshwater or electric in it's surrounding, easy access, easy cleaning. The only problem is the size and fillup.

E.

[essman]

I have an '83 Irwin 37.
The tank started leaking 2 owners ago. He quit using it and put a tank in the nav station ice box. Not sure what kind as I never saw it.
The owner previous to me took the tank out of the ice box and made it back into an ice box, then put an aluminum tank inside the existing leaking fuel tank. Of course the cabin floor had to be taken up to accomplish this. I don't know what the original tank capacity was, but the tank put inside it holds 61 gallons.
It's not as hard a job as it might seem. Just takes some time. It's much easier if you just replace the holly/teak sole when doing it.
I don't know about your boat, but you could put a fairly good size tank under the port settee in mine. One of those rubber bladders would be fairly easy to do.....
Good luck.

[jumpnkd]

On the 37cc just were is the fuel tank? is it alu? is it next to the water tank? under the sole?
Bill

[essman]

On my 37cc, the fuel tank is under the salon sole. There is both a water tank and a fuel tank there. On mine, fuel tank to starboard, water tank to port. There is a small access plate in the front of the salon, about centerline. Doesn't give you much access for doing anything though.
One consideration of adding a larger tank that is not low, and close to the centerline of the boat is the weight of the tank with fuel. If put over on one of the sides, you will probably introduce a heel of the boat on that side.