53 MY Classic Fuel Tanks

[akeeva]

Jim -

Were you thinking of fuel polishing, rather than a tank cleaning? I was thinking that the interior surfaces of the baffled compartments probably need to be scrubbed, literally, in order to get the crud out. Since I cannot see most of the top of the tanks, I am assuming the worst, that the tanks did not come with access holes. If that is the case, I will have to cut holes in the top of the tanks to get access to do the scrubbing. And how would I know where to cut?


Park

[Fanfare]

It's like fuel polishing, but the next step up. The returning fuel is under enough pressure to stir up dirt from the bottom of the tank, and actually jet deposits off the walls and baffles inside. I am sure it is not as complete as using access holes, and I can't see much of the tank, but it seems to keep the engines running and my filters clean. I don't have access ports either, so it will have to do.

[Westfield 11]

IIRC, Passagemaker magazine ran a tech story a few issues ago about this. They mentioned a company that installed access openings and cleaned tank interiors while polishing the fuel. One of the points mentioned in the story was the need for huge volume pumps for the polishing systems: using the existing pumps and adding extra filtration will clean the fuel, but the fuel returned to the tank will not stir up the sediment in the tank and its sump. That takes a dedicated pump to keep the fuel agitated and hold contaminants in suspension as well as large ID hoses and fittings. It's probably cheaper to call the tank cleaners once a decade. Once the acess openings are installed the cost has got to get cheaper, maybe it can become a DIY job at that point for some people.

[Plan B2]

I've heard many horror stories about used boats that have been thouroughly checked out (surveyed), then purchased only to run into trouble on the first extended cruise in rough water due to fouled filters.
I like the idea of "tank Cleaning". Sounds like a practical Idea, if you don't know the history of a boat your considering or if you do know it has sat for a couple of years, cleaning might be cheap insurance. Must they cut the access holes to perform that on a 53MY?