fuel tank valves

[Jaxfishgyd]

On my 43' Hatteras, to check the fuel level, I must dip the tanks as there are no gauges. The only real problem is, the port tank isn't a straight shot so I cannot read that one, and it is the one the generator uses.
I was going to open the valve between the two tanks but have had 2 Detroit Mechs tell me that would not be a good idea. I myself cannot think of any reason. It's not like I hold a lot of fuel or am making any long voyages.

[Bob Bradley]

Doesn't your 43 have mechanical guages mounted right on top of the tanks themselves? That's where they are on my 1979 43C.

An alternative for you, that I'm planning for next spring myself, is to install a pair of Floscans to supplement my guages. I had them on my old wooden '65 Chris Seaskiff, and I loved them. Very accurate, and they warn you of problems by showing if your fuel burn suddenly increases. I think you can get them for a pair of diesels for about $1500.
Bob

[Nonchalant1]

Wherever you dip the tanks, put in a tank gauge sender. If you can rig regular 1 inch pipe threads you can get the "Snake River Electronics" diesel tank sender, which is a sealed PVC pipe with an electronic sensor inside. No contact with the diesel fuel to gum up the gauge. Just do a Google on "Snake River Electronics". I got these for my 53MY holding tanks. You can put the digital tank readout panel anywhere on the boat.

[rtrafford]

opening the valve between them, if i understand you correctly, can cause all of the fuel to shift to one side. if the boat has the slightest list the fuel will begin to transfer. as it does the boat will lean further and more fuel will transfer.

i had a similar no-straght-shot on a boat recently, and i used a flexible steel whip to dip it. the whip was toughly 1/8 wide and bent with the curve of the fill spout. i inserted it gently until it bottomed out, and then when i removed it i was able to see how much fuel was held.

this gets old and akward.

another solution is to plumb the tank with a sight tube.

further, i never liked the idea of having a dedicated tank for any engine on the boat. i much prefer the flexibility of customizing a setting at will. i'd invest in a switching panel long before i invested in senders or floscans.

sight tubes can also be awkward, but they'll rarely be wrong. tap the bottom of the tank and run the tube up to and tie in to the fuel vent line that heads overboard. starp it vertically within the engine room where you can see it.

[Nonchalant1]

Rochester Gauge made the original sight gauges for many Hatteras model fuel tanks. The "sending unit" was a float on a vertical spiral metal rod. As the float rose or fell, it turned the spiral rod which has a magnet at the top. The whole thing was sealed in the tank by a brass top. The sight gauge was like a simple "compass needle" that fit into a dished depression on top of the brass top. The needle simply followed the magnet inside the tank right through the brass. If you have those and the float still works, Rochester gauge makes electronic sight gauge tops that fit the old bases. They'll also send a resistance reading to standard Stewart Warner fuel gauges for remote readings. The gauge tops look like a 2.5 in brass dish on top of the tank with a hex head shape. I replaced all 5 Rochester sight gauge tops (3 water and 2 fuel) in my 1978 Hatteras and all 5 now work perfectly, including the remotes at the helm station.

[aah924]

Do you have any contact info. for the Rochester gauges?

[Dustoff44]

www.rochestergauges.com/P...s/8600.pdf (http://www.rochestergauges.com/Pages/PDFs/8600.pdf)

[Nonchalant1]

I went to this page and then called Rochester Gauges.
(You'll have to copy/paste the URL, it's not a link).

www.rochestergauges.com/P...nstall.pdf (http://www.rochestergauges.com/Pages/PDFs/DS_923_Install.pdf)

It was a "senior" gauge and the twinsite combination site gauge and resistance sender head. The rest of the gauge inside the tank was OK. New heads cost about $40 ea. Rochester had a very knowledgeable and friendly person at a dealer they put me in touch with. I'm not at home today but can look it up later this week if you need.

[spartonboat1]

Hart Tank Tenders are also an alternative. Non-electrical. I almost wonder if someone tried to fit them on my fuel tanks, as each had a fitting plus a 3/8" or so lead of clear plastic flex tubing of 6-7' in length, that terminate no where...just hanging loose. Had the fittings plugged, until I can get around to a full installation.

[mike]

have both orig float and Heart guages on a 53'my, both work great... No electrical to senders to mess with. Can double check each, against the other, also use the heart for the H2O tank. mike