Cleaning Fuel between top of aft tank and floor

[RichardM]

Hello all. We are looking for some ideas for a little dilemma we have. Last year we bought a 48 MY 1985 with some really dirty fuel tanks. With some trouble, we had them cleaned. The trouble came from having to pull up some flooring to be able to access the aft tank - we had to cut a lot to allow the yard enough access to do a good job. There yard did their work and we reinforced and closed the floor quite nicely. The trouble came when we filled the tanks completely. Turns out there was a leak at the top of the tank where it was not properly resealed at the pickup plate. Now we have diesel in between the plywood floor and the top of the tank. Ripping up the newly reinforced floor is problematic. We're brainstorming ways to clean this without ripping up too much flooring again. There's probably not gallons under there - maybe 1/2 gallon? Hard to say. Someone suggested maybe shooting water and Dawn in there and using the travel lift to lift the bow and then shopvac the dirty water in the back and dry it out after. Access to the top of the tank is not easy. Only certain areas are (maybe 40%) But we're still brainstorming. Anyone want to chime in? 

[SEVEN]

If you can get the 1/2 gallon of diesel out dawn helps to clean it but the smell stays. Use odor gone commercial grade. You can buy it on amazon. It dilutes 1 part to 4 parts water. It well get rid of the smell. Hope this helps.

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Rusty is right about the OdorGone product. I like the purple degreasers you can shoot in a pump-up sprayer and get into remote areas. Don't know your boat, but thinking you could spray the cleaner and flood area with a hose. Then shop vac out accumulation. When you're happy, apply fans. When dry, apply OdorGone. You can also apply it generously in the pumper-upper.

[RichardM]

Thank you guys 😊 I will try that. I found a few «*Purple degreaser*» on the internet. There seems to be a few brands. Which brand do you use?

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Thank you guys  I will try that. I found a few «*Purple degreaser*» on the internet. There seems to be a few brands. Which brand do you use?

I've had good luck with Dawn. It on its own has a strong industrial clean smell that will go away in a few days or so.

[SEVEN]

You can delete this 5 to 1. If you use it straight it’ll dissolve anything.

[SEVEN]

Dilute

[Pascal]

Trying to rinse and using a detergent may only make the issue worst as the large volume will just migrate further.

Not familiar with the 48 layout so I don’t know where it could all end up but you don’t want to soak more plywood with diluted diesel

How big is the gap between The top of the tank and the floor / floor frames ? Enough room to attach oil diapers and a stick and push thAt on top of the tank to mop up the fuel ?

[Photolomy]

You can drill a hole in the floor.

[Jammin']

If you can get oil dry in there to soak it up and vacuum it out it would contain the mess. I had a gas spill in the garage and ran for the oil dry and I was pretty amazed that it took the smell and all, plus stopped the flow across the garage floor.