Fuel polishing

[Messi]

So i have a 1988 41c that was onland about 4-5 years. Looks to have had about 300 gallons in the tank. The is some water, whioch i think is probably condensation. There is also some snot in there.

Im thinking to see if they can clean/polish.

Questions.

The best point of entry seems to be the fuel gauge, at the front of the tank. I fear that with the boat blocked bow up, the majority of the water will be at the bck of the tank, or do they have a low point/sump under the gauge, and pick ups?

Would I be better to do this in the water? I think the movement of the boat in the water would also help to allow the yick, to be sucked up better.

I was thinking maybe two runs through the polisher, and then frequest racor changes. Am I way off base?

Thanks

[Captain Ralph]

45 years or 4 to 5 years? Either way, get it pumped out for waist.

Ask the tech who is going to clean the tank how much fresh fuel he wants in the tank. Usually about 4 inches.

Access can be thru the sender or pull the connect plate(s) up.
On a glass tank, these bronze plates are what the fills, pick-ups, returns and vents connect to the tank thru. If your lucky, you will have 2 of these plates.

Do it correctly up front and not worry about it for a long time to come.
Good reliable fuel is the blood of a boat.

[Avenger]

45 year old fuel? If you think you're going to burn it you're very optimistic.

[Pascal]

How old is the fuel? I guess the 45 years is a typo …. If more than a couple of years old, i m not sure I d want to keep it.

You may need to reblock the boat so stuff moves forward to the pick up. When I repowered I had about 50 gallons left in each tank but because the boat was bow high, water and stuff remained in the aft tank. Not much but enough to force me to pump and clean it again. Lesson learned.

[bigbill]

hatteras tanks have baffles in them, it will be pretty hard to get to all areas of the tank from only one point of entry

[SKYCHENEY]

It will burn. I know a guy who found an old underground tank at a contractors yard. The fuel was about 30 years old. They had it tested and the lab said it was okay. They filtered it, added some cetane boost, and burned in their trucks without issue. These were not new engines that require ultra low sulfur fuel, but older, pre-emission engines.

[Freeebird]

hatteras tanks have baffles in them, it will be pretty hard to get to all areas of the tank from only one point of entry

This ^^^

I’m assuming 45 is 4 to 5. I’ve delivered boats with fuel that old, and even with polishing, I was changing filters and cleaning out bowls daily. That was in smooth water. Rough water definitely makes things worse.

Unless you can polish it yourself, I honestly don’t think it’s worth paying a lot more for that vs using lots of filters.

[Boatsb]

Do it right. I hire a company to remove and assess the fuel and either dispose of or polish it. They have far better gear than a home made system and the ability to evaluate it.

Dirty fuel is never good. Don't take chances.

[Play'N Hooky Too]

hatteras tanks have baffles in them, it will be pretty hard to get to all areas of the tank from only one point of entry

Do you know if the baffles extend the full height of the tank or are they open at the top?

[Captain Ralph]

hatteras tanks have baffles in them, it will be pretty hard to get to all areas of the tank from only one point of entry

Yes, But getting the connection plates off gives you room to get an arm in and with a copper tube wand over, under and around the baffles. I have done this on Hatts and Bertrams.

You can not clean a tank by sending a pair of hoses down a fuel level sender hole.

Yes, this is expensive also. Lot of labor before and after the pump runs.
Constantly changing filters is not a fix but an expensive patch that will never fix the issue.

After a few boats, including mine, I quit doing this and connected my customers with a tech that did it full time. My knees, back and lungs could not take the abuse.