fuel tank and chain

[Tim Powell]

I have spent almost 2 days trying to fish out of the forward fuel tank the fuel tank cap chain.
One question FOEGET IT OR KEEP FISHING > I have given up on fishing it out next means removing the fuel fill line which is burried or removing the fuel tank top fuel gage and fishing. In others words it going to get verry difficult from here on. FORGET OR KEEP FISHING OR LEAVE IT??
installing new windshield on my 52 bending plexie glass is a challenge. I have learned there are two types plexiglass or lexan one will turn purple the other is hard to bend. I broke one peice and at 340$ a sheet that is a awshaw for shure. I was going to remove the windshirld all together it was bad looking cracked up and purple. But with out it it looked striped down so i replaced it. Also new curtains all just in time for the fishing season . Trying to post picks of the windshield install its quite a task.
Tim

 

[drburke]

Hey Tim, what are you trying to accomplish with the windshield? I may be thinking along the same lines in a year or two...

What year is your 52? And the HIN? Just trying to see where I am in the lineup...

DAN

 

[Tim Powell]

Hey Tim, what are you trying to accomplish with the windshield? I may be thinking along the same lines in a year or two...

What year is your 52? And the HIN? Just trying to see where I am in the lineup...

DAN

Mine is a 1989 without being on the boat i do not remember the vin which i assume that is what you were asking for HIN?

As for the windshield keeping the origional look

 

[bobk]

installing new windshield on my 52 bending plexie glass is a challenge. I have learned there are two types plexiglass or lexan one will turn purple the other is hard to bend. I broke one peice and at 340$ a sheet that is a awshaw for shure. I was going to remove the windshirld all together it was bad looking cracked up and purple. But with out it it looked striped down so i replaced it. Also new curtains all just in time for the fishing season . Trying to post picks of the windshield install its quite a task.
Tim

Tim,

Plexiglas like Lucite are trademarks for acrylic sheet and plastic. The are easy to bend with a heat gun or strong heat lamps. You need to bend them slowly while maintaining reasonably uniform heat on the area. Acrylics are naturally weather resistant, but brittle.

Lexan is the trademark for polycarbonate sheet or plastic. Others include Makrolon. This is much tougher than acrylic, but no where near as weatherable. I would expect it to start to change color in 4-5 years. It is also much harder to heat bend. Acrylic bends at about 100 degrees C, polycarbonate requires about 145 centigrade. I would not use it for exposed applications unless you can get a stabilized or coated sheet. The coated stuff that was being used for enclosures starts to flake off in 5-6 years. I'm not sure you can heat bend the coated sheet with out messing up the coating.

Bobk

 

[34Hatt]

Tim

For the chain I would try to get it out someone left a bottle cap in one of mine and that is a Story in it self!

Are they magnetic? Get a magnet and check the other cap? If so a magnet that looks like a washer they make them and a string ?

Good Luck let me know if you need the magnet I have one.

Dan

 

[Tim Powell]

Tim

For the chain I would try to get it out someone left a bottle cap in one of mine and that is a Story in it self!

Are they magnetic? Get a magnet and check the other cap? If so a magnet that looks like a washer they make them and a string ?

Good Luck let me know if you need the magnet I have one.

Dan

Thanks Dan I have tried the magnet and no luck next i will take the hose loose in side the boat if that does not work take out tjhe fuel gage sender. It is in the forward tank of course it is a witch to get to .Again thanks for the offer the other chain is stanless not sure about this one.
Tim

 

[Tim Powell]

Tim,

Plexiglas like Lucite are trademarks for acrylic sheet and plastic. The are easy to bend with a heat gun or strong heat lamps. You need to bend them slowly while maintaining reasonably uniform heat on the area. Acrylics are naturally weather resistant, but brittle.

Lexan is the trademark for polycarbonate sheet or plastic. Others include Makrolon. This is much tougher than acrylic, but no where near as weatherable. I would expect it to start to change color in 4-5 years. It is also much harder to heat bend. Acrylic bends at about 100 degrees C, polycarbonate requires about 145 centigrade. I would not use it for exposed applications unless you can get a stabilized or coated sheet. The coated stuff that was being used for enclosures starts to flake off in 5-6 years. I'm not sure you can heat bend the coated sheet with out messing up the coating.

Bobk

Thanaks for the info we have a distributor here inRaleigh NC but of course they did not have any so they turned me over to theri counter part in Florida took 2 weeks for it to come but finally it came. I called hatteras they reckomended the 1/4 inch and boy is it hard to deal with. So far it has been bend fit bend fit bend fit. But it is comming along i have found heating a large area makes it easer. Just for your info the windshields put on by Hatteras were subed out aint that a suprise..!
Tim

 

[bigbill]

tim, i dont think that chain will hurt anything, i doubt seriously if it will ever get picked up into the pick-up tube. if it does, the next stop is one of your filters. i say leave it

 

[Tim Powell]

tim, i dont think that chain will hurt anything, i doubt seriously if it will ever get picked up into the pick-up tube. if it does, the next stop is one of your filters. i say leave it

You are about the 4 person to say that so i belive i will give it a half way try and forget it. Thanks you a lot it is just knowing its there.
again thanks
Tim

 

[saltshaker]

tim, i dont think that chain will hurt anything, i doubt seriously if it will ever get picked up into the pick-up tube. if it does, the next stop is one of your filters. i say leave it

I'd have to agree with this but having it in there would drive me nuts. If you can get to the fill lines I'd check them. Might be a good opportunity to change them out. If it made it to the tank, I doubt you'll be able to get to it.

 

[34Hatt]

tim, i dont think that chain will hurt anything, i doubt seriously if it will ever get picked up into the pick-up tube. if it does, the next stop is one of your filters. i say leave it

Most likely it won't get picked up but if it did?

It may not make it to the filters can get balled up in the 90 elbows
Just as a small piece of tape did to another boat I know of
I would give it your best shot but don't go ripping it apart.

On the brighter side of things can you even guess how many are in tanks out there I bet its in the high 1000's

 

[saltshaker]

Most likely it won't get picked up but if it did?

It may not make it to the filters can get balled up in the 90 elbows
Just as a small piece of tape did to another boat I know of
I would give it your best shot but don't go ripping it apart.

On the brighter side of things can you even guess how many are in tanks out there I bet its in the high 1000's

And if this was an Ocean there'd be a hole in the bottom of the tank shaped like the chain. Aluminum tanks and stainless chain don't play well together.