1973 22-2 Fuel tank bummer

[williamtii]

Hello All,

I have mostly been a lurker here for a few years since our mighty Aquasport has been generally trouble free for the 8+ years we have owned it. No longer after last season though, so time to get into it!

For the record I am more of a car guy, I can handle the mechanical side but fiberglass is scary. Last year we had engine issues which culminated in finding Salt Water in the fuel separator. Thankfully the 1998 125hp 2-Stroke Mercury didn't mind it....

I rigged up two external tanks under the house until I could dig into it this winter. This last weekend I tore up the coffin lid and I must say its worse than I even expected. Its absolutely soaked in there, and the fuel hose is so rotted that it parted with the touch of a finger. It has definitely been leaking / pouring fuel into the coffin for some time. I've been reading through many of the fuel tank replacement threads (Thanks Capt BOB) and have an idea of how to move forward. Here are some pics and concerns to get started:

First here she is in operating condition


And here are some pics of the access panel removed. The tank in there is 60 gallons, unlike the 85gallon that I have read should be in there.
- The fuel hose running aft>forward is the main line to the engine. It's completely degraded and likely was leaking
- The piece of wood the red screw driver is pointing at looks like it shifted, rotted, or both. This is causing a soft spot on the seam in between the leaning post and house, directly where my right foot is when at the helm.
- Someone put in that block of wood and valve, which has been frozen in the open position since we've had it. It will need to be addressed











 The next step is to get the tank out of there. Then I am assuming the following will be the next steps:
- Dry everything out and check the wood stringers for rot
- Replace all reachable Foam
-Replace the mystery piece of wood on the Stbd side
- Find where water is entering the fuel tank. I am wondering if this tank can be salvaged. If not I have seen folks getting the 50gal Poly tank for around $800 which is a good option
-Replace the fill and vent lines, how easy is the access here?

Is there anything your more knowledgable eyes see that I am missing?

[RickK]

I went into the gallery to your member gallery and selected a pic and then "Edit photo" on the right. Then the options are seen on the right, usually rotate clockwise is what is needed because the phone was held vertical when the pic was taken. 
The proper way to take a pic for a web site is to hold the phone with the phone horizontal with the camera lens to the left. Left handed people hold the phone opposite since their left hand is the touch to take the pic. Unfortunatley websites display that pic upside down.

[Capt. Bob]

The tank in there is 60 gallons, unlike the 85gallon that I have read should be in there.
Find where water is entering the fuel tank.
I am wondering if this tank can be salvaged?

I believe your 22-2 originally came with a 60 gal tank. The 222 CCP came with a 85 gal tank.

I'd guess it's entering from the bottom.  Corrosion caused by water trapped between the tank and hold down straps or foam (I can't tell from your pics) has rotted the tank. Water most likely entered the coffin through the hatch.

The tank's toast. Get a new one.

Good luck.

[BradC]

These are the fuel and vent hoses going over the starboard stringer and under the cap ... completely encased in foam, I’d hate to try to remove/replace without lifting the deck ... ‘84 175 Osprey. Good luck.

[Capt. Bob]

Try following this and other links within the threads, The pics may be blurred but you can get an idea of what your're up against and how to attack it.

https://classicaquasport.com/smf/index.php?topic=11682.msg116342#msg116342

[williamtii]

Thanks Gents,

Noted on how to take pics, will do better this weekend when I attempt to get the tank out. It still has a fair amount of fuel so I'll try to siphon as much as possible out.

Once thats done I'll take another look at the Fill & Vent hoses, I ASSumed that replacement would be an easy affair! The main concern I have now is whether there will be rot in the stringers, but the tank needs to come out first to assess. Who knows how long it's been wet down there.

I agree that water has likely been coming in through the deck, most probably around the coffin lid. It's been sealed up with a thick bead of Silicone that has started degrading the last few years.

[Capt. Bob]

The main concern I have now is whether there will be rot in the stringers.

Your tank should be in a coffin. Your stringers may have wet foam and possible delam but no rot.

Good luck.

[fitz73222]

Congrats,
That is the original fuel tank and lines. Quite amazing actually. Everything needs to be replaced all the way back to the engine. Was the the original fuel shut off valve mounted on a little teak block next to where the fuel line transitions from below deck to top side deck under the console? The maximum size tank you can stuff in the same footprint is 71 gallons without cutting things. My '73 22-2 is on its second fuel tank and still happy.

[williamtii]

UPDATE:

I got the tank out two weekends ago, but wanted to wait until I could get everything cleaned up before posting. The whole affair left me a bit discouraged but I think I'm in better shape than I thought. Yes that 3-way valve on the teak block is there, I had thought someone had put it in sometime along the way but it sure looks like its from 1973 !

Here is my take on what happened to the tank:

- The hatch cover has sealed holes for a captains chair, so someone must have put in the leaning post at a later stage
- Believe at that point the hatch was lifted to strengthen the lip the cover sits on, and replace the fuel pick-up line. The line is not Marine Fuel Hose, or even Automotive Fuel Hose. Looks like emissions line quality to me.
- The aft segment of the lip the hatch rests on has had additional fiberglass added to both sides, from just behind the house to the end. A 2X4 was jammed underneath to help
- The hatch was then placed back down with a thick bead of silicone
- Over the years the silicone degraded, allowing water to enter the coffin. The 2X4 rotted and sunk, exacerbating the issue. I pulled it apart with my fingers it was so rotten.
- The floor just outside the lip is very strong, I can put full weight on it without flexing. the lip itself will need to be strengthened better this time around. 
- Years of Salt Water and Sand entering the hatch corroded the top of the tank enough to break through, allowing water into the tank.
- I filled a 5-Gallon container with nasty salt water crud, and fed the 20 gallons of good gas to the Ford
- The hatch is delaminated around the edges on the bottom. It will need to be re-glassed and sealed before going back on

Onto the pics! Now that the area is cleaned up it does not look so bad. The only thing I am worried about is water ingress from other sources, but you need to rip up the entire floor to check that correct? The hatch cover is bad enough that I suspect it is the reason. Good news is the fill and vent lines came off easy, and are in good shape to re-use.
















I have been looking at some of the poly-tanks online, specifically the Moellers as I have seen people here like them. My concern is that the Fuel Gauge, Fill and Vent Lines are going to be in completely different locations.

Does anyone have a specific tank that they have successfully used without having to drill another hole to see the fuel gauge or extend the fill and vent hoses? I'm not picky on size, 60-gallons is more than enough for my purposes!

[Capt. Bob]

Does anyone have a specific tank that they have successfully used without having to drill another hole to see the fuel gauge or extend the fill and vent hoses? I'm not picky on size, 60-gallons is more than enough for my purposes!

This gentleman will make you a tank just like the original.

http://alloymetalworks.com/

Ask for Phil, tell him your a member of CAS, and the year and model of your hull.

Good luck.

[williamtii]

Thanks Bob,

I had seen others recommending them in other threads, but I was leaning towards poly so I wouldn't run into corrosion issues again. I figure a ready made poly tank would get here faster and at less cost too. I have kid #2 coming mid-April so she needs to be water ready by then!

I dropped Phil a note, he's not far from me so hoping for a good answer.

[Capt. Bob]

OK,
I'll bounce something off you.

First, aluminum tanks will last a LONG time if installed correctly.

Second, do you know just what you expect from your boat? By that I mean, if you know just how you plan to use your hull, tank size is much easier to determine.

I took some heat on downsizing my tank from 110 to 55 gal. No problem on my end because I would never need more. It saved $500+ bucks that I put right back into the hull.

So what's my point? Know how you will use this hull. Don't listen to "resale" BS and get the tank you NEED.

Sorry for the rant but if you drank the kool-aid to buy and REBUILD one of these classics, then think it through. I'm not discouraging a poly tank. Just saying, don't buy what you won't use. Poly or alum, size does matter when it comes to how you'll REALLY use your boat.

Good luck.

[williamtii]

Thanks Bob. I am in touch with Phil, better price and turnaround than I was expecting!

I'm not too concerned on the size since I just run it around in LI Sound. I can get 5-6 trips on a fill up with the current set-up and I know theres still still fuel left in there on dead empty. On the 60 Gallon tank the gauge read 1/4 and I pulled at least 25 gallons out to give an idea. An accurate gas gauge will be the best improvement so far!  Phil said the Poly tanks do not have the proper baffling that the original design has, something else to consider.

A direct fit is going to be the best for me, I have plenty of other things that need attention before she's ready for the water!

One thing I keep coming back to is the holes drilled in the bottom of the coffin which must be drain holes. They must not have done a very good job if I'm in the position I am in. Is there a path back to the bilge under the coffin? Or are is the space underneath just not meant to contain the amount of water that was coming in ?

[Capt. Bob]

One thing I keep coming back to is the holes drilled in the bottom of the coffin which must be drain holes. They must not have done a very good job if I'm in the position I am in. Is there a path back to the bilge under the coffin? Or are is the space underneath just not meant to contain the amount of water that was coming in ?

So, let's visit this shall we?
The holes intent are indeed to drain the coffin and yes there is space underneath that would allow the water to make its way to the bilge. Still, why is the coffin there in the first place? Aqua did away with it in the Genmar hulls.

Well in early model Aquasports, the fuel tank was often located underneath the console. In order to relocate it below deck, the coffin was placed between the stringers in an effort to "catch" fuel that might spill/leak. I believe this may have been a CG regulation but I'm not sure. Still, if that was the case, drilling drain holes would be counter to that logic. By placing the coffin above the keel, water that entered forward (think in the storage/fish box on the casting deck) could by drained back to the bilge by passing under the coffin. If the boat was trailered and enough water got into the bilge without draining out (trailer level with drain plug in place) I'm guessing that water could possibly enter the coffin through the holes?????

OK then, what's the point?
You want to do everything you can to keep water out of the coffin. The vast majority will enter through the cover and any deck/access covers not properly sealed. When trailered, remember to elevated the hull and remove the plug. Drain holes will help allow air to circulate under the tank and drain any small amount that enters. The best thing is to get some airspace between the tank and coffin. Some use PVC blocks, others use rubber/neoprene.
You may have seen this before.
https://www.yachtsurvey.com/fueltank.htm

[williamtii]

Some progress! I got the new tank back from Phil over the weekend. Perfect match, and less expensive than the poly tanks I was looking at. Fully recommend using him, I sent some measurements and pics and a few weeks later this shiny beauty came home.



I test fit Sunday and found with the hatch cover on there really isn't much space overhead to add PVC spacers underneath for better ventilation. I think I will be able to fit 1/4 - 1/2 inch up forward, but aft is close to touching the NPT fitting.  The fitting on the old tank was cracked, I think from the sagging hatch cover allowing us to step right on it.

Once in I just need to take up the 1/2 inch on either side where I cut the foam. What do you guys recommend for foam? Will this stuff do the trick or anything better?  Also what sealant would you recommend to glue the hatch cover back down?

https://www.wholesalemarine.com/marine-automotive-urethane-spray-sealant-foam.html