2000 Aquasport Osprey 250 Gas Tank Replacement

[81walkaround]

Thanks to the wonderful work done at the Hialeah Factory in 1999/2000, I need to replace the tank in my AS.

  :evil:

I was really bummed it happened, but I didn't want to let the boat sit for too long, you know how those projects go when you let them lose steam...

so.. i called up a couple of the boys and we got to work.

dam you aquasport!  lol

[81walkaround]

started out by

1) unbolting t-top
2) disconnecting all t-top harnesses
3) raising t-tops onto a couple of 4x4's
4) attempting to cut what looks like a mold for the gas tank hatch out

here's where things already start get interesting

although it looks like AS put that mold on the floor and it LOOKS like a gas tank hatch, it really sits atop the stringer in the back and spans across the stringer that runs under the t-top in the front, so, really, its NOT a template for a gas tank hatch.

luckily, we started cutting slowly and only had the circular saw set at 3/4".  We started with a small jigsaw, but that would have taken all day.  then we tried to put a fine (metal) blade on the circular saw, but it was heating up too much and taking too long.  we finally decided to switch to the wood cutting blade, and it cut through the deck like butter.

[81walkaround]

[fitz73222]

That does seem to be an early death, is it leaking? You don't have a tank hatch do you? Yikes!

[fitz73222]

That does seem to be an early death, is it leaking? You don't have a tank hatch do you? Yikes!

Oops, I just saw the pictures, no hatch, that sucks!

[81walkaround]

got the tank out, you can see the hole.. right in the rear/bottom

[81walkaround]

my initial plan was to drop in a poly tank, but i couldnt find any poly tanks that met my width requirements.  there's only 23" of room inside the gas tank cavity in the hull (This is a 144 gal tank).

so, i called FMT (mfg of original tank) and i ordered a new tank from them ($1400)

i asked the tank to modded in the following ways:

1) move vent/filler tubes, and ground tab 6" aft
2) make tank 1" lower
3) make tank 3" shorter overall (to be shortened from the front)

This will make reinstallation alot easier since the tank has to be angled to be extracted.  you cant cut it out and pull it straight up without entirely removing the t-top and cutting through stringer.  

and this is where i'm currently at.

lead time on tank is 4weeks, so, we're "on hold" for a while.

[81walkaround]

i was originally mad at FMT inside, but, after dealing with them, they are a top notch organization so far.

i love the fact that they send you schematics for your gas tank for you to edit/approve before they build it.

this tank went bad prematurely due to poor/improper installation at the factory, not their fault.

i'd post the schematics, but, i think fmt would frown on that.

[seabob4]

81,
Is this you from THT?  Where Jimmy gave you the "what for"?  

You know your boat was built at the WC plant in Sarasota...

[81walkaround]

i did not know that!  i always just thought you moved from miami up north/west at some point.  lol.

and yes, its me!      that jawz guy is a prick.

at least your wiring was done really well.. i had no issues with the wiring other than some of the cables were clamped to the floor under where i had to cut out, so, we had to break the clamps free before we could cut the floor.

from my best guess, it looks like the boat was built by setting up the bottom half of the hull... then dropping the gas tank in....  then dropping the entire floor/deck cap over it (maybe even with the console already on the top deck since those wires were clamped to the underside of the floor?  

there's no way AS designed this hull with future gas tank replacement in mind.  


i would like to ask AS what was the reasoning behind the gelcoat "outline" on the gas tank?  aesthetic?  

i'm just glad we started with the circular saw at 3/4" so we didnt cut into the stringers.

also, i thought the tournament masters were "no wood" boats?  my floor is wood cored.

[81walkaround]

got the tank out, you can see the hole.. right in the rear/bottom

you can see in this picture why i wanted the vent/fill tubes moved back 6"

we just cut the tank in half to get it out easily and quickly (a sawzall did the job in less than 30 seconds, lol).

if you try and lift the tank to angle it out, the vent/fill tubes hit the stringers.  theres *ALMOST* enough clearance though, so, just relocating the tubes should give me the clearance i need (combined with the slightly shorter and slightly lower tank modifications that should give me more wiggle room to get the tank in.

[seabob4]

81,
Your boat also has wood in the gunnels, end-grain balsa.  The hull is wood free, but not the deck...

And, basically, you are correct as far as fuel tank removal.  Even when I got there in '94, they had already gotten rid of tank hatches.  Even though I never asked, my best guess is, that to reduce the amount of rework on the deck molds, they simply filled is the gap between the deck and the hatch and made it smooth gel rather than non-skid.  To apply new non-skid in the mold and get it to match up with the surrounding areas is a beetch, much easier to simply make it smooth gel...

[81walkaround]

they must have changed the layout of the bottom half of the hull too.  the outline just doesnt make too much sense to me given the layout of the bottom half of the hull.

[flounderpounder225]

Ok, since my 245 is the same layout, I'm very interested.  What I did not get (maybe missed it) since the smooth gelcoat outline is NOT the cut out dimension for tank removal, what is?  How far out or in from that line fore and aft, or side to side did you have to cut?  If you have any close ups of the removed "hatch" piece showing the existing line, that would be great.

[81walkaround]

What I did not get (maybe missed it) since the smooth gelcoat outline is NOT the cut out dimension for tank removal, what is?

well, thats just it.. it is and it isnt, lol.  basically, yes, it outlines the tank itself, however, it is NOT a guide for cutting due to what's under that outline.

1) the outline in the rear that runs from port-to-starboard is right over a stringer, so, we cut about 3" forward of the line in the rear.

2) the outline that runs from stern to bow, if you were to cut all the way through it, would cut across a stringer that runs from port-to-starboard just under where the center console begins (begins == where you'd be standing if you were driving).

basically, the piece of decking i cut out completely, does not run under the console.  its stops just aft of the console.  although, the initial 3/4" cut that doesnt cut through the floor completely, follows the outline entirely, so, i'll need to glass that back in and re-gelcoat it.

when i'm done, i'll have two additional lines running from port-to-starboard.. the one in the back to address item #1, and one in the front to address item #2.

also, the outline itself is only about 22" wide or so b/c the tank is only 21" wide.. now.. try to find a poly tank that is only 21" wide and holds north of 140 gallons...  this is why i re-ordered the tank from the same mfg.