Diesel Tank Removal

[aeolus]

Owner of a 40' Tashiba sailboat. Has anyone had experience in removing old iron diesel tank? How did you go about this task?
thanks, aeolus

[Euro Cruiser]

It all depends on how and where the tank is installed. In my case, it went in before the cabin trunk went on and, after removing a fence and the restraining straps, had to use a saws-all to 'help' the tank get through the hatch.

For some helpful pics of a similar boat doing this project, you might visit nineofcups.com and look for the pics and discussion of how David replaced their tank. As I recall, a key component of the project, since they were in an area without a lot of tool shops, was his ability to find a 'fine saw' from one of the other boats. This allowed him to make very clean cuts to sections of the cabin sole (above the tank), thereby refitting the pieces without degrading the appearance of the sole.

Jack

[James S]

Originally Posted by Euro Cruiser

This allowed him to make very clean cuts to sections of the cabin sole (above the tank), thereby refitting the pieces without degrading the appearance of the sole.

Jack

Thats what I did too....
Just kidding I had to remove the entire galley and nav station.

[jkleins]

I think I can get to mine by pulling the sole between the galley cabinets and the head. Either the designers or the folks who changed them last time were kind enough to make a pretty transition in the teak and "holly" sole so that the entire salon doesn't need to be removed and the braces are doubled with the ones supporting the galley so the ones over the tanks can be removed without collapsing everything else. Maybe you will be as lucky.

I am not recommending this in this instance but with all the talk lately about tanks and leakage and another thread about flexible fuel tanks I was just wondering if anyone has ever just cut the top of the bad tank that was accessible and put a bladder down in it instead of replacing a tank. Seems like it solves the biggest problem with the portable tanks (support and containment with movement).

Jim

[gonesail]

i looked at a Slocum 38 (similar to Tashiba) and the guy had removed the iron tank by cutting it up with a metal saw. but he never put a tank back in .. instead installed a fuel bladder which I was not so happy about.

[Chief Engineer]

It is a FEIN tool.

If you are going to be cutting any interior wood on a boat....it is THE tool.

Since FEIN let the patent lapse, Black and Decker, Dremel and DeWalt (Black and Decker) and others have rushed in.

Trivia question....who invented the first electric drill?