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dmksails · 04-06-2016, 17:40

My Tashiba-31 has a fuel tank with a dip stick to show fuel level. The dip stick is bare metal and it's very hard to actually see the fuel level. Any suggestions - short of installing a fuel gauge?

**Jim Cate** · 04-06-2016, 17:46

I made dip sticks for my tanks out of bare 5/16 inch dowel. You could do so as well, transferring the marks from the metal one for calibration. This is easier to read than metal rod. Another dodge I've not tried, but that sounds ok: dip the rod, then hold it against a clean paper towel. The level will be apparent.

jim

Fiveslide · 04-06-2016, 17:47

I'm not familiar with your boat or its tank locations, but could a sight glass work for you? Is there access to the side of the tank?

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**HopCar** · 04-06-2016, 18:50

Like Jim, I find wood makes the best dip stick.
There is a product that a lot of people don't know about. It's a paste that you can put on dip sticks and if there is water in the tank, the paste turns bright red. It's called water finding paste.
Kolor Kut Water Finding Paste

Mike OReilly · 04-06-2016, 19:19

Wood dowel here. Pretty easy to read.

**Tayana42** · 04-06-2016, 20:25

Wood dowel here too. Simple, cheap and effective.

S/V B'Shert

**bletso** · 05-06-2016, 04:48

Did away with the dip sticks and installed a Tank Tender. Love it as I can monitor my two water tanks and fuel tank with one unit and no power required, (other than my finger). My tanks required me to lift the cabin ladder, and remove a floor board to gain access to the dip sticks. As I monitor them daily, that was a pain. It was also easy to install. I must warn you thought that it is a bit dear on pricing.

dmksails · 15-09-2016, 14:10

Ok, as suggested, I got myself a wood dowel that fits in the tank. It does a great job of showing the fuel level. Only problem is that now I have a wood dowel that smells of diesel and it's smelling up the cabin. Even after whipping the dowel immediately after use it still smells of diesel for days.

How do you keep the rod from smelling? Do you seal the dowel to prevent it absorbing the fuel?

**a64pilot** · 15-09-2016, 14:16

I'm not so sensitive to smell, but another way is to use a clear plastic tube, stick it in, put your finger over the top before you withdraw it and of course the level of fuel is easy to see in the tube, and you can clean all the diesel off of a plastic tube, probably have to spray some cleaner inside to get it perfectly clean though.

It's what we do with aircraft, just be darn sure your tube it too long to fall completely in the tank if you drop it, cause one day you will.

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**Tayana42** · 15-09-2016, 14:20

Right after use I wipe the dowel carefully with an oil absorbing pad. That takes up most of the odor.

S/V B'Shert

MarkSF · 15-09-2016, 14:28

I varnished the wooden dowel, so that the diesel doesn't soak into it. So I just wipe the stick with a paper towel, and the smell is minimal.

**HopCar** · 15-09-2016, 15:45

You could store the stick in a length of PVC pipe with a cap glued on one end and a cap not glued on the other.

**Sailmonkey** · 15-09-2016, 15:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by HopCar

You could store the stick in a length of PVC pipe with a cap glued on one end and a cap not glued on the other.

That's the winner!!!!

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Pauls · 15-09-2016, 16:13

To make a metal dip stick work you need to give it a rough surface. Sand it with the coarsest sand paper you can find - 36 grit or so is good. This will increase visibility a lot.

You don't mention what you use to access the tank with your dipstick. If you can mount the dipstick in the cap which seals your tank access then it will be stored in the tank and you will have no odor or storage issues.