Replacing Diesel Tank

[Roy M]

You can fabricate the tank out of plywood, epoxy coated. It's quick, strong and durable (my own tank is 55 gallons and thirty years old). It is acceptable to insurance companies (as a cellulose core composite material). It's especially cool since you can make it precisely to meet your needs. I have built a number of them. You can install baffles plates, cleanout ports, dip stick and electrical fuel gauges, fuel returns and fills and pickups, and make everything so you can open it up, swab it clean of slime or dirt or whatever. All inside corners are radiused to make cleaning easy and efficient. A few years ago I removed my tank to install a fuel level sender. The hole saw core showed zero diesel penetration, in fact, the plywood smelled like it did the day I built the tank.

[Geoff H.]

Thanks to all who commented. Wanted to share update. Completed install yesterday here in Ft. Lauderdale of new aluminum tank (made by Aim Welding Alloys; Ft. Lauderdale). Pretty straghtforward, except for my brilliant idea to add 1/2" plastic/pvc strips on bottom of this tank and the 6 mo. old steel tank that I had to remove to get at the smaller one (to assure that bottom of tanks weren't resting on bare bilge.) AHHHH. Couldn't get the big 80 gal steel tank to go back in right -- had to pull back out and pry the plastic runners off. But they are back in now. Nice job by Scott at Alloy on the tank.

[Aloha_float]

Suggest that you may want to replace the other steel tank when it suits the budget. The newer ultra low sulfur diesel is a much nicer home to bacteria and the industry is measuring a significant increase in corrosion as a result. Steel walled tanks are susceptible to this.

Your other tank likely failed for the same reason...it's known as MIC or microbially influenced corrosion. Going to aluminum was a good idea although it is not immune to this as well. I just replaced my tank with poly.