Thoughts on Bladder Fuel Tanks, etc.

[vonchris7]

Hi,

Well, I've run into a bit of an issue.

My 1981 Cape Dory has an original aluminum fuel tank that is leaking. So I need to replace. Unfortunately, it's 14 inches wide and the only way to take it out seems to be to cut it into pieces as the locker is 11.75 in. wide.

I was thinking about going with a custom build plastic tank by Moeller. Any thoughts?

Another option that was mentioned by a chum at the marina is to cut the top off the aluminum tank and put a bladder tank in there. Anyone have experiences, good or bad, with bladder tanks?

Thanks,

Chris

[Tayana42]

Hi, Chris. I did this after one of my 1989 black iron diesel tanks developed a pin hole leak. Same problem of inaccessibility for removal of the tank without demolishing the interior of the cabin.

In addition to opening up the top of the tank you have to remove any baffles in the tank and grind them down smooth so as not to have any chafe on the bladder. I also padded the inside of the iron tank with rubber decking tiles before inserting the bladder. And I trimmed the edge of the top opening with an automotive trim so not have an edge to chafe.

You want a high quality bladder tank builder to manufacture one to the exact dimensions of the inside of your existing tank so you need to measure the rhomboid shaped tank very carefully. I used:
Aero Tec Laboratories, Inc.
Spear Road
Ramsey, New Jersey 07440
201-825-1400
ATL@ATLINC.COM

Cost was $1296 in 2004. That was in addition to the cost of grinding out the baffles in the iron tank and installing the bladder.

It was not a cheap solution but it has been flawless for the dozen years it has been in place.