Traces of diesel in the bilge

[Americanrancher]

Originally Posted by Curtinjulianna

I'm thinking you are right. I woke up this morning and at least a shot glass more of diesel was in the bilge. In addition, there is diesel in the bathroom cabinet which is right next to the fuel tank. Such a mess! Our tank is a 20 gallon. Any idea the cost to replace?

I'm in the same boat, HAHA! I have gotten quotes of $550-800.00 for a 20 gal tank. Of course you need to pump the old diesel out of the old tank and get it out of the boat to replace it. As long as it is out lots of thing you could do like cleaning the bilge and replacing all of the fuel hoses. That is my plan.

Good luck, Ben S/V DAWN

[sck5]

I used to have a 1988 Caliber 33 and replaced all the tanks. It was a known problem with Calibers after around 20-25 years. Getting them out in pieces took a while but was doable. The low budget way to replace is to pick the largest off-the-shelf tank that will fit in the space. You might lose a few gallons capacity but maybe you dont really need it depending how you sail.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Curtinjulianna

Hey!

We just bought a 1986 Caliber 28. We noticed a smell and then realized after going 7 hours are bilge was filled with water and some diesel. We pumped about a gallon and a half of water out and 20% of it was diesel. We did not think much of it as we had just replaced fuel filters and figured maybe just from that. We then traveled another 7 hours. After that we pumped out another liter and a half of water which about 20% of it was diesel! We cannot seem to see a leak doesnt mean it is not there. We did notice that there is already a ton of gunk in our main fuel filter after just being cleaned two days ago. Anybody have any experience with this? Is it dangerous to continue on pumping out after every leg to get our boat back to its home port?

Congratulations on your new boat. New-to-me boats always seem to be filled with surprises and questions to their new owners after the cash has changed hands.

You have a water and diesel leak and it sounds like your diesel tank is very dirty, you might change filters more frequently.

Water: check your stuffing box and tighten if leaking excessively then check your engine cooling lines after wiping the all dry and after an engine run. Check your fresh water supply lines to insure they are not the source, tighten fittings.

Diesel: Wipe all lines down dry and then check for leaks; that includes the diesel return line to the tank. Replace any old and cracked lines. Of what material is the tank made? Aluminum tanks that sit in salt water are doomed to corrode. Tank leaks can be hard to locate due to their location so you may have to use a mirror, dry pads strategically placed, or an electronic viewer to get a good look. On an older boat I used Tampax tampons to identify a tank leak.

When located, don't take any shortcut in the repair. The boat is new to you and you don't want to go through this again...do the repair right the first and last time.

Good Luck.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[Robert Jansen]

There's a trick that automobile mechanics use to isolate a leak that may help. Consider adding some dye to the fuel. The source of the leak should be easier to identify.

[tangara]

Start by checking return fuel line, around fuel injector and fuel injector supplies line, the suction line from the fuel tank to the fuel pump should be ok or you will have engine running problème, verify your fuel filter and replace o'ring, It is not recommended to run a engine with fuel in the bridge and do not pump your fuel in the sea, return your fuel in a spare 5 gls let it sit for a days you will see the fuel separate from the water you could remove the water by siphoning and filter your fuel with a water separator filter before return the fuel to the tank.
Your tank need cleaning Google provide many option for fuel tank cleaning.

Baby powder spread at the suspect's leak area will come wet (dry all suspect area before using baby powder)

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by Curtinjulianna

Hey!

We just bought a 1986 Caliber 28. We noticed a smell and then realized after going 7 hours are bilge was filled with water and some diesel. We pumped about a gallon and a half of water out and 20% of it was diesel. We did not think much of it as we had just replaced fuel filters and figured maybe just from that. We then traveled another 7 hours. After that we pumped out another liter and a half of water which about 20% of it was diesel! We cannot seem to see a leak doesnt mean it is not there. We did notice that there is already a ton of gunk in our main fuel filter after just being cleaned two days ago. Anybody have any experience with this? Is it dangerous to continue on pumping out after every leg to get our boat back to its home port?

Obviously there is a leak
.Check all connections, filters, fuel pump, return line, tank.

[ancor]

First of all, diesel isn't nearly as flammable as petrol and takes a lot of heat to vaporize and ignite. (You can douse a lit cigarette in diesel) So from a safety point of view, not overly worrisome. Most bilges have oil and diesel of varying degrees in them.
On the point of where it comes from, check tho hoses from tank to lifting pump for leaks while running. I don't think that would be the issue though, as you would get a vacuum leak while engine is turned off and would have to re-bleed every-time you start engine again. This 'bleeding' can be a manual requirement, or automatic depending on engine, but would take some time turning over before starting.
Two things, if there is a leak regardless of the engine running or not, bottom of the tank or fittings would be my guess. If leaking only occurs during running, the diesel return flow fittings would be my first look.
Hope this helps.

[LittleWing77]

CJ!

Just wanted to take a moment to pause and note that you've now been initiated into the fraternity of boat ownership and true sailors. Well done!

See how many of us have had many and varied diesel leaks? (Part of the reason diesel engines are used on boats is diesel does NOT have the explosive capacity of gasoline - so don't need to worry about that as much).

I know this trip is for building your confidence, so may I suggest this is an opportunity to get your sails up? If you're going with the tide, 30 miles should take one full day if there's a respectable wind keeping you around
5-ish knots...

Remember to have a great time!
Warmly,
LittleWing77

[capn ken]

Take a deep Breath, not near the bilge . Get some absorbent pads put them in the bilge wear nitrile gloves , remove diesel soaked pads , place garbage bag . Pump out bilge . Take a flashlight look for obvious leaks . Is your fuel tank too full ? Where does it vent to ? Check fuel lines , primary and secondary filters . Fuel pump , injectors ,etcetera . I have found the best way to locate a small Fuel leak is to take your hand and rub it along the lines injectors on the filters and see if you can get any diesel on your fingers . Isolate the leak and go from there . Diesel is not that flammable but be cautious ! Be careful . And good luck we’re in this together

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Curtinjulianna

Hey guys!! So update, I was cleaning out the cabinet in the bathroom that is right beneath the fuel tank, and I noticed fuel on the floor of the cabinet and a huge wet spot down the side. Hmmm starting to think more and more it might be the old tank. However, I think there could also be some issues with the hoses and what not. We are going up 8 hours tomorrow to civilization and going to get some help looking everything over. Will update with the news on Friday! We are going to pump our bilge before leaving and dispose of the diesel in a diesel safe bin. I got some of the pads so hopefully those help! Any other safety things I should consider with a leak like this? Thanks!!!

If you're not up to replacing the tank at the moment, you might consider getting a suitably-sized plastic tank as a temporary fix. Decant the fuel from the leaky tank to it, strap it down somewhere where it's not too inconvenient and re-run the fuel supply and return lines to it. Do a proper fix when you get home.
All boat fixes cost 3X as much and take 3X longer to complete than estimated. Welcome to boat ownership.

[David Mathis]

Don’t allow the diesel fuel to go overboard. Not only is it illegal but it creates environmental problems as well as the public perception of boaters creating a mess.
You can learn much with a roll of paper towels, preferably the blue shop towels. Wrap them around any area that you might reasonably suspect leaks and place them around the Base of the fuel tank. Within a few miles you should at least eliminate several areas even if you haven’t found the leak. Keep wrapping areas and placing the towels under other areas. Eventually you will find a spot wet with fuel on one of the towels which will indicate the source.