My Post is a 1982 42. I haven't had any trouble with the fuel tanks, but I do wonder because of the age. I don't want to be a jinx, but has anyone had to replace a tank?
1984 and no problems either. Are you aware of the drain for the fuel tank compartments? PVC pipe that comes out under the stairs in the bilge. I have it blocked with a wood plug and check it once or twice a year to drain any condensation that may have collected and verify no diesel leaks under the tanks.
replaced both forward and aft tanks in my 1980 46' Had to cut them out with an angle gringer and a sawsall. Had new tanks fabricated in cape canavaral. I was able to make the new tanks shorter 6", but 1" taller and 1/2" wider so I did not lose quantity, and I could get them back in. The forward tank was pretty easy just remove the genset. Had to cut the cockpit floor to remove the aft tank, put on my post the floor supports were constructed in such a way that I was able to simply lay the floor back onto the supports, and glass and tab it in. Not that complicated. Also got the new tanks certifeid to coast gaurd specs.
Hi Blueboat - I'm new here but I saw your thread from a month ago and wanted to let you know I changed out the tanks in my '76 42 and was able to do it without cutting up the cockpit deck or even having the boat hauled out. Are your tanks steel? Mine were and I was worried about the corrosion I could see above the cribbing and suspected the areas I couldn't see would be worse. As it turned out the areas below the cribbing lived in a perpetual slurry of oily sludge and as a result were in better shape than the exposed parts. By then I was committed with new tanks under fabrication so I went ahead with the project. I'm glad I did it. I replaced the entire fuel system from new deck fills, hoses, fuel lines, filtration, etc. Without going into the all the details I removed the tank between the engines and by building an A-frame and using a comealong and some buddies we got the tank up and rotated and out the door into the cockpit. From there it was onto the dock and on the truck to scrap. There was a small bulkhead separating the forward tank from the aft tank that I cut away and ground down flush with the stringers and hull. Then aft tank was pulled forward between the engines and removed the same way as the first one. I spent weeks cleaning and degreasing the entire area. I decided to install the new .250 inch aluminum tanks in the method advocated by surveyor and author David Pascoe. This required that I glass in new decking under the tanks to create a flat space for the tanks. The decking is tabbed all around the perimeter with a center fore and aft support and there is complete drainage from the transom to the forward bilge. The new tanks went in by the reverse steps - aft tank first, glass in new small bulkhead, forward tank next. NOTE: There was no genset in place up against the forward bulkhead in the engine compartment. The space is needed to get the tanks out so if you have a genset there it would have to be pulled. Without digging out the receipts and adding them up I would say I spent approx. $5,000 total on tanks, decking, epoxy, glass, deck fills, fittings, senders and hoses (does not include fuel lines and primary filters.) Labor was free - mine and some buddies plus some beer. The boat was in the water so no yard costs for haul-out, etc. Having done it I wouldn't advise doing it unless you really see the need, ie. leaking fuel. I was glad to eliminate all the steel pipes and the rust and I'm sure I saved a lot of weight for which I'm thankful.
