Alum. Fuel Tank Repair Needed!

[wheatie]

Had to pull my tank today from a 18 yr. old boat. Had been getting a lot of water in my fuel and was getting fuel in bilge after my last trip. Found two pea sized spots of corrosion at the rear where water could collect.
Where do I take it for repair and testing, East side PDX? (Alum. tank)
I would almost want to get a smaller tank, this one is 46 gallons but looks like a poly tank is over $200. I would consider a trade if someone wants a large under floor tank.

[tagnbagem]

Wheatie, i would think twice about a plastic tank with the ethanol gas we are forced to use.

[wheatie]

Found this at iboats;

"First, inspect your fuel tank.
Look for signs of corrosion in metal tanks.
If you have on older boat with a fiberglass fuel tank, you should replace the tank with a new plastic tank. Polyethylene fuel tanks are not affected by ethanol, age well and are incredibly durable. Any boat with a fiberglass gas tank that was not specifically designed for ethanol, especially ones built before the mid 1980’s, are particularly suspect.


Avoid replacing your tank with an aluminum tank. Contact with water and other metals, inside or outside of the tank, causes pitting and crevice corrosion in the marine environment. Contact with water in the bilge, particularly salt water, is especially corrosive over time. Welds on aluminum tanks are another area of weakness. Again, polyethylene tanks are very durable and not as affected by the constant movement and expansion of fuel, which causes stress on aluminum tanks."