Bayfield 25 fuel tank removal

LaBelle 1982 Bayfield 25 Fuel Tank Removal

4/13/12: for her 30^th birthday I decided to give SV LaBelle a new fuel tank

I siphoned out 9.5 gallons diesel fuel with a hand pump.  It took about 30 minutes.  Removed all hoses from tank and pulled them back with bungee cord attached to engine mount.  I cut the 1.5” filler hose, which was showing age cracks where it entered the engine compartment.

I cut the fiberglass epoxy holding the tank to the bilge sides with a 18” keyhole type handsaw.  I used a good quality hacksaw blade towards the aft end of the tank, as the clearance became VERY tight between the bilge wall and the tank.  

Cutting to the aft end,  the tank is wedged into the aft end of the bilge very tightly.

4/14.

Ground down bilge walls aft of the tank so I could try to slide the tank aft.  I used the keyhole saw blade.  Then, I ground the extra fiberglass on the bilge walls, leftover from the tank being glassed in to move the tank up.  I used a Dremel tool.  It was impossible for me to lift the aft end of the tank by pulling up on the inlet nozzle. 

The cabin floor opening is not long enough to fit the tank through.  It appears that the tank was not designed to be removed. 

 

I had to cut away part of the lip extending down from the cabin floor.  To do this, I first drilled a horizontal line of holes in the forward lip of the opening.  The fiberglass is about 3/8” thick along that horizontal line.  I used a drill with a cutoff wheel to cut through the fiberglass between the holes.  I used a hacksaw blade to make the vertical cuts.  There is not much space to work in, so smaller tools work better.  

I trimmed the forward opening lip to accommodate the two welded stubs on the forward end of the tank.  They perfectly aligned with the lip as I raised the aft end of the tank.  The tank didn’t quite clear the aft lip, so I ground that down also, but there is not much on the aft lip to take off

I tied a rope to a 10” steel chisel, reached into the bilge with the chisel and jammed it between the iron ballast and the bottom of the tank.  I pulled on the rope, levering the chisel upwards and the tank came up.

To remove the tank I used a pry bar to force the tank past the aft lip.  Finally, I was able to pull the tank out. 

The original aluminum tank is in excellent condition for its 30 years ageing in place.  SV LaBelle has a bilge pump so the tank stayed dry.  30 years of diesel fuel, water, and sludge inside the tank can ruin a day on the water and your diesel engine.   

She is aging well. No corrosion, no pitting on this 30 year old tank.  I  put in storage for a year, then installed an inspection port, cleaned out the sludge in the tank and re-installed it with new hoses.  Maybe someday I'll do the Northwest Passage with LaBelle.

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 For a year I got by with this smaller tank.


This tank only holds 2 gallons, but it will mount on a bulkhead behind the engine.  Yanmar 1-GM burns about 1 pint per hour.  I figure one full tank might last a season of weekend sailing.  Look how large that inspection/filling port is!  I’ll keep a 2 gallon canister of diesel in the bilge just in case I need to motor all weekend.

 New Tank dimensions = 8 x 8 x 12
Tank Material = .125 Mill aluminum
(1) Wisco Aircraft Style Cap
(4) 1/2 NPT Fittings
(2) 1 x 1 mounting tabs
Bottom Tapered for Fuel Flow To Fittings.
Mounting tabs can be modified to suit Particular needs.

Hoses going to Bayfield 25 original tank:
Fuel fill hose: 1.5” ID, 120” long USGC Shielded
Fuel feed to filter and filter to engine: Type A1 ¼” SAE J1527 ISO 7840
Fuel return from engine to tank: KX-04 07-8 Shields 301 USGC 301 Type B ¼” ID, ½” OD
Breather tube: KX 110981 ~15/16 OD, ~5/8 ID

New Tank

Front Top, Back, Bottom

New Tank Installed:

This mounting would probably be impossible if there is no engine hatch in your B25 cockpit.

New tank had ½” NPT threads, I needed:

Qty 1   ½” NPT Brass plug for bottom

Qty 2   brass ½” to ¼” adaptors (NAPA has them)

Qty 2  ¼” to ¼” ID right angle fuel hose adaptors (filter feed and engine return)

Qty 1   ½” to 5/8” 90 degree plastic hose adaptor for vent (in plumbing at hardware store)

Teflon plumbing tape

New Tank Attachment Detail

I raised the wiring harness that runs along the aft bulkhead of the engine room, allowing room for the new tank hoses.  I drilled 4 holes in the tank flanges, used hex/slotted sheet metal screws to attach the tank to the bulkhead. I mounted the tank as low as I could without interfering with the engine transmission.  Height of the fuel return must be lower than the return hose outlet from the engine.  Yanmar 1GM design is suitable, with the return hose high on the engine.

Fuel feed is about ½” above the bottom of the tank, but the filler opening is large enough to fit a hand through, to inspect or clean the bottom of the tank periodically. The new tank is easily removed for cleaning if necessary.

 I used LaBelle’s original hoses, cutting off hoses as necessary for a good fit.
These sections of hoses were cut off from the originals.
LaBelle’s Yanmar 1GM engine runs like new with clean fuel!  This new fuel tank is a 30th birthday present that pays dividends. (and it only cost me $220, but don’t tell LaBelle)
Bonus: LaBelle now has room in the bilge for a 3rd battery and spare fuel.